From Basic Skills to Assistant Manager: The Journey of Nyeko Oscar Atim

Oscar Atim was 22 years old when friends first told him about Empowering Ugandans. Curious, he looked up the organization online and discovered the Information Communication Technology (ICT) classes being offered in his community. What he found there became the foundation for a career transformation he never imagined possible.

Oscar enrolled in the ICT class, where he learned essential computer skills including Excel, Word, and PowerPoint. At the time, these seemed like basic technical abilities—useful, perhaps, but not life-changing.

He was wrong.

When Oscar applied for his first professional job, the interview centered on one critical skill: Excel. “Because of the skill and knowledge I got from Empowering Ugandans, it was so easy for me to obtain that work,” he says. “Before, I had no knowledge of Excel.”

The ICT training didn’t just help Oscar get the job—it became the catalyst for his advancement. The Excel proficiency he gained at Empowering Ugandans set him apart from his peers and caught the attention of management.

Today, at just 24 years old, Oscar has been promoted to assistant manager of a major business operation.

But Oscar’s success extends far beyond his own career trajectory. His promotion created a ripple effect throughout his family and community. With his increased salary, Oscar can now help with family bills and provide basic needs at home—responsibilities that once seemed out of reach.

“It has benefited my family so much, my friends, and everybody around me,” he says.

Even after graduating from the ICT program, Oscar continues his learning journey. He returned to Empowering Ugandans every Friday for open lab sessions—ongoing training opportunities available to graduates who want to sharpen their skills and stay current with technology.

Oscar’s story demonstrates how foundational computer skills can unlock doors that might otherwise remain closed. What began with friends’ recommendations and an online search led to Excel proficiency, which led to employment, which led to promotion—each step building on the last.

From a young man with no computer knowledge to an assistant manager transferred to Kampala to oversee larger operations, Oscar’s journey reflects the core mission of Empowering Ugandans: teaching marketable skills that lift people out of hopelessness and poverty.

“It has really been helpful,” Oscar says simply. “That’s the most important thing that has helped me in life for now.”