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Gudie Leisure Farm puts a spotlight on South Western Uganda to exploit investment opportunities for youths in Uganda
1 May 2023, 1:38 pm
Byamukama Alozious > byamukamaalozious1993@gmail.com
Gudie Leisure Farm (GLF) is set to organize the South Western Region Spotlight at their premises in Najerara,Kira-Kampala metropolitan with the aim of highlighting the country about the investment opportunities in the region to generate spot for young entrepreneurs within and from across Uganda who are already investing agriculture
Addressing media on the upcoming event, The managing director of GLF, Prof. Gudula Naiga Basaza said young entrepreneurs in the region need to use fertile land for modern agriculture and it’s the reason the spotlight has been organized on 7th Sunday and 8th Monday to exploit these business opportunities. She adds Gudie farm is partnering with National Agricultural Research Organization NARO to train youths of sustainable agriculture, on value addition and marketing
Prof. Gudula said there is a gap to transform the youths aged 18, 35, to keep them proactive, predictive and profit entrepreneurs in agriculture but GLF has already started the solution in 27 districts of Uganda clustered into region and so far the spotlight has been done in karamoja among others
Professor Basara further noted that the Regional Spotlights of the social enterprise began in October last year with Karamoja and will cover all other regions of the country this year, are aimed at not only facilitating investment in the regions but also building strong business collaborations amongst the different communities in the country
The specific districts within the region that will be under spotlight will be Kazo, Kiruhura, Kisoro, Kabale, Kanungu, Mbarara, Isingiro, Sheema, Rubanda, Rukiga, Bushenyi Ibanda, Rabirizi, Rukungiri, Rwampara Mitooma and Ntungamo
Mr.Andrew Walabyeki who is the lead agent Guide Leisure Farm in Mbarara said ,the event will not only feature several exciting business spots for youth but also featuring exciting tourism exhibitions ,cultural immersions and The South Western Uganda Business Symposium taking place on Monday.
‘’Young people need to know their culture background, need to know the means of transportation , food and dance but also need know different tourism sites such as Kitagata, different crater lakes in Rubirizi, part of Queen Elizabeth National Parks, mountain Gorillas among others and these sites will be exhibited ‘’ prof. Gudula said
Edwig Kansiime, a youth trained by Guide farm and a champion for kabale said in last three months have got 1.5m having invested in 500,000UG in cabbage and urges Government to work with them to multiply the knowledge to the rest of youth in the region. She adds that the Spotlight is another opportunity to her fellow to come learn the skill for self-sustenance in through agriculture
Byingiro Amos who is the agent Gudie in Kisoro said is happy about spotlight because it will increase market for Irish potatoes which is the major cash crop for the kisoro communities. ‘’Kisoro is producing the sweetest Irish in Uganda and is the most preffered in kampala and South Sudan, we hope that such spotlight helps to have more innovations on what can come out of the Irish’’ Byingiro said
Meanwhile calls upon youths to make agriculture more fun by the changing the mindset that agriculture is the dirty job. “You can farm with fun, in the morning you be in the farm fields, after noon chilling with other youth and evening you be making evaluations” Byingiro,Amos.
About Gudie Leisure Farm:
Gudie Leisure Farm is a social enterprise providing various agribusiness development services to especially youth-owned micro and small enterprises (MSE) in the agricultural sector. Established in 2009, the company, since its inception, has been providing the MSEs with the technical and business training they need to produce and distribute high quality products and services and linking them to markets both in and outside the districts of operation that can deliver the returns they expect from their investments. It also connects them to business development services (BDS) providers in both the public and private sectors that can support the advancement of their enterprises To date, the company, which operates in 27 districts in Uganda including Kampala, Mukono, Wakiso, Lengo, Kyoma, Masaka Kiryandongo Luweero, Dokolo, Moroto, Arua, Amolatur, Nwoya, Soroti, Jinja Namisindwa, Torono, Hoima, Mbarara, Isingiro, Kabale, Kisoro, Kikuube, Fort Portal, Kamwenge and Kananda, has been able to train 112,900 young people who are now part of its business development network Within South Westem Uganda.
Gudie Leisure Farm has incubated 720 Youth Agriculture entrepreneur Champions from 120 Parishes. The youth are embracing their role in transforming the region by being proactive, productive, planned and profitable entrepreneurs. They are engaged in value chain-linked agribusinesses coordinated by Parish Entrepreneurship Learning Associations (PELAs) which are business associations they have set up to support the advancement of their enterprises.
Through the PELA, they have organized various skills development sessions for communities within the region, reaching about 25,000 people. The youth are committed to establishing five major industries in each of the 120 parishes namely the Feed Mill Industry, Animal Industry, Services Industry.