Female students at the Islamic University in Uganda (IUIU), Kabojja campus have been encouraged to merge values, integrity, and practical skills as they prepare for the world of work.
The call was made during a career clinic held on Tuesday by BrighterMonday Uganda under the GenKazi project in partnership with the Mastercard Foundation. The event, themed “Her Path, Her Power: Empowering Young Women for the Future of Work,” brought together employers, private sector leaders, and students for discussions on career readiness.
Imma Grace Audrey, Head of Learning and Development at BrighterMonday, emphasized the need for holistic support.
“What this means is we’ve been able to support over a thousand female students at the university in terms of advancement of their career prospects, looking at what the current workforce requires,” she said.
Audrey noted that career paths are diverse.
“We are here to empower the youth for them to discover that a career can take the shape of employment or entrepreneurship. And we are all here for that.”
She highlighted the significance of soft skills in complementing technical training.
“Key from BrighterMonday is we support the youth in terms of them acquiring soft skills training and entrepreneurship training, which forms a 360 around backing up the technical skills that they have acquired.”
Explaining the focus on the Kabojja campus, she added:
“IUIU Kabojja, the female campus, is the only campus for higher education in sub-Saharan Africa dedicated solely to women. The institution identified the need to support female students’ access to education, and we are here to further support them beyond academic life into the work life.”
Frank Katsime, CEO of Business Initiatives International Limited, urged students to combine practical abilities with integrity and strong values.
“One thing that is important to the youth of these days is they should know that education is more impactful if you make it holistic. Holistic education means you are looking at the head, the heart, and the hands,” he said.
He stressed that knowledge without values is incomplete.
“As long as you have the education but you don’t have the heart, it is useless. And then the hands—many of our youth do not take the hands as important. You cannot only use the head; you have to use the hands also.”
Katsime also underscored integrity as a critical virtue.
“Integrity is very important in this country and everywhere. It is an international currency. The moment you lose it, everybody knows.”
He urged students to set clear goals and work consistently toward them.
“Being focused is key. Know what you want, so that when you know your destination, you can plan strategies to get there and take deliberate steps toward your goals.”
The clinic featured booths on CV writing, cover letters, mock interviews, and networking opportunities. Students interacted directly with employers for guidance on navigating the job market.
Shadia Nalubega, a third-year student, praised the initiative and called for more programs that merge education, skills, and values. Another student echoed the same sentiment:
“This clinic has shown us that success is not just about knowledge; it is about using our skills responsibly and with integrity.”
