The Independent Uganda: You get the Truth we Pay the Price
Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | Total Uganda on March 01 awarded Shs 150million to the top three winners of the Startupper of the Year by Total Challenge, as seed capital to kick-start and fund their business ideas.
The winners include Arnold Mugaga, whose innovative idea is to address furniture gaps in schools. Mugaga took home Shs75million.
Sylivia Kyomuhendo, the proprietor of Infants Health Foundation that uses mobile nurses to avail free, quality and timely home based maternal-child health care services for mothers in remote areas, emerged as the second winners and took home Shs 45million while Vicent Nemeyimana, the proprietor of Swap Africa, an online platform that allows all users to swap, exchange or share resources like physical goods and skills, came third taking home Shs30million.
Mugaga and Kyomuhendo also won a fully paid trip to the France for mentorship and learning.
However, the first prize in Uganda will see his project presented to the international grand juries that will pick the six grand winners from 55 countries.
Speaking during the award gala at the Kampala Sheraton Hotel, Total Uganda Managing Director, Obi Imemba, said the company received 595 applications in Uganda alone, representing a more than 60% increase, from 373 in the previous year.
“To the entire finalists, this is the beginning of a new journey on your part. We believe that throughout the last few weeks, you gained extra skills, knowledge and direction during boot camps,” he said.
The 2018-2019 Startupper of the year by Total Challenge as held simultaneously in 55 countries – 37 of which are in Africa, 11 in the Asia-Pacific and Middle East Region, 4 in America’s and 3 in Europe – reaffirming Total’s commitment to social and economic development in the host countries.
The second Startupper of the year received nearly 50,000 entries, of which more than 15,000 were fully completed. In all, 825 finalists presented their projects to juries of experts, with 165 winning prizes.
