Meet Ajok Oliva, one of the youth who benefited from the vocational skills training under the Ayim Maber (future is bright ) Project implemented by National Union of Disabled Persons of Uganda – NUDIPU in partnership with NUWODU and Challenges Uganda in Oyam, Nwoya, Gulu, and Amuru, with support from Sightsavers Uganda. Ajok trained as a tailor.
Having dropped out of school due to her short stature disability, Ajok shared, she was tired of being laughed at by her classmates.
“I remember children saying I cannot grow taller.  Tired of explaining why she was not growing any taller. She dropped out of school in Primary three. The opportunity to train as a tailor came in handy,” Ajok narrates.

The vocational skills journey
“I was enrolled at Gulu Comprehensive Vocational School through the project team. After training for three months, we did an internship for three months to specialize in what we had been trained in. We were given startup kits to start. I got a tailoring machine and materials,” shares Ajok.

Embracing self-employment
Ajok is employed at Sisto Fashion School, located along the Gulu- Lira- Kampala Highway in Konakamudini Trading Centre, Oyam District. We found her at work, busy sewing to deliver one of her clients’ orders.
Ajok is a paid trainer at the school earning a monthly salary of about shs100,000. This, in addition to her small contracts of sewing from individual customers who hire her services.
She appreciates NUDIPU for allowing her to train and gain a skill that she is earning today.

Future
She has plans to start her workshop if she accumulates enough capital.