Before graduation, the group underwent intensive training for 3 weeks on topics such as “Training Needs Assessment,” “Approaches to Adult Learning,” “Teaching in a Community Setting,” “Lesson Planning,” “Teaching skills/presentation skills”, “Resource Mobilisation”, “Record Keeping”, “Leadership Skills”, “Report Writing” among others. It was quite a colourful ceremony that was reasonably well attended.
Gjermund Sæther, Minister Counsellor at the Embassy was the chief guest who handed over the certificates to the graduands. The Head of the Parliamentary Committee on HIV/AIDS, Dr. Erioda Tumwesigye also attended.
Fundraising for the construction of an Antiretroviral Treatment (ART) clinic in one of the market was commissioned on that day. The clinic construction is an initiative by the AIDS Health Foundation/Uganda Cares that works in collaboration with MAVAP to provide free ART to the market vendors. While MAVAP does the mobilisation of the vendors to go for Voluntary Counselling and Testing (VCT), those tested and found positive get ART at the Uganda Cares Clinic. The presence of the clinic has contributed to the growth in number of the people going for VCT since they are hopeful of getting treatment if found positive. The vendors themselves have embarked on fundraising among themselves in order to contribute to the clinic construction. The graduates appeared quite excited about the whole graduation experience. Best of luck.