KIU, NXT Create Bootcamp Skills Young Women in Content Creation

By Hattie Wright

Main Campus – With social media shaping how Uganda's youth work, learn and earn, Kampala International University (KIU) has moved to make sure young women are not just scrolling but earning. In partnership with Next Create, Bayimba Foundation and the International Trade Centre (ITC), KIU hosted a two-day bootcamp on Monday 28th and Tuesday 29th September 2026 at the Main Campus.

The hands-on bootcamp trained students and young creatives to turn the smartphones they already own into tools for income, influence and independence. The training responded to a simple reality. Young people make up the largest share of the population, many are university students, and a smartphone is within reach of most. 

Content creation is therefore one of the most accessible ways for a young woman to start earning, without waiting for formal employment. The bootcamp covered storytelling, content creation, audience engagement, personal branding, public speaking, on-camera presentation and the use of artificial intelligence (AI) in digital communication.

Content with purpose, not just posts

On day one, facilitator Barbra Musinguzi, Marketing Operations Manager, urged participants to create content that solves real problems, starting with a clear understanding of their audience and a clear objective. She encouraged them to move beyond sharing information and use storytelling to build real connections.

According to Musinguzi, strong stories are built around a person, a problem and a transformation, and that is what makes audiences respond and act. She added that audience research matters, because knowing how people search, decide and engage is what turns content into influence.

Edwin Danze, Head of Digital Marketing at Next Media Services, challenged participants to see themselves as professionals in the digital economy. He drew a line between content creation and influencing, and encouraged them to use AI to work faster and more creatively.

He outlined three communication objectives: creating awareness, building audience affinity and inspiring action. Danze also pointed to trends such as real-time storytelling, curiosity-driven content and emotionally engaging narratives, noting that audiences connect most with content that sparks genuine emotion. 

“Credibility is the foundation of any creator's brand, so content must be accurate, factual and responsible,” he added.

Confidence on camera and numbers that pay

Day two moved from ideas to practice. The session was officially opened by Shawn Kimuli, Public Relations Officer at KIU, who urged participants to make full use of the opportunity. Students Richard Keba and Sandra Mercy recapped the previous day's lessons before the hands-on sessions began.

James Ssewaya, popularly known as King James, a content creator and brand designer at NXT Media, led the practical training on public speaking and on-camera presentation. He noted that university life offers valuable chances to build confidence and communication skills. 

He advised participants to keep their energy up, hold eye contact and stay authentic, to work from a few key talking points rather than memorising long scripts, and to prepare strong openings and conclusions.

In a question-and-answer session, participants asked about audience engagement, nervousness and production quality. Ssewaya's advice was practical and budget-friendly: define your target audience, communicate with intention and use what you already have before investing in advanced equipment. He recommended affordable tools such as mini microphones and pop filters to improve audio quality.

Ian Niwamanya, Senior Manager, Strategy at Next Media, spoke to the money side of the work by showing how creators prove their value. He explained how to measure reach, meaning how often content is displayed and how many people actually view it, and introduced TikTok engagement indicators such as views, likes and audience interaction.

Because clients have different objectives, he said, “Creators must be able to interpret their data and confidently explain and defend their numbers when reporting results. That skill is what gets brands to pay”.

Skills for independence

The bootcamp closed with participants better equipped to create impactful content, understand audiences, build trust, use emerging technologies and communicate across digital platforms. It underscored a wider point: when young women are skilled, they are better placed to start small, earn from what they already have and grow toward financial independence and empowerment.

The initiative reaffirms KIU's commitment to giving young people industry-relevant skills that support innovation, entrepreneurship and professional growth. It also shows that opportunity for the girl child can begin with something as ordinary as the phone in her hand.