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Martha and Mwalimu
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Uganda Rural Development and Training Programme was established in order to address the shortcomings of the many development programs found in rural Uganda.

 

The aim of the URDT development model is the merging of truly functional education and training with a focus on sustainable rural development. This combination has provided an outlet to empower the marginalized people living in rural communities.

 

URDT put this model into practice in 1987 and has been working with rural people, particularly women and youth ever since. URDT has evolved, applied, and tested their rural development methodology based on the principles of the creative process and systems thinking. This methodology enables individuals and communities to:

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  1. Identify their needs and aspirations

  2. Identify locally available resources before looking for outside aid

  3. Become the architect of their future

 

This has fostered an environment for students to confidently create their own prosperity, peace, health, happiness, and freedom. Visit website....

ARU
ARU Graduation

African Rural University is one of Uganda’s newest universities and the first all-women rural university in Africa. 

 

Founded by Uganda Rural Development and Training Program (URDT) in 2006, this university is focused on providing women with the necessary knowledge, skills, and experience to be effective rural development specialists and change agents in their communities.

 

ARU has taken the URDT creative process and systems thinking methodologies to create a university curriculum aimed at fostering the knowledge to create the sustainable development the rural communities need.

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ARU's Mission: The African Rural University for women provides transformational education to create effective change agents within an African development context. ARU applies theoretical learning, innovative instruction and field practice, so that ARU graduates can create conditions for people to improve their lives, transform their communities, awaken inherent leadership and increase their capacity for self-generating and sustainable change. Visit website...

Ephrem, Silvana, MM at Graduation
URDT

THOUSANDS OF SUCCESSFUL STORIES. See the Ronnie Murungi Story- 2023 school dropout turned entrepreneur. 

 

Ronnie Murungi a resident of Rwengoma Village in Fort Portal, faced school dropout due to financial constraints. Life proved to be challenging until he enrolled at the URDT institute. After completion of the program, he managed to start his carpentry workshop. See Ronnie Murungi clip.

​In 2023, The URDT Initiative focused on individuals with disabilities and school dropouts. URDT was featured on national TV. It highlighted URDT's contribution to curbing youth unemployment in Western Uganda. The initiative has a widespread reach of 540 learning centers, trained 34,000 youth across 20 districts including people with disabilities. 60% of the youth have transited into dignified work. The initiative is aimed at skilling young people, develop their entrepreneurship, leadership skills and innovation capacities in order to create jobs, sustain them as well.  The goal is to train 70,000 youth by 2025.

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The Young Africa Works Program is funded by MasterCard.

"Because of the entrepreneur skills I gained from URDT, I am now able to employ more workers and train students in my workshop". 

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