The Independent Uganda: You get the Truth we Pay the Price
Kampala, Uganda | Patrcia Akankwatsa | On July 8th, the Aga Khan Foundation through the European Union awarded grants from the Early Years Foundation which will help them recover from the adverse effects of the COVID-19 pandemic and the lockdown.
The Aga Khan Foundation partnered with the Early Years Foundation, the Uganda Tour Operators, and Tour Guides Forum to launch innovation challenges where 18 innovators out of 36 were awarded funds organized by the Early Years Foundation with support from the Aga Khan Foundation and the European Union.
During this time, all the participants who made it past the first stage of selection upon responding to the call were trained in the skills of business proposal writing, registration, and pitching.
During the event held at the Media Challenge Initiative under the theme: “Addressing effects of the COVID-19 Pandemic on SMEs in the ECD Sector, the programmes manager of COVID-19 response at the Aga Khan Foundation Olga Namukuza, thanked the participants for being patient and participating in this challenge.
“Thank you for standing with us and holding the basis of the education foundation. Young people are no longer the future. They are the now. If you don’t support them financially, they will go and steal. That is why Aga Khan will continue supporting what you are doing,” she said.
Manuela Pacutho Mulondo, the President of the Early Years Foundation Uganda congratulated all the participants in the ECD sector for making it through the tough times of the pandemic, backing them for being passionate about Early Childhood Development.
She also thanked Aga Khan Foundation and the European Union for listening to their cry and having it made possible.
“I would like to thank the innovators who made it this far. It wasn’t easy because they had to go through training and not everyone made it.”
The innovation challenge was launched at the end of May and was concluded in a three-day event where over 36 groups delivered their pitches in under 10 minutes each while explaining to the community impact and business sustainability angles in education, feeding, transport, and overall wellbeing of children to a panel of 3 judges.
