Coca-Cola, Boundless Minds target 1,000 youth for youth mentorship program

At least 1,000 youth are set to benefit from the Elevate 2.0 mentorship program launched today by Coca-Cola Beverages Africa in partnership with Boundless Minds.

Launched in 2020 following a government directive to close all schools as a measure to curb the spread of the Coronavirus, the Elevate Program empowers young minds through mentorship programs and skill training.

In the first in-take, more than 600 youth benefitted from the virtual low-cost and low maintenance program and obtained work-readiness skills to support their school-to-work transition.

According to Melkamu Abebe, General Manager of Coca-Cola Beverages Africa in Uganda, it is fulfilling to see hundreds of youth obtaining skills from the Elevate program, especially during this time when the education system is undergoing unprecedented challenges.

"As a company that is committed to enhancing the communities we operate in; through education, youth development, civic initiatives and other community activities, we are proud to partner with Boundless Minds to give young people the necessary skills to transition from education to employment or entrepreneurship," Abebe said.

Benjamin Rukwengye, founder and chief executive of Boundless Minds noted that this investment will go a long way in building human capacity in Uganda and across Africa.

"We are excited to be doing this again, to continue creating opportunities for young people to transition to work, grow their enterprises and as professionals. For everyone who is out there and wondering what to do especially with all the chaos around us, we shall have, over the next couple of weeks, staff of Coca-Cola Beverages Africa, offering insights on how you can accelerate your career," Rukwengye said.

Amidst attempts to recover from the first wave of the Covid-19 pandemic, Uganda is currently witnessing the second wave of the pandemic with the health care system registering a daily increase in the number of infected persons.

In a country where the majority of the population is the youth and 70% of the fresh graduates are unable to secure gainful employment, programs such as the Elevate mentorship program are reducing the strain on labor markets and the education system in Uganda.

The second intake will run for 10 weeks.