Makerere — AIESEC Uganda on Friday awarded 90 Ugandan and seven foreign students certificates in Microfinance and entrepreneurship.

Speaking during the ceremony at Makerere University Guest House, the AIESEC vice chairperson Uganda chapter, Mr Drew Klein, said the two-month training was aimed at imparting business knowledge on students to enable them become leaders in business.

"This course is aimed at imparting business knowledge to the student's community so that they become their own businessmen and women," Mr Klein said.

He urged them to take the responsibility of using their skills to earn a living through self employment.

The chief executive officer of Small and Medium Enterprises Development Agency, Mr Dennis Lindo said the students should involve themselves in innovative activities that will bring positive change to their societies.

"Students should come up with innovative ideas that are realistic, seek to solve problems in the society and these ideas should money makers," Mr Lindo said.

During the training, a poultry rearing project was conceived to help students generate their own income while at school. The project will commence October next year.

Meanwhile, the State Minister for Finance, Planning and Economic Development Ms Ruth Nankabirwa said the youths should organise themselves into Savings and Credit Cooperative Society in order to benefit from Microfinance institutions.

"In order for the youth to benefit from Microfinance, they have to organise themselves and form Saccos or join existing ones in their subcounties or at their work places to enable them meet the criteria of accessing loans, " Ms Nankabirwa said.

AIESEC is an international, non-profit organisation run entirely by students and recent graduates of institutions of higher learning. It aims at developing professional and leadership skills as well as cultural awareness among talented students.