KAMPALA, UGANDA – Liberty Life Assurance Uganda has unveiled the Kuza School Challenge, an innovative initiative designed to equip secondary school students with essential financial literacy and entrepreneurship skills.
The program, launched at Kabojja International School on Saturday, January 14, 2024, aims to nurture a generation of financially disciplined and socially responsible individuals. Statistics reveal a pressing need for financial literacy in Uganda, with only 32% of Ugandans financially literate (Bank of Uganda, 2023) and 70% of micro and small business owners lacking basic financial management skills (World Bank, 2023).
“We want to encourage students to think beyond personal gain and focus on solutions that bring positive change to society,” said Danish Mohammad Eqbal, Principal Officer/CEO of Liberty Life. He emphasized the importance of leveraging online resources to develop viable business proposals.
The Kuza School Challenge will provide seed funding, technical support, and mentorship to high school students, empowering them to grow social enterprises. The program aims to impact over 5,000 students in the next year and will initially run for one school year. Plans are underway to expand the program to more schools and introduce an inter-school competition.
Anna Sundell, Headteacher at Kabojja International School, praised the initiative. “Starting a business is not just about money and becoming rich, but also about helping out in the community and contributing to a more peaceful world,” she said.
The winners of the challenge will receive UGX 2 million each to start their businesses, along with mentorship to guide them through their entrepreneurial journey.
Liberty Life Assurance Uganda’s Kuza School Challenge marks a significant step toward fostering financial literacy and social entrepreneurship among Uganda’s youth, equipping them with lifelong skills applicable to their future endeavors.