| |
||||||||||||
|
|
||||||||||||
|
Minister Awards Outstanding Young Graduate Entrepreneurs Enterprise Uganda made good its promise to reward outstanding young graduate entrepreneurs with token cash prizes to expand their businesses. The young entrepreneurs were among a group of over 80 graduates who started their own enterprises immediately after attending the Graduate Empowerment Programme Workshop in October 2007. Presiding over the Awards Ceremony held at Kampala Sheraton Hotel on July 15, the Minister of State for Finance (Investments), Prof. Semakula Kiwanuka urged the young entrepreneurs to stay the good course they had started. "Although today you may be running humble enterprises, you are our beacons of hope for making Uganda play its rightful place in global trade and investment", he said.
Prof. Kiwanuka, middle poses for a group photo with the Prize winners. Prof. Kiwanuka commended all the young entrepreneurs for withstanding the numbing public opinion; defying peer pressure and boldly rewriting the prevalent counsel from parents and career experts about the illusionary “Good Job” promise. He noted that none of the award winners went to any bank or microfinance institution to source for capital before starting their enterprises but considered mainly the internal sources at their disposal. "Some of these educated youths had no formal education in the sectors that they ventured into. A bio-chemist is now running a local dish restaurant; a lawyer is supplying healthy snacks to middle and upper income clients working in prestigious offices; a graduate of Humanities is a proud Managing Director of a cottage poultry farm. Interestingly, even continuing students who attended the programme were able to attend classes while managing side businesses for meeting their college fees", he observed. The 1st Prize of Ushs. 3 million (US$1,800) went to Mr. Ahabwe David, a final year student who started a pancakes and Pay Phone enterprises at Makerere University Business School using his semester tuition fees. He started with Ushs. 150,000/= but currently his turnover is over Ushs. 1million per month. He is currently employing three other youths in his enterprises. The 2nd prize of UShs. 2million (US$1,200) was won by Ms. Annet Kyoheirwe, a Bachelor of Laws graduate who started a Fresh Fruits Salads enterprise at the heart of Kampala City. She invested UShs.600,000/= and her current sales are over Ushs. 1.6million per month. Annet was rewarded for her humbleness, brevity, persistence, flexibility, attitudinal transformation, patience and hard work. She is currently employing three other workers in her business. The 3rd prize of Ushs. 1.5million (Us$900) was taken by Mr. Ronald Nuwagaba who runs a Landscaping and concrete products enterprise at the Akright Satellite City project, Kakungulu, near Kampala City. Ronald and his partner started with UShs. 1.5 million but their current turnover is Ushs. 6 million per month. They are currently employing 15 casual workers at their enterprise. 10 other young entrepreneurs were rewarded with Shs.1million each while 7 others each got Ushs. 500,00/= each. For other parents with graduate children who came to witness the event, he urged them to enroll them at the earliest opportunity with Enterprise Uganda. He commended Enterprise Uganda for starting the Graduate Empowerment Programme and assured the audience of Government’s total commitment to building a world class SME sector and supporting Enterprise Uganda’s activities. Awards Ceremony Pictorial
Next Intake: Registration for the next Graduate Empowerment Programme Training Workshop is already in progress. Please Contact us at the address below or click here to download registration form: ENTERPRISE UGANDA Plot 38 Lumumba Avenue, Nakasero. P.O. Box 24581, KAMPALA. TEL: +256-414 251810, 343204 Fax:+256-414-250968 +256-312-261900/1;
Design:
Creative Solutions Limited |
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
