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Uganda is an extremely young, highly dynamic and wonderfully optimistic country. Germany, her long-time friend and partner, wants her to succeed.

The enormous potential of the new generations needs to be tapped and channeled in a promising direction. But the challenge is huge: 30.000 babies are born in this country every week, and up to 700.000 youths are entering the job market every year.

While GDP has been growing steadily in Uganda, the employment rate has gone down. The country is facing  ‘jobless growth’. This needs to be addressed.

Seventy percent of all jobs are still in agriculture, the sector with the lowest labour productivity level. Higher productivity and value addition require better technical skills. Far too many Ugandans have either no formal or only primary education. Less than 5% of the total student population between 15 and 24 are enrolled in institutions of technical or vocational education and training – too few for the labour markets needs.

The private sector is vast but mostly informal. Small and medium-sized businesses contribute to the GDP with 20%, and are producing 80% of Uganda’s manufactured output. The potential for increased productivity is huge, and largely untapped.

 How does Germany help?

Job creation is the underlying cross-cutting task for all sectors of German assistance to Uganda. We are working on both the supply and demand side. We want to see employment boosted at all levels, be it in the urban or rural areas, be it formal or informal, be it for Ugandans or refugees, be it through vocational training or academic scholarships and exchange, be it in cooperation with government agencies or the private sector.

Across the country, but with particular emphasis on Karamoja, Acholi, Lango, Teso and West Nile we are supporting economic development in the rural areas,  helping the rural people to move away from subsistence towards more productive, market-oriented farming activities. In particular, we are trying to attract young farmers through training, capacity-building and investments in rural infrastructure, such as off-grid access to electricity, valley dams and earth dams, secondary roads and markets.

Access to finance is a major bottleneck. Despite their significant contribution to the GDP, less than 40 % of small and medium-sized enterprises (SME) have access to bank loans. Germany has set up programs with local financial institutions enabling them to improve and increase their lending to SME in rural areas. As a result, an additional 5,000 jobs have been created so far.

Germany supports start-ups in rural areas and helps farmers to increase their productivity and sales through training programs, access to finance and to markets. 500 SME are part of this program and 36.000 farmers have been able to increase their incomes. In West Nile, both refugees and host populations are benefiting from it. SME are being advised on how to strengthen value chains and market linkages. Simultaneously,  we are promoting demand-driven, market-oriented vocational. Ultimately,  this should enable 9.000 people to improve their incomes.

Germany also works on creating jobs in the energy sector. We support 100 SMEs through strengthening their business and marketing skills, energy management and access to finance. We make them aware of investment opportunities in low carbon climate resilient technologies. Again, we are putting the emphasis on training, to enable students to become employable. With the Nakawa Vocational Training Institute (NVTI), we have established a Renewable Energy Training Centre (RETC), and so far trained 230 solar technicians.

In the water sector, we have trained 280 professional NWSC staff in customer services, well as plumbing, welding and electro-mechanical expertise, among others.

Aid cannot create jobs, only private enterprises can. They will mostly be Ugandan, but should be complemented by foreign investment. A number of German businesses have been engaged in training Ugandans and employing them for many years, be it in the coffee and wider agricultural sector, in construction or engineering. Recently, a highly innovative social enterprise has been launched in Nwoya District. IBS Foundation has started production of building materials made of natural waste, according to a revolutionary technology well adapted to Uganda’s needs. Up to 900 jobs are likely to be created by IBSF in the near future.

There is considerable potential for employment in the emerging oil and gas sector. Foreign investment alone will not necessarily bring jobs for the local population. It is necessary  to up-skill Ugandan youth and local companies to the high standards requested by the oil industry. To this end, Germany has launched the “Employment and Skills for Eastern Africa (E4D/SOGA)” initiative, co-funded by the UK (DFID) Norway (NORAD) and Shell. Together with industry partners, E4D/SOGA has already trained over 19,000 people, supported more than 250 SMEs, brought 5,500 people into jobs and increased incomes for 32,600 people.

We will continue to work with the Government of Uganda in marketing this country as an attractive business destination, which it is. Germany is a free country, and the government cannot instruct private companies to go to a particular country and build a factory. German investors need to be attracted to examine opportunities in Uganda. More could be done to make this country better known in Germany. What about a well calibrated marketing and branding effort next year in Hamburg, Düsseldorf, Stuttgart, Munich and other major centers of German business? A Ugandan road show in Germany could have a very positive effect on potential investors.

There is no reason why we shouldn’t succeed. Tourism is an excellent example: Uganda has managed to establish a solid reputation for high end wildlife tourism in Germany. In terms of numbers, Germans, over the past years, have often taken first place among foreign tourists visiting the Pearl of Africa. Tourism has created many jobs already, and is likely to create more. Let us emulate this success with regard to German investment.

Trust and friendship between our two nations have grown over decades. We can build on solid ground. If we work together well, the result will be jobs, jobs, jobs for many more young Ugandans. I can see no other task as noble as this one for Ugandan-German cooperation.

by German Ambassador Dr. Albrecht Conze

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Uganda’s progressive and welcoming approach towards refugees is a good model for other host countries, but much more is needed to improve the social and economic wellbeing of refugees and the communities that host them, according to a new report released today by the World Bank Group.

“The people of Uganda have been incredibly generous towards refugees, and this generosity of the host communities should be recognized by supporting them to have a higher quality of life. This study provides an evidence-based understanding of the living conditions of both refugees and hosts, which we expect will inform policy and programming for the national refugee response,” said Tony Thompson, World Bank Country Manager for Uganda.

Uganda is currently hosting 1.3 million refugees and is the country with the largest number of refugees in Africa and the third largest in the world. Refugees in Uganda access the same social services as their local host community and are free to move and work. When possible, they are allocated a small piece of land to settle and farm, which encourages self-reliance, and promotes their coexistence and integration into local communities.

According to the report, “Informing the Refugee Policy Response in Uganda,” Uganda’s progressive refugee policy and comprehensive response with support from development and humanitarian partners has made it possible for refugees to have equal access to social services as their hosts, and in some instances, they enjoy more favourable access, when compared to host communities.

About 95 percent of refugees and 66 percent of hosts have access to improved water while access to electricity stands at around 50 percent for both. Primary school enrollment is almost at par with refugees at 65 percent and hosts at 68 percent. Completion rates and secondary enrollment rates remain low for both populations but particularly for refugees, and the same goes for improved sanitation. The health and health care access of both populations however remains similar. More than 80 percent of refugees and hosts reported consulting a healthcare provider when sick. Refugees are geographically closer to health centers, with at least 75 percent traveling three kilometers to reach a healthcare center when ill, compared to 65 percent of hosts. This is made easier by Non-Governmental Organizations that provide healthcare services for refugees within or very close to the designated refugee settlements.

The report also shows that refugees contribute significantly to the local economy, by purchasing goods and services in the local markets and operating businesses. About one in 5 employees of refugee enterprises is a Ugandan and around 54 percent sell off their crops. However, weather shock and low access to agricultural inputs constrains their productivity which makes them food insecure and to rely on humanitarian assistance.

Despite feeling safe and secure in Uganda, about half of the refugee population (48 percent) live in poverty, compared to 17 percent of the host population. Poverty among refugees is highest in the West Nile region of the country where close to 60 percent of refugees are poor and around 30 percent of hosts are poor. Around 54 percent of refugees depend on humanitarian assistance as their main source of income compared to less than 2 percent for the hosts. Their inability to generate income is constrained by low levels of human capital as less than 8 percent have received skills or job training.

The report recommends measures to improve self-reliance of refugees and communities that host them to enhance both their living conditions, and contribution to the Ugandan economy. These include raising the productivity of agricultural activities through the provision of inputs and extension services, as well as creating job opportunities in non-agricultural sectors.

The report is a collaboration with the Uganda Bureau of Statistics and the Office of the Prime Minister and is based on the 2018 Uganda Refugee and Host Communities Household Survey. It is funded by the State and Peacebuilding Trust Fund, the World Bank’s largest, global multi-donor trust fund established to finance innovative approaches to state and peace-building in regions affected by fragility, conflict and violence.

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On September 27, the EU Delegation to Uganda in partnership with the Jinja Municipal Council conducted a beach clean-up exercise on the shores of Lake Victoria at Masese landing site in Jinja district. The activity was joined by over 250 volunteers, including Masese community representatives, members of EU Member States and other diplomatic missions based in Kampala, civil society organisations and personnel from the Ministry of Agriculture, Animal Industry and Fisheries.

“We share a love for our blue planet, and we all hold responsibility for making and keeping it healthy – through avoiding single-use plastics as well as ensuring that our waste does not become someone else’s problem,” said Ambassador Attilio Pacifici, European Union Head of Delegation to Uganda. “I am overwhelmed with the number of partners who wanted to join us for this action. It shows that when we act together, we can bring about the change we all seek.”

“The shores of Lake Victoria, particularly near fishing villages and landing sites, are littered with plastic. We know Jinja municipality has begun to sensitise communities about the dangers of plastic pollution, and we wanted to help them in their work,” said Ambassador Pacifici. He also thanked Plastic Recycling Industries (PRI) for joining the initiative, reminding that plastic waste is a valuable resource that can be reused, if recycled properly.

“Jinja Municipal Council is delighted to have hosted the European Union as we clean-up Masese landing site. Plastic pollution in our lakes is a matter that affects all of us, no matter how young or old. We pledge to continue contributing to keeping our lake cleaner and healthier,” said Jinja Mayor Mr. Majid Batambuze.

The #EUBeachCleanup campaign is held worldwide as part of activities to mark the International Coastal Clean-up Day. In 2018, over 70 actions and nearly 3,000 people participated to the #EUBeachCleanup campaign globally. Last year in Uganda, the EU Delegation cleaned up Kigungu landing site in Entebbe.

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Effecting positive changes that support long-term and sustainable hygiene behaviour takes time. Often, people’s behaviour is influenced by their beliefs, cultural norms or practices. In Agu South, one of the 12 villages in Pumit Parish, Wadelai Sub-county in Pakwach district in Uganda, the community hardly practised handwashing with soap after latrine use. Back then, the predominantly Muslim population believed that their religious practice of using water for cleansing after latrine use, at all times, was sufficient. As a result, latrine coverage was 27% (20 out of 75 households had latrines), and handwashing with soap was 0%. The quality of existing latrines was very poor. Most latrines had temporary structures and were near collapse.

Partnering with Pakwach District Local Government and Water School Uganda (an indigenous Civil Society Organisation), SNV through the DFID-funded Sustainable Sanitation and Hygiene for All Results Programme (SSH4A RP) trained the community youth group Wang Mpaka Youth Bricklaying Group to participate in the village’s sanitation improvement drive. The youth group was selected due to their intimate familiarity with the community and its culture, and its members’ willingness to influence positive changes. The group, which consisted of 30 members (21 women), received WASH training and gained some tools to improve the sanitation conditions of their own homes; specifically, their latrines. Members received training on, for example, latrine siting and construction, improvements/  maintenance of existing latrine structures, and tippy tap handwashing facility construction. Knowledge on ‘what an ideal homestead should have’ – e.g., pit latrine, bath shelter, rubbish pit, chicken/ animal house, rack for utensils, handwashing/ hygiene station) – was also imparted.

Upon acquiring new skills, the group adopted a leadership approach in the sanitation drive. The approach commenced with the group members’ improvement of the sanitation conditions of their own homes. This was followed by reaching out to eight other households in Agu South, and in the neighbouring villages in the parish. The approach employed by the group is expected to benefit 270 households in the parish. The strategy was complemented by the use of low-cost materials for sanitation facilities, e.g., latrine floors were rammed with clay soil and only the squat holes were plastered with cement/ sand so that it remains washable, and urine easily flows into the pit latrine. To control flies and smell from the latrine, tight fitting covers were designed to cover the squat hole. And, handwashing facilities (in the form of tippy taps) were constructed and installed next to the latrine to promote handwashing with soap.

Group members charged households for labour. Households supported by the project purchased the required materials themselves (e.g., sand, cement, three-litre jerrycan and a rope to make the tippy tap, timber and nails for the squat hole cover, etc.).  Labour fees varied depending on the assignment. It ranged between a low  UGX 5,000 (EUR 1) for basic upgrade of the squat hole to UGX 70,000 (EUR 17) for complete latrine construction (including pit sinking).

Because of the leadership approach the group adopted, its members were able to support the other households in their latrine construction and home improvement. The gentle ‘nudge’ from the youth group proved to be what the communities needed. Within a period of three months (October to December 2018), sanitation and hygiene improved drastically in the Agu South Village. Latrine coverage rose to 67% (from 27%), and handwashing moved from 0% to 67%. Subsequently most of the households were able to construct better quality latrines. Promotion of handwashing after latrine use by fellow community members also led to the easy adoption of positive hygiene behaviour.

The DFID-funded programme was successful in two ways. It brought (basic) improvements in the sanitation and hygiene conditions of the village, and the new skills acquired by members of the predominantly female youth group saw a rise in their incomes. Prior to skills building, the group’s only source of income was from their annual membership fees of UGX 5,000 and weekly savings of UGX 500 shillings per member. During the last three months alone, the group had earned UGX 520,000 (EUR 141) from its members’ construction of latrines and tippy taps.

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New financing to the tune of 34 billion Uganda shillings is made available to support agribusiness in Uganda as new funding partners; Open Society Foundations (OSF) and FCA Investments (FCAI) join the Yield Uganda Investment Fund. The agribusiness impact fund, set up in January 2017 by the European Union (EU), through the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) and the National Social Security Fund (NSSF), with an initial €12 million investment, has now hit the €20 million (UGX 85 billion) mark in total commitments, following an €8 million investment from the Open Society Foundation and FCA Investments.

The Yield Uganda Investment Fund is a partnership between public and private investors that offers innovative and tailored financial solutions, using equity, semi-equity and debt, to small and Mediumsized Enterprises (SMEs) having the potential to generate both strong financial returns and significant social impact. Deloitte Uganda and Pearl Capital Partners Uganda (PCP) established the Fund, currently managed by PCP Uganda, with the mandate to make investments in the range of €250,000 to €2 million (approx. UGX 1 billion to UGX 8.5 billion).

To date, Yield has made investments of over UGX 8 billion in SESACO limited, an agro-processing company specialising in soya products, CECOFA, a coffee processor, and Chemiphar, an analytical laboratory providing testing and inspection services to SME businesses.

“Mobilizing investments for the agro industrialization of Uganda has been the main reason for the creation of Yield Uganda Investment Fund by the EU. In 2017 NSSF joined the EU to launch the first Investment Fund and today FCA Investments and Open Society Foundation add substantial capital which will allow Ugandan agribusiness companies to access the needed long-term capital for industrialization. As outlined in the European External Investment Plan, the EU is aiming at attracting capital into Uganda to foster development in agriculture, trade and industrialization,” said EU Ambassador to Uganda, H.E Attilio Pacifici.

The Fund targets agriculture-related businesses across all value chains including supply of agricultural inputs, production and agro-processing within all sub-sectors, post-harvest storage and distribution, but also peripheral activities such as transportation, communications and certification. The Fund seeks to support businesses with a clear competitive advantage and ambitious local management.

The Fund targets to improve over 100,000 rural households livelihoods through improving access to;1) markets for their produce, 2) higher quality agricultural inputs and services; creating jobs and employment opportunities, ensuring food security while generating income, foreign exchange and new export opportunities, all fundamentally contributing to Uganda’s economic growth and goal to eradicate poverty.

High-quality business development support (BDS) are critically important when modernizing and expanding Yield Fund’s investee companies to make them more effective, growth-oriented and profitable. An integral and complementary part of the Fund’s investment process is to support the operations of its investee companies through matching grants for BDS. Typical areas of the Fund’s BDS support include company governance, accounting, budgeting, auditing and tax compliance, innovation and technology transfer, marketing studies, and the adoption of international product quality and safety standards. This extra service to Yield Fund’s investee companies is funded with grants from the EU managed by IFAD.

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Over 20 million doses of Measles-Rubella (MR) vaccine have arrived in Uganda. The vaccines, procured by UNICEF with financial support from Gavi, will protect more than 18 million children aged 9 months to 14 years against Measles and Rubella during a national vaccination campaign that will take place on 25-29, September 2019.

The last batch of the vaccines was received today (18th July 2019) by Dr. Charles Olaro, Ministry of Health’s Director of Clinical Services at Entebbe International Airport. The doses have been received in five batches.

Measles is highly contagious. The virus can be contracted by someone up to two hours after an infected person has left a room. It spreads through air and infects the respiratory tract, potentially killing malnourished children or babies too young to be vaccinated. Infection with measles is followed by high fever, rash that spreads over the body, cough, running nose and red watery eyes, with the disease weakening the body’s immune system. It also often leads to serious complications that include blindness, encephalitis, severe diarrhea and severe respiratory tract infections, such as pneumonia.

Rubella is an infection caused by a virus and is particularly dangerous for adolescents and pregnant women. When a woman is infected with the rubella virus early in pregnancy, she has a 90% chance of passing the virus to her unborn child. This can cause the death of the fetus or serious birth defects, such as deafness, blindness, and heart defects, known as Congenital Rubella Syndrome (CRS). Children who contract rubella experience rashes and low fever, with the disease sometimes associated with joint pains and a swelling of the lymph nodes.

An increasing number of unvaccinated children in Uganda has led to measles outbreaks in several districts across the country.

62 districts are currently experiencing a Measles outbreak while 25 have been affected by Rubella.  Globally, over 400 children die every day due to measles and about 280 babies are born every day with congenital rubella syndrome (CRS).

“Procurement of vaccines and other immunization supplies is one of several approaches UNICEF is taking to support the Government of Uganda to contain the measles and rubella outbreaks across the country,” said Dr. Doreen Mulenga, UNICEF’s Representative in Uganda.

“By vaccinating every child in Uganda on time, we will avert the spread of these dangerous diseases and many preventable child deaths and birth defects.”

UNICEF in partnership with Ministry of Health, WHO, Gavi and The Vaccine Alliance, is undertaking the following to help improve routine immunization coverage, eliminate measles outbreaks and prevent rubella:
•    Negotiating vaccine prices globally: the cost of the measles vaccine is now at an all-time low;
•    Helping Uganda identify unreached children and improve immunization coverage in underserved areas;
•    Procuring vaccines and other immunization supplies;
•    Supporting supplementary vaccination campaigns to address gaps in routine immunization coverage;
•    Introducing innovations like the use of solar power to maintain vaccines at the right temperature.

The vaccines cost USD 14,351,000 (over 53 billion Uganda shillings).

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As part of ongoing efforts to prepare Ugandans for jobs in upcoming infrastructure projects, the Skills for Construction (S4C) initiative was officially launched on 26^th June 2019. The project aims to train a pool of 1,500 young people in basic construction skills, pipefitting and rigging.

The training is implemented by the Employment and Skills for Eastern Africa (E4D/SOGA) programme funded by the UK Department for International Development (DFID), the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), the Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation (NORAD) and Shell. E4D/SOGA works in close partnership with the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Development and the Ministry of Education and Sports.

Key to E4D/SOGA and the S4C project is its demand-led approach. To ensure the relevance of training and buy-in of potential employers, all courses are designed together with private sector players including international oil companies (IOCs), Engineering, Procurement, and Construction firms (EPCs) and local construction companies. Graduates will be certified by the Engineering, Construction Industry Training Board (ECITB) which is a widely accepted certificate that has a major emphasis on HSE, vital in the oil and gas sector. Innovative are the practical training methods simulating real-life industrial construction sites.

“Our objective is to bring young Ugandans into jobs. What is important to note is that the skills trained here are transferable to the general construction sector and not focused only on oil and gas projects. A pipefitter can work in the oil and gas sector but also in all other types of plants e.g. chemical plants, hydropower plants, coal plants, in factories, in steam and drainage works, etc. Similarly, riggers can work anywhere lifting of loads is necessary.’’ said Julia Mager, Team Leader E4D/SOGA Uganda. ”As most megaprojects in the oil and gas sector have not yet kicked off, we have a strong focus on matching students into internships and jobs. We are establishing good cooperation with the sector.“

The training is carried out in cohorts. Already 400 trainees have completed training and received their certificates at the occasion. The training is implemented at four training institutes in Kampala and Pakwach: Pacer Community Polytechnic (PCP) in Pakwach, Uganda College of Commerce (UCC) in Pakwach, Nakawa Vocational Training Institute (NVTI) and the Management Training and Advisory Centre (MTAC) in Nakawa. It is implemented through two consulting companies – Solid Rock and GOPA.

”The launch of this project is timely and in tandem with the oil and gas sector development which will require qualified and certified industry workmen,“ said Peter Lokeris, the State Minister, Ministry of Energy and Mineral Development (MEMD). ”This is in line with Government of Uganda’s Workforce Skills Development Strategy and Plan.“

”The demand for the training has thus far been overwhelming, pointing to its relevance, but also to the need for more interventions to address Uganda’s unemployment. We are honored to be part of this initiative and are happy female participation is strongly encouraged,’’ notes Mary Mabweijano, Senior Advisor to the Norwegian Embassy in Kampala.

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Patrick Amba tries on a pair of new soccer boots, a deep blue t-shirt with a red stripe, and white shorts – the colors of Sampdoria, one of Italy’s top league football clubs. The 14-year-old refugee from South Sudan was among 64 players from refugee settlements and hosting communities in northern Uganda, chosen to train with coaches from Sampdoria camp. “When I play football, I am happy, I feel like I am an important member of the community and I can share my ideas,” said Patrick.

Resources like balls and shoes are scarce here but football remains an escape for players and spectators alike – a source of hope that the sport can one day be an opportunity for a better life. “Football can help me in the future in many ways. It helps me make friends. I want to be so good at football so that I can help my family. My mother struggles to take care of the family and I want to help her. I will take responsibility for my sisters and my parents,” Patrick says. Patrick’s family fled their hometown in Yei three years ago, walking for days until they found safety across the border in Uganda, which hosts more than 1 million refugees from about five countries, most of them from South Sudan.

The majority of South Sudan’s refugee population is under the age of 18 and more than half are out of school or struggling to learn in ill-equipped, overcrowded facilities. “All day you think about those you left and those you have lost but when you are on the pitch that stress goes away,” said Stephen Abe, 21-year-old refugee player and coach.

Sampdoria coaches, Marco Bracco and Roberto Morosini said they wanted to offer hope and show their solidarity with young football lovers. “Refugees face a lot of problems so maybe for three days they can focus only on football. It was our little dream and now we are here, and we are very happy,” said Marco. The 73-year-old football club partnered with the Italian embassy in Uganda, the International Olympic Committee (IOC), the Ugandan Olympic Committee (UOC), The Federation of Uganda Football Association (FUFA), Italian NGO, ACAV and UNHCR, the U.N. Refugee Agency.

“When children are not at school, they don’t have much to do in the settlements, so sport keeps them busy and active. It also helps them make new friends and this promotes peace. These kinds of activities have a great impact,” said James Bond Anywar, a protection assistant with UNHCR.

The three-day training scheduled a series drills on dribbling and passing the ball to build coordination, control and discipline. “Their game is more technical than tactical, and they play very physical soccer. Our target is to hear them say, ‘I know what it means to play like a professional player,” said Marco. “I think they are very good because the pitch is very difficult so it’s not normal to play here but they have a lot of heart,” said Roberto.

Training was followed by a tournament between four teams from different settlements. Patrick’s team scored the first goal, sending supporters on the sidelines into cheers, but they struggled to maintain ball possession for the rest of the game, and lost 2-1. It was a lot to bear for Patrick. He pulled off his newly broken-in soccer boots and buried his face as his coach and friend, Stephen tried to comfort him. “When I saw him shedding tears, I was heartbroken,” said Stephen. “Patrick is one kid who has something, and he is proud of it, he can show it to people.” Patrick’s team finished fourth and a team from Bidi Bidi, a settlement further north of Uganda took the winning trophy but all the players shared the same level of motivation. “The best thing about this was the training. It was so important. I am now confident with the moves and I have more knowledge,” said Patrick. “We saw passion here. We have passion, but these boys’ commitment is very high. After this experience I can go back and I can explain to my own players that there are people that play without shoes, without a pitch and still want to play,” said Roberto.

This camp also marks the launch of a three-year sports education program for refugees and Ugandans that will offer training, coaching and sports management courses. The activities will also continue the work of peacebuilding between refugees and hosting communities. “We want them to be together such that tomorrow when they go back, they will preach the same thing. When they preach such a philosophy, what happens is that it spreads like an infectious disease…” said Haruna Mawa, a former Ugandan national player, who coached alongside Sampdoria during the tournament.

Back home, Patrick focuses on his chores. “I sweep my room and I take care of the animals then I fetch water and after that, then I am free to play football because I do my chores early in the morning,” he says. When the work is done, Patrick receives a nod from his mother, Rose before he picks up his ball and starts to kick it around the small piece of land where his family keeps chickens and grows tomato and watermelon. His friends call him Salah, after the Egyptian Liverpool player, Mo Salah. “I was one of the youngest on the pitch but when I played, I felt big. I felt like a big star,” said Patrick. Rose has always been proud of her son but is cautious not to let him limit his dreams. “I encourage him to go to school and not to forget about his studies. He should study and play football at the same time.”

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Ten years ago, 54-year-old Binaleta Mbambu and her husband struggled as farmers. They had diversified to maize from cotton because it was expensive to cultivate, and like their neighbours, they sought a crop that could provide both money and food. But their house was not big enough to store all their harvest.

With each harvest, Binaleta’s family and others in Kabirizi village loaded their crop for transportation to one of two large warehouses that WFP established 32 kilometres away in the western Ugandan town of Kasese. The large warehouse, with a 2,000 metric-ton-capacity, eventually sold the crop on the farmers’ behalf. However, the farmers had little control over pricing.

During a meeting between the Kabirizi co-operative society and WFP, they discussed the possibility of co-financing the construction of a new 300 metric-ton-capacity warehouse across the road from Binaleta’s house.

“We owned a piece of land worth UGX 12 million (US$3,270)and as a group we were able to contribute UGX 1 million (US$ 270) to the construction,” Binaleta says, “and so we allowed access to our land and construction began in 2015.”

Cross border trade

The warehouse is now a solid multi-purpose business centre, strategically located along a highway that leads to the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). It benefits 600 households in Binaleta’s sub-county.

“We are lucky to have our own warehouse, to be independent, to access traders directly and state our price,” says Consta Ndungo, a 65-year-old father of twins and chairperson of the Kabirizi co-operative. “We like maize because it is an easy game. And now we also grow beans, soy bean, sesame and peanuts, all of which we can store and trade directly through the business centre.”

“We sold 82 tons of grain to traders from the DRC in 2017,” another member of the cooperative, 50-year-old mother, Ziporah Ssendhoto, says. The group also sold 24 metric tons to traders from Rwanda in November, she adds with pride. Her profits out of the warehouse have allowed her to educate her children.

Ziporah lives several kilometres from the warehouse, but she visits regularly to attend trainings on warehouse management, group marketing, farming as a business and post-harvest loss reduction, and every Sunday the group meets to discuss their savings and credit scheme.

Building a brighter future

On July 10, 2019, the German Ambassador to Uganda, H.E. Dr. Albrecht Conze, handed over two vehicles, ten motorcycles and four cameras to the Deputy Inspector General of Police (DIGP), Major General Sabiiti Muzeyi , at the Police Headquarters in Kampala. The fleets of vehicles and motorcycles as well as the cameras were donated by the German Federal Office of Criminal Investigation (Bundeskriminalamt, BKA) as a token of the continuously good cooperation between Germany and Uganda in the area of security and beyond.

In the past years, the German Government (represented by the BKA) has supported the Uganda Police force in capacity building, not only with donations of vehicles but mainly by conducting trainings in areas such as Crime Scene Management, Forensic Photography, Fingerprints, Homicide Investigation and Drug Investigation. Ambassador Conze noted recent adjustments made with a view to further professionalizing the Uganda Police Force and commended the senior officers for their commitment to protect the population.

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