The Aga Khan Foundation as a way of continuing to work to enable the various sectors recover from the adverse effects of the COVID19 pandemic and the lockdown yesterday partnered with the Early Years Foundation, and the Uganda Tour Operators, And Tour Guides Forum To Launch Innovation Challenges.

Speaking at a presser that was held at the Golden Tulip Hotel, the Agah Khan Foundation’s Programs Manager Olgah Daphine Namukuza remarked:

“When lockdown was effected, the most sectors were tourism and the early years. As every other sector was later opened up, these two were not, and this is why these two contests are being rolled out; to enable both industries recover.”

Adding to her voice, Manuela Mulondo Pacutho; the Team Lead at Early Years Foundation Uganda said that the challenges this early childhood development sectors are not only social but political.

“Social cultural beliefs have made us believe that children are to be seen and not heard. Another reason is that early years is a slow investment since children have to be taken care of for a lifetime and can only hope they make it and be able to take care of their parents too when they succeed in life.”, remarked Manuela.

She further shaded some light on what this innovation challenge project seeks to achieve saying: “With this project we want to reach out to teachers, parents, students and whoever can take part. If you have an idea or innovation, I call upon you to participate”, she concluded.

Also present at the presser was the Early Years Foundation Uganda Programs Manager Nakanjako Immaculate elaborated on how interested parties can take part in the challenge.

To participate, all are encouraged to visit the Early Years Foundation website, and fill out a form.

Innovations/ ideas are open to all and as a foundation are looking at helping the early childhood sector resurrect.

The first round of outstanding participants will be shortlisted, and out of these 10 shall be called back to pitch to a panel, and each will win UGX. 10,000,000.

In a similar vein, with support from the Aga Khan Foundation, the Uganda Tour Operators, And Tour Guides Forum also launched an innovation challenge, with an aim of making tour guides the priority, as the entire industry has for the past years only given attention to the needs of the Tour operators and not the guides. The Tourism Innovation Challenge is therefore targeting young people in tourism as a whole.

Elliot Junior Mugisha the Team Lead at Uganda Tour Operators said that most youth have great ideas and innovations however most end up dying out due to lack of funds.

“We are therefore working with the Aga Khan Foundation to provide a seed grant of 10 to 15Million Ugandan Million shillings to 10 outstanding innovators, and are mainly targeting areas of Kampala and Arua.”, remarked Elliot.

Adding to Elliot’s voice, the Tour Guides Forum CEO Solomon Sekitoleko touched on the challenge as to why many young tour operators missed out on the post COVID19 recovery interventions and this was because most were not having registered businesses/ companies. He further urged all those interested in taking part in this challenge to register their companies as only those who do meet this legal requirement will legible to participate in the challenge.

To take part in this challenge, do visit the social media channels of Uganda Tour Operators, click on the link that will redirect you to a form for you to fill out.

There shall then be a 3day event where the first 2 days will be for presentations and the final day will be for pitching and rewarding of the outstanding 10 winners who will then be monitored for 6months.