Patience Agaba Kawesa and a colleague at the Kaps charity event in Kamwokya on September 14, 2024. PHOTO/COURTESY
In 2013, the United Nations released a report that originated from the High-Level Panel on the post-2015 Development Agenda. The report advanced the notion that five big, transformative shifts would locomote specific socio-economic developments in society.
The first one stated that nobody should or, for that matter, would be left behind: “We should ensure that no person—regardless of ethnicity, gender, geography, disability, race or other status—is denied universal human rights and basic economic opportunities. We should design goals that focus on reaching excluded groups.”
This meant that the most economically vulnerable, namely slum-dwellers and other marginalised groups, would be given a fair shake at economic empowerment after being left behind in many aspects of development and the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). 2013’s Global Monitoring Report highlighted a host of areas that adversely impacted the urban poor and otherwise urban dispossessed in the context of the MDGs.
Today, there are still laundry lists of issues that do not wash with the UN’s MDGs, as evidenced by the many Ugandans living below the poverty line. Instead of waiting for development to come to Uganda, several Ugandans have grabbed the proverbial bull by the horns in order to reverse societal inequalities and inequities.
Taking initiative
One of those Ugandans is Patience Agaba Kawesa. She is a passionate entrepreneur, chef, writer, and social change maker leading a youth-led organisation called Kaps Shining Charms Foundation. It is committed to empowering vulnerable communities in Uganda. This commitment has guided its focus towards uplifting slum dwellers in areas like Acholi Quarters, Bukoto, Kamwokya and slums upcountry.
At the beating heart of its work is the organisation’s recently launched empowerment programme, which officially kicks off next month. The initiative here is aimed at vulnerable youth in these slums, tackling critical issues like reproductive health issues, mental health, drug abuse, unemployment and climate challenges under the theme of ‘Encouraging Creativity and Innovation among the Youth and Children to Tackle Societal Issues in line with the Sustainable Development Goals.”
“We are here to make a difference by teaching and skilling the youth in ways that will transform their lives and communities,” Kawesa explains.
Recently, Kaps held a charity event in Mulimira Zone, Kamwokya, to help the orphaned children of the Neglected Child and Orphanage Foundation.
The express goal of this charity drive was to empower the community youth and children. It was hosted on September 14, under the theme of encouraging creativity and innovation among the youth and children, to equip them with the mental and material tools to tackle societal issues in line with the sustainable development goals. On this day, Kaps launched an Empowerment Academy. The event was sponsored by the Uganda Revenue Authority (URA).
URA has over the years taken a social stand to prioritise corporate social responsibility (CSR) as a way of effecting social change. As it marked its 30 years in existence recently, URA launched a nationwide CSR through donations to China Friendship Hospital in Naguru worth Shs50m.
Kaps also benefited from such largesse in its efforts to uplift the urban deprived, it will further take advantage of the last three months of this year to prepare participants for the road ahead.
“Our organisation not only focuses on health education and awareness but also on providing the youth with hands-on skills. Through skilling workshops, participants learn baking, cookery, handmade crafts, and even innovative climate change solutions such as recycling the super way,” says Kawesa.
She adds: "Our work is about ensuring that the youth are not only educated but also skilled enough to face life with confidence, we’re showing them that with skills, they can build a livelihood and secure their future.”
Casting a wide net
In addition to skilling, the Kaps team conducts sensitisation workshops on reproductive health, mental health, and drug abuse in schools and communities. These social concerns are often viewed as taboo or are simply neglected in vulnerable areas, yet they are essential to the well-being of young people.
“It’s critical that we tackle these issues head-on. Our youth need to know how to protect their health and make informed decisions,” Kawesa states.
The organisation’s mentorship, counselling, and guidance programmes also provide young people with role models and the emotional support they need to navigate their challenges. By engaging schools and community leaders, Kaps is creating safe spaces where young people can express themselves and seek help when needed.
Aside from her socially conscious efforts, Kawesa is a burgeoning chef and entrepreneur. Through her business, Apk's Cupcakery and Snacks, she demonstrates the value of turning passion into a livelihood.
"Being a chef is not just about cooking, it's about creativity, discipline, and sharing what you know with others," Kawesa believes.
Her love for cooking is umbilically linked to her budding commitment to empowering others by teaching them the skills to succeed. As a writer, Kawesa attempts to inspire others through her words, particularly the youth she works with. "Remember to always stay humble and stay hungry for knowledge," she often advises.
"Humility keeps you grounded, while hunger for growth pushes you to achieve more. That’s how I keep going every day."
Dedicated
Kawesa’s dedication to both personal and community growth is reflected in the way she has infused Kaps with a personal ethos to always do better,
“Follow your passions, go to school,” she advises the youth. “But make sure to acquire two or three skills along the way. With education and practical skills, life will never be hard for you.”
Kawesa encourages anyone interested in supporting her organisation’s initiatives to join in the effort to empower Uganda’s youth.
"Together, we can build a stronger, more empowered nation," she believes.
Through her leadership, Kaps is proving that economic and social empowerment is not just about giving; it is about equipping people with specialised skills to take control of their futures.
Indeed, Kaps’s work is shaping lives and building a legacy of resilience and opportunity.
