“I have established a business in Lira together with two others. I have plans to establish a community based organisation that targets poor urban youth, to provide them with hands-on skills, for example repair of electronics.”
Opolo James
This is among the reasons that Opolo James gave as to why he is the most deserving young adult to be awarded a scholarship and to be selected to participate in our CPAR Uganda programme: “Mentoring Young Adults into Innovators against Poverty.”
Opolo is of Lango ancestry, from Amolatar District. He holds a Bachelor in Information Communication Technology from Gulu University. We are delighted to have him as part of the first cohort of our mentoring programme and we look forward to working with him and to contributing to enabling him to achieve his long term goals.
In turn, it is our expectation that through Opolo, we at CPAR Uganda will contribute to achieving our vision and that people in his home area, Aburkot Village, Amolatar Town Council, Kioga County, Amolatar District in Northern Uganda, who come in contact with him will proactively work towards them living healthy and dignified lives during which their rights are respected.
CPAR Uganda Ltd 
“I myself can be an agent of change to my life and family. As the mentoring programme says “Mentoring Yong Adults into Innovators Against Poverty”, I have surely seen and understood it well!” Yes, James it starts with us. Great learning and thank you for sharing how you are progressing internalizing and using the knowledge and skills that you have gained from the mentoring progamme.
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I would like to thank CPAR Uganda for giving me chance to participate in this mentorship programme and much appreciation goes to my mentor Ms Norah Owaraga for her mentorship. When I joined CPAR Uganda mentorship programme in Jan-2020, I didn’t know much especially on understanding that I do have a big role to play in my community and also that, I myself can be an agent of change to my life and family. As the mentoring programme says “Mentoring Yong Adults into Innovators Against Poverty”, I have surely seen and understood it well! First, I am a change maker through being creative and thinking outside the box, I mean am far much than that young adult ‘who only wait’ but am now ‘doing’! Secondly, I’m seeing progress in my life because through CPAR Uganda I have built networks with high profile academicians (Professors and doctorates) both Nationally and Internationally which I have learnt a lot from their ways of life especially in research field.
Before joining CPAR Uganda I had already established a business in Lira town, now city together with two other friends of mine. I had plans to establish a community based organization that targets youth, to provide them with hands-on skills, for example repair of electronics. Since the time I joined CPAR Uganda, I haven’t met my target of establishing a community based organization which could help me in training young people with multiple practical skills but that dream-plan is still on and its my prayers always that it happens to come true one day. However, I have been training other young people especially students during holidays at my business centre as I have four computers that I use it for training people in computer usage and also does basic computer repair and troubleshooting training. The current covid19 pandemic has however affected my business but I do have hope of business continuity and growth.
Ideally, my life has changed greatly since joining CPAR Uganda. My writing skills has improved tremendously, especially in capturing speeches and reading texts then extracting specific target data required and much more. Much as I had plans to start a community based organization to help training young people on practical skills in electronic repairs, the knowledge am now getting through the research I have been given opportunity to participate in will help me meet my plans. And also, from the mentorship training I have also worked on improving my planning and budgeting well through managing the little resources I always get from my hard work.
Once again, I still give credits to the Managing Director CPAR Uganda for her support to me and innovators and, the entire management team of CPAR Uganda together with donors for allowing young people of Uganda to benefit from such a wonderful mentorship training programme amidst the Covid19 pandemic. God bless you all.
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[…] James Opolo will function as a Research Assistant to the COI in conducting the second study of the project, doing fieldwork in Lango. Read more about him here […]
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[…] By James Opollo, Innovator […]
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[…] Opolo James at his ICT shop at Lumumba in Lira City. He holds a Bachelor of ICT degree from Gulu University and he is a beneficiary of our mentoring programme. His ancestral village is Abukot Cell in Amolatar Town Council in Kioga County in Amolatar District; but he currently resides in Lira City. Read more about the coronavirus COVID-19 pandemic positively impacted Opolo’s ICT business. […]
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[…] By Opolo James, Innovator […]
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[…] Opolo James, one of the young adults who is participating in our “Mentoring young adults into innovators against poverty” project, recently had interesting stories to share of how, out of the blue, his expertise as an IT Consultant became sought after because of how the COID-19 pandemic has restructured our work and socialization spaces. […]
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I really thanked CPAR for the first module which has made me improved on my understanding skills about our societies and how to start up a small projects with a vision of further development.
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[…] By James Opolo, Innovator in First Cohort of CPAR Uganda programme: “Mentoring Young Adults into Innovators against Poverty”; and Volunteer Agricultural Production Assistant with CPAR Uganda. Read more about him here. […]
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This is a very gd idea,well done James,well done CPAR
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Thank you.
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