Haggai's Story: Ready to shape his future and give back

After growing up in SOS Children’s Villages Uganda, 22-year-old Haggai is looking forward to giving back to his community. He is currently studying sociology, geography and environmental science at Monash University in South Africa and dreams of being a teacher and working for a development organization.

Haggai was just eleven months old when he came to SOS Children’s Villages. “It was and will forever be the best experience I ever had. I always say that growing up in the SOS family is one of the great but rarest opportunities one can ever have in their lifetime,” he says. “One of my favourite childhood memories was during the times when we went out as a family for outings. We would literally not even sleep when the family outing was the next day,” he remembers. 

Haggai showed academic talent from a young age, studying for the International Baccalaureate program at the Hermann Gmeiner International College in Ghana. After graduating, Moses Musaga, the youth leader who was then responsible for GoTeach at SOS Children’s Villages Uganda, invited Haggai to join the program. “When the opportunity came, I did not hesitate,” says Haggai.

Thanks to GoTeach, a partnership between SOS Children’s Villages and Deutsche Post DHL that aims to increase young people’s skills and employability, he feels prepared to shape his own future.

According to the International Labour Organization’s estimates, nearly one in five young people in Uganda are unemployed, and over 90% of young workers are in informal employment. The GoTeach program also included advice tailored to the current employment situation for young people in Uganda, and how young people can overcome these challenges. “We were also taught that in this era of high youthful population in Uganda where many have studied but have no jobs, we should always aim for self-employment rather than depending on others. I also learnt that above all, it is always good to teach myself of the painful but always rewarding culture of saving,” says Haggai

The program included learning basic professional skills that facilitate being a good employee. “From the program, we learnt a lot, and I am happy that I can now write a good CV, I can communicate well with my colleagues at work, and I know how to conduct myself during a job interview,” explains Haggai.

Canadians wishing to help young people realize their full potential are encouraged to sponsor a child, sponsor a Village or make a one-time donation. Your support will help transform the lives of the most vulnerable.