GEMS program
The Girls’ Education and Mentorship Support (GEMS) program is a three-year collaborative initiative implemented by Community Concerns Uganda Initiative (CCUg), the Luigi Giussani Foundation (LGF), and Lyn Partners in Community Empowerment (L-PACER). The program operates across 10 districts in the Busoga sub-region of Uganda.
GEMS uses a Gender Transformative Whole System Approach to empower both in-school and out-of-school girls. The program focuses on strengthening higher-order thinking and social-emotional skills aligned with Uganda’s Lower Secondary School Curriculum, including:
• Critical thinking and problem-solving.
• Cooperation and self-directed learning.
• Creativity and innovation.
• Mathematical computation and ICT proficiency.
• Communication skills.
CCUg’s main role in the partnership is to provide Vocational Education and Training (VET) for 1,500 out-of-school girls in the 10 target districts: Kamuli, Buyende, Luuka, Iganga, Kaliro, Bugweri, Bugiri, Namayingo, Mayuge, and Namutumba. Apart from the different trades, the VET program also covers:
• Parenting skills.
• Mental health.
• Financial literacy and basic business management.
• Life skills such as problem-solving, critical thinking, and self-awareness.
After completing six months of training, participants sit for Directorate of Industrial Training (DIT) examinations to certify their skills.
Since the program’s launch in March 2025, at least 195 girls have completed the 6 month’s training; 121 in tailoring and 74 in hairdressing, from training centers in Kaluuba, Malongo, Buwaya, and Walibo (Mayuge and Luuka districts).