Stories from EQWIP HUBs Mwanza - Samson and Lilian

EQWIP HUBs actively searches for opportunities for graduates of the employability stream. Canadian volunteers, staff, and participants come together to use their personal and professional networks to locate these opportunities to fit with the skills of employability graduates to improve their livelihoods. These networks and are essential since the youth unemployment rate is high and jobs are rare.

EQWIP HUBs Mwanza has made a significant effort this year to increase the number of employability graduates and is striving for parity between employability and entrepreneurship. As part of this push, and to make employability stronger, we needed to make sure that those graduates had opportunities to apply their skills.

Enter Samson (22) and Lilian (21), two of the star graduates of employability from the most recent cohorts at EQWIP HUBs Mwanza. Samson and Lilian distinguished themselves during classes by being exceptionally active and engaging daily in classes. Given their nature, when Lydia Klemensowicz, the Youth Participation Officer at EQWIP HUBs Mwanza, was contacted by an NGO in Mwanza, the Lulu Project, who was looking for a shopkeeper for a shop organised by a coalition of 4 NGOs, she immediately recommended Samson and Lilian. Hrishikesh Inguva, the Youth Livelihoods Officer, jumped in to provide CV and interview assistance to them to ensure they could perform their best. In the end, even though the Lulu Project was only looking to hire one individual, they were so impressed that they hired both, and Lilian is now their shopkeeper and Samson is involved with their marketing and communications.

“I felt happy to be connected to that job. I am expecting to use all the skills and knowledge I learnt at EQWIP HUBs to work hard.” Samson explained, showcasing the job focused nature of EQWIP HUBs training and its applicability outside of the classroom. For Lilian, this opportunity has given her a strong sense of empowerment, “The opportunity has empowered me to be self-reliant in life. Also it has given me connections to different people I had not met before and given me new perspectives.”

Samson and Lilian are applying skills learned from EQWIP HUBs including time management, computer skills, communication, and self-confidence which they are applying in their work with the 4 NGOs and the different individuals they meet in the course of their work. Samson and Lilian both have backgrounds in tourism and Lilian stated “”Personally, I felt happy after finishing the training and being provided with the opportunity to work with tourists again. I had knowledge of working with tourists before, and this new opportunity matched my dream.” Samson and Lilian have built a strong friendship as a result of their time at EQWIP HUBs and the experience of finding a job together has only reinforced this bond. Congratulations to both Lilian and Samson!