Hon. Kabbyanga Godfrey Baluku

In my reading, I came across a statement by Jeff Skoll that went thus - “My dream is to find individuals who take financial resources and convert them into changing the world in the most positive ways.”

Ugandans, yesterday afternoon this modest statement was made manifest when I met and shared a cup of coffee with a group of young ladies and gentlemen at the Global Hotel in Makerere Kikoni.

This group goes by the name Amazing Friends Development Association - AFRIDA. Although they all currently live and work in our metropole of Kampala, they are united by the fact that they are all from my home district of Kasese.

Last year, realising the tremendous potential pooling of resources brings, they decided to start their own Savings and Credit Society - SACCO.
I must confess, that as a young student at our Makerere University in 1989, I was one of only two Bakonzo. Indeed this not so stirling statistic alongside our ignorance towards syndicated financing through Pooling of resources, means that, unlike these young AFRIDA members, I could not start let alone join a SACCO.

I am glad that AFRIDA’s young membership has seen it fit to heed the advice of our leaders H.E. President Museveni and Gen (Rtd) Salim Saleh who have both tirelessly championed the cause for SACCOs as vehicles of Socio-economic transformation of our Uganda.

Because of the education garnered by AFRIDA from our Institutes of learning, I am confident of their success.

I encourage all young people, especially from Rwenzori region as indeed across the entirety of Uganda to focus on these 3 things: Education, Wealth Creation and Progressive Politics. These are key for us in the National Resistance Movement to realise our cherished Ideals.

I thank AFRIDA for taking this bald step. I am proud of AFRIDA.

In AFRIDA I have found individuals whose dream is to take financial resources and use them to build on the change started by NRM in our Uganda and Africa.

Yesterday, The Kasese Leaders held a high level meeting with the Rt. Hon Robinah Nabbanja at the Office of the President and discussed disaster issues caused by the river floods that have displaced thousands of people in Kasese for quite some time. There is progress in ensuring that the lives and property of the people is protected.