HiPipo Money

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MTN Uganda, through the MTN Uganda Foundation has donated an assortment of items to Kilembe Mines Hospital in Kasese as an effort to contribute to the welfare of the people following the aftermath of flood disaster which hit Kasese earlier this year in May, leaving in its wake immense challenges including poor sanitation and hygiene. 

The donation which included 100 hospital beds, 100 mattresses, 100 blankets and 100 mosquito nets were handed over to the Minister of Health, Dr. Ruhakana Rugunda who received them on behalf of   the hospital management at a function presided over by the Minister of Health- Honourable Dr. Ruhakana Rugunda. MTN also provided additional support by painting the Children’s ward.

At the beginning of May 2013 heavy rains caused the banks of the Nyamwamba River to burst, which resulted in flooding in Western Uganda’s Kasese district. Eight people were confirmed dead, and over 25,000 have been affected. The flooding has caused widespread destruction of houses, crops and facilities such as bridges, roads and power lines. Major infrastructures such as a hospital and sewage treatment unit were also been damaged.

A recent survey by Africa Climate Change Resilience Alliance, a regional NGO, notes; “Increased intensity of flash floods in Kasese has led to erosion of fields, both high and low lands reported the negative impact of unpredictable seasons on cropping patterns and resultant low yields leading to reduced food availability. Mosquitoes which were unheard of in the district are now common and malaria cases have become common”.

It is against that background that MTN Uganda has come up with the donation to identify with the people of Kasese.

MTN Uganda’s CEO Mazen Mrouè, underscored MTN’s commitment to continue identifying with the vulnerable communities in the country adding that the Company has always been at hand to give a helping hand whenever necessary. Over the last 15 years since MTN Uganda started operations in Uganda, it has partnered with the Uganda Government and a number of relief agencies in matters of disaster response.

 “At MTN Uganda, we realize and understand the importance of continued support towards the communities where we operate. The floods destroyed property and affected the lives of the people of Kasese. This greatly shocked the nation and the world and deeply touched us at MTN and that’s why we decided to come in and help,” said Mrouè.

“Governments all over the world are over whelmed by emergencies like these, and most times, especially in the developing world it is important for partners to answer the call and provide support for the relief efforts. As Uganda’s number one corporate citizen, we believe it’s our obligation to support government efforts in areas like these,” Mroué added.

In 1999, MTN partnered with Habitat for Humanity to build homes for displaced people the first being in Mbale and Hoima districts.  Since then, MTN Uganda has built a total of 237 homes in partnership with Habitat for Humanity housing close to 1380 individuals; this is the largest number of homes funded by a corporate company.

The MTN Uganda Foundation is a not-for-profit legal entity that was inaugurated in July 2007 as a vehicle through which MTN Uganda implements its’ Corporate Social Investments (CSI). The Foundation strives to improve the quality of life in communities where MTN Uganda operates in a sustainable way. Over the past five years since its launch, the MTN Foundation has supported a number of initiatives in the areas of Education, Health, Arts and Culture, Environment, Community Development and Low cost housing.

Honourable Rugunda hailed MTN for the initiative saying that MTN, through the Foundation has proved that the company has the welfare of the country at heart.

“As government we welcome this initiative by the MTN Foundation and applaud you for partnering with us in extending the reach of much needed support to the people of Kasese. We would also like to express our most sincere gratitude to Board of the Foundation for having initiated this process and now we can finally see the benefits of their actions,” concluded Honourable Rugunda

About MTN Uganda

Launched in 1998, MTN Uganda is the leading communications operator in Uganda, offering Mobile and Fixed telecommunications, Mobile Money Services and Internet Service Provisioning. As of 30 September 2013, MTN Uganda recorded 8.4 million subscribers across Uganda. Visit us at www.mtn.co.ug and for our football fans www.mtnfootball.com. Customers can also follow us on www.youtube.com/mtnug and www.twitter.com/mtnugandacare for assistance.

About the MTN Group

Launched in 1994, the MTN Group is a leading emerging market operator, connecting subscribers in 22 countries in Africa, Asia and the Middle East. The MTN Group is listed on the JSE Securities Exchange in South Africa under the share code: “MTN.” As of 30 September 2013, MTN recorded 203.8 million subscribers across its operations in Afghanistan, Benin, Botswana, Cameroon, Cote d’Ivoire, Cyprus, Ghana, Guinea Bissau, Guinea Republic, Iran, Liberia, Nigeria, Republic of Congo (Congo Brazzaville), Rwanda, South Africa, Sudan, South Sudan, Swaziland, Syria, Uganda, Yemen and Zambia. Visit. Visit us at, www.mtnbusiness.com , www.mtn.com www.mtnmmo.com  and for our football fans www.mtnfootball.com

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Brand New Channel for DStv Mobile!

DStv Mobile has introduced a new channel to its mobile television offering.

Much acclaimed channel M-Net Africa East will be joining the DStv Mobile stable so viewers can look forward to great talk shows, local series and exciting reality shows. 

DStv Mobile is constantly looking for ways to give consumers what they want and provide them with a world of extraordinary entertainment.

“Over the years we have strived to meet the requirements of different lifestyles and channel preferences through introducing new devices and new content respectively. With the addition of M-Net Africa East we hope to reach a broader audience” says Tina Wamala, PR and Communication Manager MultiChoice Uganda.

The addition come just before the festive season hits – giving subscribers even more to keep them entertained during the holidays.

DStv Premium subscribers can access one DStv Mobile for premium subscription at no cost.  DStv Compact, Compact plus and Family subscribers can access one DStv Mobile subscription at no cost. All other subscribers can expect to pay $4 per month.

DStv Mobile coverage is available in Kampala.

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Purchase of 20 locomotives will double haulage capacity in 8 months

Regional railway operator, Rift Valley Railways has purchased 20 locomotives under an ambitious expansion programme that aims to double its locomotive and wagon fleet by June next year.

The 12-cylinder, turbocharged engines, built by American industrial conglomerate General Electric, will be delivered between March and the end of June next year.

The trains are equipped with a microprocessor control system that monitors the engine’s performance and boosts load-carrying capacity by 20 per cent by optimizing the traction between the wheels and the railway track.

“Since 2010, RVR shareholders have injected over $156 million to improve railway infrastructure and install modern, GPS-based train management technology in Kenya and Uganda. Investing in expanding our cargo haulage capacity to meet growing demand is the logical next step in our plans”, said Darlan De David, RVR’s group CEO.

RVR recently rebuilt 73kms of rail track between Nairobi and Mombasa and nine culverts between Busembatia and Jinja, helping cut cargo transit time to Uganda by 6 hours. The company recently rehabilitated and reopened the 500km Tororo-Gulu-Pakwach railway line in northern Uganda. This track will facilitate delivery of rail cargo from Gulu by road to South Sudan and eastern DRC.

“This capacity expansion will dramatically increase our rail cargo carrying ability which will be a boon to freight transporters not only in Kenya and Uganda, but across East Africa”, De David added.

When added to ongoing locomotive rehabilitation in progress in its Nairobi plant, the 20 trains will double RVR’s wagon-moving capability. The wagon refurbishment programme underway in RVR’s Nairobi and Kampala factories is expanding the fleet at the rate of 50 wagons per month, with a view to tripling the wagon operating convoy by 2015. 

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…as welcome party for evicted ‘Undercover Brothers’ excites fans in Kampala

As the sixth season of Tusker Project Fame heats up, top contestants, including Uganda’s Sitenda find themselves on the probation list that could see them exit the competition next Saturday during the live eviction show.

After a surprise double eviction which saw Angel and Jennifer leave the house this past Saturday, East Africa will be put to task to vote for their favourite contestants in the most dramatic Tusker Project Fame season yet. With each country getting one vote, the balance will be tipped by Tanzania and Burundi whose contestants are safe this week.

Yesterday during the nomination show, the pressure to steer clear of the chopping block was evident as Fess from Kenya took the stage taking on a Bruno Mars song like a seasoned pro despite Judge Ian critiquing his poor diction.

Uganda’s Daisy Ejang gave a performance of a lifetime singing ‘Price Tag’ by Jessie J. Daisy, which was a complete surprise from the usual ballads she has done since the Opening Gala. It was an epic performance that received rapturous applause from the crowd considering that she lost her voice earlier in the week.

Phionah from Rwanda was up next with Halo by Beyonce but with her poor diction the crowd was not pleased with her rendition of the ballad.  Bior sang ‘She Ain’t You’ by Chris Brown, backed by the Sarakasi dancers. Despite Bior giving his best the judges felt it was not his best performance with Judge Ian, in his usual candidness, suggesting that Bior stick to rap.

He was followed by Kenya’s Nyambura who sang Cecil’s ‘Don’t let me Cheat on My Boyfriend’ and had the crowd rocking and dancing. Principal Eric was glad Nyambura brought the right amount of fire and she gave her everything to her performance.

The ladies favourite, Hisia, performed ‘PayPhone’ by Adam Levine. Standing in a spotlight and looking dapper as always, Hisia had the crowd going wild even before he had sung a verse. Judge Juliana declared the stage as Hisia’s playground.

Back in Kampala, the Undercover Brothers were being hosted to a welcome party by Uganda Breweries Limited at Panamera Bar and the duo that has bet their money on Kojjo to win enjoyed the show with fans while giving insights on what happens behind the scenes at the Academy. They later performed for their fans showcasing their talent and skills learnt at TPF.

Uganda’s Sitenda sang ‘Bittersweets’ by Fantasia and unfortunately didn’t wow the judges getting negative comments with all judges unanimously assenting that it wasn’t her best performance. Uganda’s only male contestant Derrick Kojjo sang ‘There Goes My Baby’ by Usher. Kojjo gave a performance that drew him out of his shell receiving a great applause from the audience and the guest Judge Atemi who remarked that Kojjo did great, and his falsetto was amazing.

The dynamic Kenyan duet Amos and Josh who are coming out as top prize contenders did a superb rendition of ‘Tell me how come” by Morgan Heritage and had the crowd singing along to the famous reggae song.

The big voice from Hope came out last and performed ‘Let Me Love You’ by Ne-Yo. Dressed in a bowler hat, waist coat, shirt and jeans, Hope had the crowd on their feet dancing with him as soon as he hit the chorus. Hope received a one minute standing ovation from the crowd, something unseen since the beginning of the competition and had the stern Judge Ian say that Hope’s performance made his evening.

In the end, Bior from South Sudan, Patrick from Rwanda, Sitenda from Uganda and Nyambura from Kenya landed in the probation list and are up for possible eviction next Saturday although the judges’ decision was not necessarily shared by the audience.

East Africa will now have to vote to save the favourite contestant. Ugandans can vote for the favourite contestants by sending an SMS with the word TUSKER followed by the contestants’ number to 8338. Voting ends on Saturday.

Contestants’ voting numbers:

Bior – Tusker 3,

Patrick- Tusker 9,

Sitenda- Tusker 11,

Nyambura – Tusker 10

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His top team selection earns him336 points and the monthly title 

On Thursday 31^st of October, GUINNESS FOOTBALL MANAGER exclusively announced their second Manager of the Month. In September, Bernard Semujju from Kampala topped the monthly leader board and has shown that he has the football knowledge to take on the likes of Roberto Di Matteo as a world class football manager.

September’s Manager of the Month picked a dynamic and balanced team comprising of top, middle and lower tier players in the English Premier League earning him 336 points. As a reward for his great performance, Bernard, an avid Arsenal fan has won UGX 1.5million and a DSTV Walka 7.

Phoebe Nakabazzi from GUINNESS said: “Congratulations to Bernard, our GUINNESS FOOTBALL MANAGER ‘Manager of the Month’!  It’s a great accolade to win the Manager of the Month title and Bernard really showed that he had the confidence to make bold decisions with his fantasy team.  He chose a line up of players who scored him top points from their performance this month.”

The weekly winners of the Guinness Football Manager for the respective weeks in September were also awarded with a DSTV Walka 3.5 each and a crate of Guinness to share with friends. The September weekly winners are Prince David Akiiki, Mathew Kasewi, Joab Kankiriho and Isa Sebagala.

Prizes for are available for the Manager of the Week, Manager of the Month and the grand prize, the Guinness Football Manager of the Season worth UGX 5million. As well as the Manager of the Month and Manager of the week, Guinness will also be rewarding fans with big prizes including t-shirts, caps and Guinness to enjoy with friends.

“At GUINNESS, we are dedicated to bringing football lovers across Uganda a deeper, richer football experience and know that GUINNESS is the beer of choice for football fans up and down the country. With GUINNESS FOOTBALL MANAGER, we are giving lovers of the beautiful game an interactive way to get involved with the game,” said Phoebe Nakabazzi.

GUINNESS FOOTBALL MANAGER was launched in August by Italian footballer and Champion League winning manager, Roberto Di Matteo, when he visited Uganda.  Each week, Di Matteo will select his very own ‘Player Made of More’ – the player he believes has made the most significant contribution in that week’s matches and any managers with that player in their fantasy team, will be awarded extra points. This week’s ‘Player made of More’ was Fernando Torres who had a good weekend on the field. His all-round display, in which he set up the first goal for Chelsea and was capped off by a well-deserved last-minute winner, silenced his critics after struggling with his form recently. 

Choose your team and get involved!  All you need to do to play GUINNESS FOOTBALL MANAGER is sign up to GUINNESS VIP at m.guinnessvip.com, follow the instructions to select your team and show Uganda what you are made of!  It is free to get involved.

This brand new, fantasy football game is widely available for football fans to play on all mobile phones, from basic text handsets to smartphones and feature phones as well as on a computer.  It gives fans the chance to step up to the challenge of being the boss – you pick the team, you call the shots and you get the glory.  You get to select players your own fantasy team of players and manage them throughout the season to win great prizes.

Please drink responsibly, strictly 18/21+.

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Premium channels will be opened all week, at no extra charge

For one whole week starting from Monday 11 November to Sunday 17 November, DStv is opening some of its Premium channels, at no extra charge.

From DStv Access through to DStv Compact Plus subscribers will get a taste of the best in sensational sports, hit music, entertaining kiddie’s shows, intriguing documentaries and original homegrown content.

The best will be saved for last as DStv Family, Compact and Compact Plus subscribers will also have exclusive access to all the M-Net channels on Saturday 16 November and Sunday 17 November, where viewers will get a preview of the latest in world class movies, series, reality and sought after talk shows.

This DStv premium week will be filled with leading content from channels such as  AfricaMagic Entertainment, SuperSport, Comedy Central, Animal Planet, BBC Knowledge, BBC Lifestyle, Cbeebies, Crime and Investigation, Discovery channel, Travel Channel, Fox Entertainment, History Channel, MTV Base, MTV and Sky News .

The viewing experience during the week will include:

·   Great and unforgettable sporting action can be seen on the SuperSport channels where the     line-up includes the FIFA World Cup Qualifiers featuring games between countries such as Ukraine vs France, Nigeria vs Ethiopia, Cameroon vs Tunisia and Senegal vs Ivory Coast. The action also includes golfing excellence at the PGA Tour OHL Classic at Mayakoba as well as high speed and octane at the United States Grand Prix Main Race.

·   A variety of programming such as, the 2013 MTV Europe Music Awards on MTV Base,     Oprah’s Masterclass on TLC Entertainment, Remarkable documentaries and reality shows on BBC Knowledge including The Day Kennedy Died and Top Gear Australia Season 3. Access to some of the biggest sport stars in STA.RATED! on Trace Sport Stars. Some comic relief can also be expected on Comedy Central in the popular Saturday Night Live Season 39, and The Daily Show.

·   Interactive entertainment for DStv’s young viewers on shows such as Wolly and Tig on Cbeebies, some mystery solving in Scooby Doo & Alien Invaders on Boomerang and Mickey Mouse short films entitled Mickey Mouse Shorts on the Disney Channel.

·   The best in original African content can be seen on AfricaMagic Entertainment, where viewers can look out for Africa’s Next Top Model, hosted by Africa’s super model Oluchi Orlandi, lifestyle and entertainment news on StarGist, drama series Tenant and Kona. The channel also boasts a variety of original homegrown movies featuring some of the continent’s highly acclaimed actors, which premiere on Saturday and Sunday evening.

·   DStv Mobile viewers on the broadcast service in parts of Africa will have access to the following channels: Nigeria – SuperSport 3N and Africa Magic Entertainment, Ghana and Uganda – SuperSport 3A and Africa Magic Entertainment, Kenya – SuperSport 1, 2 and 3A; and finally in Namibia viewers will be able to enjoy SuperSport 1, 2 and the Discovery Channel.

Viewers will end the week off with Premium magical entertainment from the M-Net channels, with M-Net at the forefront in offering the best and latest world class shows. There are also great back-to-back shows on the trio of series channels, M-Net Series Showcase, M-Net Series Reality and M-Net Series Zone.

Additionally, the family will have a movie for every mood from the 8 M-Net movie channels currently on DStv such as M-Net Movies Premiere, M-Net Movies Comedy, M-Net Movies Family, M-Net Movies Action, M-Net Movies Action +, M-Net Movies Drama & Romance, M-Net Movies Showcase and M-Net Movies Stars.

There is something for everyone and plenty viewing in store, be sure not to miss a whole week of shows and so much more during DStv Premium Open week. For more information on DStv programming, channels and bouquets, visit www.dstv.com

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• Tournament to become a regular event with revolving BA trophy
• First challenge to take place between Kampala Club and Lugogo tennis Club
• Seventies theme to feature in first encounter     

Kampala club and Lugogo sports club two of the leading corporate member clubs in Uganda are set to lock horns in a Seventies themed tennis challenge sponsored by British Airways.

Making the announcement during a press conference held at Lugogo Sports Club, Faith Chaitezvi the Country Commercial Manager of for  British Airways in Uganda said, “This will be a classic encounter in every sense of the word which we believe will go right down to the wire. Kampala club and Lugogo are two of the best tennis clubs in Uganda each with a rich history, passionate membership and very high quality players”. We are very excited to be associated with this event because so many of the players are our partners and our clients.

Outlining the format of the challenge Victor Drile the tennis captain of Lugogo said Lugogo tennis club will be hosting the event which will take place on Saturday 9^th November  starting at 9:00 am. “We shall be playing this as a home and away series and since it is us (Lugogo) who challenged Kampala club, we have been given the opportunity to set some of the ground rules. Fourteen players from each club eight men four women, one veteran (over 55) and a youth player (under 13) will play a series of doubles and singles matches over the course of the day. The winner of the challenge will be team that wins the most matches over the course of the day, in case of a draw we shall count the most individual games won to determine the winner.

Responding to questions about the challenge and the expected performance of his team, Aggrey Mwesigye the tennis captain of Kampala club stated that KK was very excited about the BA tennis challenge “the minute we got the invitation we jumped at the chance to play, we have a very strong team which contains a mixture of youth and experience, we are confident of victory both away and at home when we host Lugogo for the return challenge in the next three months”.

Stating BA’s commitment to sponsoring the challenge Faith noted that this is not a one off event the BA Kampala tennis challenge will eventually become a revolving trophy competed for by the top corporate sports clubs in Kampala, we have chosen to start with Lugogo and Kampala Club because they were ready, in the future we will be inviting other clubs to join provided they have members/players and necessary facilities.

Giving background information why BA had decided to sponsor tennis Faith said “for some time now BA has been looking for a sponsorship property that matches BA profile and customer demographic. We singled out Tennis because so many of our fliers play the game; it has health benefits and can be played by people of all age brackets”.

Responding to a question about the 70’s theme, Faith said as BA we are as proud of our heritage which provides us with an indispensable bridge to the future, the seventies was such a fun time for many of our customers and we felt it could be interesting to relive some of this period through music and attire as we talk about the future of the BA firmly focused as being a modern 21^st century airline.    

Big Names who will be playing in the event for Kampala Club include Captain Jack Calnan and Tugende, while the Lugogo side will feature James Kasumba, Sam Nakabale and Ivan Kyeirembo.

Both Captains thanked British Airways for putting up the money to sponsor challenge which they are confident will become a successful event and a regular feature of the Ugandan Tennis calendar. 

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Marketing Africa will this year end the year in style with yet another Marketer’s Night out on the 3rd and final 2013 Kampala Marketers Night on Friday 1st November, at the Kampala Serena Hotel from 7:00pm on the dot. The event that happens once every quarter will be focusing on the theme “New Frontier Thinking: How Mavericks move Businesses from Good to Great”. The event that is intended to attract several members of the public as the come to listen to the latest developments in the marketing sector will have Mr. Pepe Minambo, the Founding Director of The Motivator Africa, an Inspirational Capacity Building Organization that focuses on personal, Academic, Career and Business Development as the Key note speaker.

The Tusker Malt Lager sponsored event is aimed at delivering an exclusive event courtesy of the TML 100 club which is an exclusive, online platform that gives Tusker Malt Lager consumers the opportunity to relax, interact and network with like-minded people and enjoy a wide array of benefits thus the partnership with Marketing Africa to bring marketers together to create solutions to challenges facing the marketing sector.

The event presents a great opportunity for business managers to not only market products but widen corporate contacts. If you are a manager or marketer who is intending not to attend, please think twice.   Go and listen to Mr. Pepe Minambo who will give the key note speech on: New Frontier Thinking: How Mavericks move Businesses from Good to Great.

However this quarter, there will be a full quiz session at the forum where the categories will be: Anthems, Brands, Music, Movies, Places, and Faces, with the winners pocketing a cool cash prize of UGX. 2,000,000/= among many other prizes up for grabs for runners up and other category winners.

“The TML 100 Club is at the forefront in promoting Business forums where Marketers come together to learn and network. This time round we will be hosting one of the finest African mentors in the Business community Mr. Pepe Minambo, the Founding Director of The Motivator Africa as the Key note, “said Harry Mwanje, Tusker Malt Lager Brand Manager.

Tickets for the exclusive evening go for UGX 125,000. However, Marketing Africa magazine subscribers get tickets at UGX 100,000. Advance tickets are available from call Pius Seba on: 0703 – 813 002 for your tickets.

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Re-building of Tororo – Gulu – Pakwach line by RVR gives rail transport option to northern Uganda

Kenyan businesses targeting the South Sudan and eastern DRC market can now transport goods for most of the journey by rail following the re-commissioning of Tororo-Pakwach railway line in northern Uganda.

The 500km railway line from Tororo in the east of the country, through Lira, Gulu and Pakwach in the north was re-commissioned by President Yoweri Museveni at the Gulu Railway Station on 26^th October.

President Museveni commended Rift Valley Railways for rebuilding and reopening the railway that was last in use 20 years ago. The track that had fallen into disrepair, with large sections washed away, destroyed or overgrown with vegetation, was rebuilt at the cost of $2 million over a 10-month period.

Speaking at the ceremony, RVR chairman Ngugi Kiuna, said, “reopening this railway is not only a fulfillment of a promise under our concession agreement; it heralds a new beginning for northern Uganda, one that is teeming with possibilities for the people and economies of Uganda and East Africa”.

Kiuna said a further $15 million will be spent to ballast the line in order to improve the line’s stability and load carrying capacity. A third phase with involve laying new, heavier guage railway tracks, which deliver a step change in cargo transportation capacity.

President Museveni urged local business and large scale farmers to increase their productivity as they now have a railway transport mode to transport their produce.

Mr Kiuna appealed for the government’s help in creating efficiencies right through the freight transport chain including through simpler customs and tax documentation at points of origin and departure and eliminating additional border customs processing which he called an anomaly in the era of a Single Customs Territory.

President Museveni flagged of a train carrying with cement from Bamburi that will be transshipped by road to eastern DRC.

The railway will play an important role in promoting regional integration and trade through working with logistics partners who will provide door-to-door delivery to customers in northern Uganda and neighboring countries. 

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• Fifteen Schools in Western Uganda have been selected and equipped with visual aids
• The company has now equipped 50 MultiChoice Resource Centres in various schools across the country
• E-education models have been tailored to suit the country’s education curriculum through the DStv Education Bouquet

MultiChoice Uganda, the leading pay television in the country, has today launched the MultiChoice Resource Center project in schools in Western Uganda. The programme, a partnership between MultiChoice Uganda and the Ministry of Education will be rolled out in 15 schools in the region. The schools are; Maddox Secondary School, Kyenjojo Secondary School, Kisojo Secondary School, Humura Secondary School, Wekomire Secondary School, Mpanga Parents Secondary School, Rwamwanja Secondary School, Nyakasura Secondary School, Semuliki Secondary School, Rwebisengo Secondary School, St Mary’s Secondary School – Simbya, Kulhe Secondary School, SAAD Memorial Secondary School, Rusekere Secondary School, Nyabuhikye Secondary School.

Speaking at the launch function the General Manager of MultiChoice Uganda Mr. Charles Hamya said “As a company, we have long showed our commitment to the country through 14 years of dedicated visual aid facilitation to the education sector. This has been made possible by our growing partnership with the Ministry of Education without which we would not be able to launch the project here today. It is the belief of both MultiChoice Uganda and the Ministry of Education that the use of Multimedia such as the PVR decoder and TV can play a tremendous role as a catalyst for improved education quality thus encouraging us to expand the program further.” He added “To date, there are over 900 MultiChoice Resource Centers established in over 25 countries in Africa including Uganda’s now 50 MultiChoice Resource Centers.”

In his speech as Guest of Honour, the Assistant Commissioner of Secondary Education – Government, Mr. Baritazale Benson said, “The use of technology in education holds tremendous potential for institutions and students to widen the scope of their knowledge and excel not only in the theory taught in the classroom but also in the practical knowledge. We have been given an opportunity to not only impact on the already existing knowledge that our students have but to also open their minds to all the possibilities and events taking place in the rest of the world.” He continued “The use of modern technology to enhance learning has been used in various countries in the world with remarkable success registered. Our partnership with MultiChoice Uganda has yielded similar results over the years and we are indeed grateful to them and such companies that understand the importance of giving back to communities in which they operate.”

The MultiChoice Resource Center programme which was started in 1999 aims to carve out a path for future generations to prosper through educational content that is relevant to the student’s curriculum. Mr Musoke added, “The strategic partnership between MultiChoice and the Ministry of Education has helped to ensure that our e-education models are relevant to the country’s education curriculum through the DStv Education Bouquet offering. Comprising nine premium and informative television channels, the bouquet combines sound and imagery of television to provide a powerful education media.”

In conclusion Mr. Hamya reiterated that the MRC programme was intended to give back to the Ugandan community that has supported the company over the years, “We are grateful to the people of Western Uganda and Uganda in general who have supported us through the years and allowed us this opportunity to also give back to them in ways we have established will make a positive impact to them for generations to come. The MultiChoice Resource Centre programme is here to stay and our vision is to see all students in the country with access to these visual aids as the future of our country is intrinsically tied to the quality of education that they are exposed to.”

Mr Frank Manyindo, the Headteacher of Nyakasura School expressed gratitude to MultiChoice on behalf of all the schools chosen in the region and emphasised their commitment to exhaustively utilize the programme for the socioeconomic benefit of the  students.