From Idle Youth to Skilled Future: How Adeknino Skilling Hub is Transforming Lives and Restoring Peace

Location: Adeknino Community, Adeknino Sub-county, Dokolo District

Adeknino, a fishing community with about 480 households, was once plagued by high youth unemployment, school dropouts, early marriages, and rising cases of theft. Many young people who could not continue with formal education were idle and vulnerable to negative social behaviors.

The Turning Point Motivated by the desire to secure their children’s future, reduce unemployment, prevent early marriages, and restore peace, the Community Vision Committee (CVC), local leaders, and parents embraced the Participatory Integrated Planning (PIP) process. They identified skills development as a practical and sustainable solution for both boys and girls.

Community-Led Innovation With support from the INSPIRE Project, the community established the Adeknino Skilling Hub. One member donated a 5-roomed house to serve as the training facility, while another donated a sewing machine. Through a general community meeting, members agreed to contribute a small fee per student to pay instructors, buy tools, register the hub, and provide meals.

The hub officially opened on 25th May 2026, offering four practical courses:

• Brick Laying and Concrete Practice
• Fashion and Design
• Hair Dressing
• Carpentry and Joinery

Remarkable Impact in Just Four Months

• 100 students enrolled (64 females and 36 males)
• Parents contribute 15 kg of maize and 7 kg of beans per student for meals
• No single case of theft reported in the community since the hub started
• All children in the community are now either in primary school, Adeknino Seed Secondary School, or the Skilling Hub

Youths are acquiring employable skills that will improve their future incomes and contribute positively to their households and the wider community.

Voice of a Parent

“Before the skilling hub, many of our young people were idle and getting into trouble. Now my daughter is learning Fashion and Design and my son is doing Brick Laying. There is peace in our homes and no more theft. This hub has given our children hope.” — Amolo Lucy, Parent and Community Member

This story demonstrates the power of community-owned initiatives. When communities take the lead with local contributions and ownership, solutions become more sustainable and impactful. The equal participation of boys and girls also promotes gender inclusion and broader community benefits.