MTN Digital graduates posing for a photo moment shortly after the award of certificates by the Maendeleo Foundation: Photo credit Alomocan Desire
By Komakech Jimmy
Pader: Young people who completed digital skills training in Angagura have been urged to use their knowledge to start businesses and provide services in their community rather than wait for jobs.
In the event, a total of 407 young people from Pader and Lamwo districts graduated after completing a three-week digital and financial literacy program delivered through the MTN Internet Bus.
Vicky Vera, Angagura Sub-county Community Development Officer, said the area’s limited computer services could give graduates opportunities to earn a living. She said Angagura had only two computer centres, leaving room for more businesses offering computer access and related services, including mobile-money transactions.
“Don’t look for jobs, create your own jobs with these skills,” Vera told the graduates.
The ceremony marked the end of a training program delivered through the MTN Digital Skills initiative, in partnership with the Maendeleo Foundation.
Participants said they learned computer basics, internet use, Microsoft Office, and digital literacy. Speakers also cited digital marketing, graphic design, financial literacy, and business planning among the skills covered.
Vera said growing activity in the area could increase demand for local services. But she cautioned that technical knowledge alone might not be enough, urging young people to overcome fear and put their skills to work.
“Don’t let this skill die here in this town,” she said. Vera also called on organizers to extend the initiative to other sub-counties in Pader.
Graduate Aya Gloria said the course had helped participants build confidence as well as practical skills. She thanked the trainers and fellow trainees for supporting one another through the program.
“Most importantly, we learned how to use computer technology to create real opportunities for ourselves,” she said, promising that graduates would apply their skills in their studies, businesses, and communities.
A former trainee, Daniel Anyo, offered an example of how continued practice could lead to work. After completing a 10-day training in Amuru in May 2026, he said he continued learning and later got a job as a secretary at Noah’s Ark School in Keio, where he handles documents and assists with financial matters.
“The more you sit back, the more the knowledge you earn from here will disappear,” Anyo warned. He encouraged graduates to practice and seek further training.
Pader District Councilor Moses Mwaka praised the MTN Uganda Foundation for bringing digital skills to rural northern Uganda, stating that these abilities are essential to Uganda’s economic development.
He connected the project to NDP IV, Uganda’s Fourth National Development Plan, which aims to boost economic growth as the nation strives to increase its GDP from roughly $50 billion to $500 billion by 2040.
Participants learned basic computer skills for business, online safety, artificial intelligence, and financial literacy. The program also covered money management and the safe use of digital financial services.
“Digital inclusion is not only about access to technology. Trainees also need the skills and confidence to use it productively,” said Peter Ochen, MTN Uganda’s General Manager of Financial Operations.
Digital inclusion must go beyond infrastructure, according to Peter Ochen, General Manager for Financial Operations at MTN Uganda, who urged businesses to make effective use of the Internet.
‘’They now know how to operate computers and basic Microsoft software, communicate, conduct online research, use digital tools, and use the internet sensibly and safely. I want to underline how much knowledge is available on the internet. Please focus on the things that are crucial to your own development,” he stressed.
Graduates were encouraged to continue their studies through the free MTN Skills Academy and explore further training and entrepreneurship opportunities through MTN ACE.
These abilities are crucial in one’s life, said retired Maj. Jimmy Otim, principal of Atiak Secondary School, who urged students to seek beyond their current skill set.
“What you have accomplished today is merely a paper, but what will emerge is how you will change.” If it were just papers, we could have papers in the box. Engineer Okoya has papers with us. There exist papers, but they are just as useless as never having them if you sit at home and don’t use them. After obtaining this paper, we fight to obtain another.
The Pader graduation was the second under the program’s sixth phase. According to the Foundation, more than 7,000 people have trained through the Internet Bus since 2022, with over 90 percent completing the program.
