In Uganda, girls with tools are building a more gender equal world
KAMPALA, Uganda - At a garage-turned-classroom on the edge of Kampala, girls and boys in purple overalls are busy fixing engines, welding metal and setting up water pipes. Smart Girls Foundation is a social enterprise supported by Spotlight Initiative that equips young people with vocational skills, mental health support and a future to believe in.
Smart Girls Foundation trains young women from diverse backgrounds in mechanics, engineering and plumbing – trades traditionally dominated by men and boys. Every young woman who succeeds in these trades has the potential to become a role model in her community, proving that girls can build, fix and lead. The garage is open to the public so students can practice their skills and gain experience.
One student, Sumaya, put the impact of this opportunity very simply: "As a girl, now I can earn my own money. I don’t need to beg from boys.”
"As a girl, now I can earn my own money. I don’t need to beg from boys.” - Sumaya, Smart Girls Trainee
While many of the trainees are girls, the doors are open to all students, including boys and young people with disabilities. All receive education on reproductive rights, psychosocial support and menstrual health. The Smart Girls Foundation team recognizes the importance of bringing boys into these discussions, ensuring they have the chance to ask questions and shift their own biases.
After completing their training and getting a certificate, students are placed in internships with local businesses, where many are subsequently retained as staff. This training equips young people with practical, job-ready skills that lead directly to employment and self-reliance. In contexts like Uganda, where youth unemployment and school dropout rates are high, Smart Girls Foundation can offer an alternative path to economic independence when other doors might have been shut.
Between 2023 and 2024, Spotlight Initiative in Uganda reached more than 26,000 people with life skills training. By learning these broader skills, young women like the students at Smart Girls Foundation gain the tools to challenge gender stereotypes and advocate for themselves. When vocational training is linked with life skills education, it can become a powerful tool for preventing gender-based violence (GBV). Training becomes a safe, empowering space for young people to learn about their rights, forge social networks and it is a chance for them to build up the assets they may need to escape abusive situations.
"I am strong. I am confident. I am an engineer." - Maria, Smart Girls graduate
Maria is a graduate from Smart Girls Foundation. Before starting her training, she was working in a local market selling spices. Her family was not in a financial position to support her studies. Today, she is a manager at a local company.
“Now I am strong. I am confident. I am an engineer. They have taught me how to express myself to the world. For me, at first, I couldn’t speak to people or I was shy, but now I am very confident.”
On top of her job, Maria now spends her time supporting other students and her community as a Youth Counsellor. “Smart Girls supported me,” she said. “So now I’m supporting others.”
By Flo Carson
