Staff
ARUA, UGANDA — Over 1,000 young people gathered in Arua for the Heart to Harvest economic lecture, where practical demonstrations replaced theory in teaching how youth can earn income without starting capital.
Supported by UNDP, the sessions focused on value addition, branding, and market access rather than production alone. Youth were taken through hands-on examples using common regional products such as honey, dried fish (nanyang), branding services, and property packaging, showing how income can be generated beyond farming.
The programme emphasized leveraging Arua’s strategic position near the Democratic Republic of Congo, highlighting cross-border trade opportunities through improved packaging, storytelling, and digital marketing. Participants explored how phones and digital platforms can function as storefronts, enabling youth to reach markets without heavy infrastructure.
UNDP representative Florence Ochola stressed that learning must translate into action, insisting on practical application over motivation. She directly questioned youth on what value they planned to add and confirmed plans to return for follow-up engagements. Many participants pledged to serve as case studies, allowing their progress to be tracked through an ongoing national database.
Adding a human dimension to the economics, speakers including Dr. Okello Sharon Nagenjwa and entrepreneur Sedrick Otolo shared personal journeys of turning adversity into opportunity. Their stories reinforced the programme’s core lesson: that mindset, discipline, and access to markets can unlock income even where capital is absent.
The initiative directly supports SDG 8 (Decent Work and Economic Growth) and SDG 4 (Quality Education) by integrating mindset, skills, and market access into a single pathway for youth economic participation.
