Wazalendo SACCO has begun training officers of the Uganda Peoples' Defence Forces in enterprise skills as they prepare for retirement, according to Uganda Radionetwork. The report, published on Tuesday, says the savings and credit cooperative's programme is aimed at equipping officers for life after they leave service.
The training focuses on enterprises, suggesting participants are being introduced to running business ventures once their military careers end. Uganda Radionetwork did not give further details on the number of officers involved, the length of the programme or where the sessions are being held.
The initiative fits the wider role Wazalendo SACCO plays for the UPDF community. As a savings and credit cooperative, it handles members' savings and offers them access to credit, which makes it a natural channel for preparing serving personnel for the financial side of retirement.
For officers who have spent their working lives in uniform, the shift to civilian life often means finding a new source of income. Training in enterprise is one way of addressing that transition before it happens rather than after.
Uganda Radionetwork's report does not say whether the programme is a one-off event or part of a longer schedule, nor whether similar training has been run before.
What to watch next: whether Wazalendo SACCO or the UPDF releases more information on the scope of the training, including how many officers are taking part and whether the programme will be extended to other ranks.
