Kabarole woman wins Pakasa award

 

Margaret Kemigisha’s community action project emerged the best in the Vision Group inaugural Pakasa Youth Awards.

With a start-up capital of only sh20,000, Kemigisha, 31, started a craft making project in Kabarole district that today employs 258 women and has a monthly turn-over of sh30m.

 

A panel of five eminent personalities in business, project planning, banking and entrepreneurship evaluated the 60 top nominees to select the top five to benefit from the sh20m business development grant from Vision Group. The nominees were evaluated on the level of innovation and creativity; community impact; evidence of skills sharing; sustainability and passion for the business.

 

Kemigisha who scored 82.2% will walk away with sh8m. Awany Odongo, 34, a private school proprietor in Lira was runner up with 80.4% and will receive a cash prize of sh5m. In the third place was Grace Zimbe, 33, of Evolve Events – Kampala who scored 77.2% and will receive sh3.5m; Fiona Atto, 22, of Teso Bar and Food Joint Lira got 75% and will receive sh2m while Gervase Tayebwa, 31, of IBM Printery, Bushenyi came fifth with 74.8% and gets sh1.5m.

 

Kemigisha’s project, the judges said, “had a strong community impact; she replicated her skills, hence, creating a job for herself as well as the other people in the community.” 

 

 

They set out on their own, hoping that maybe one day they would break even. It took a lot of risk; many false starts and several knocks along the way. But they did not give up. 

 

Today, after several years of hard work and sacrifice, five young entrepreneurs will partake of the fruits from their sweat. And in a campaign that has been spearheaded by Vision Group, these five individuals have provided an important lesson to all — that you do not need millions to be a successful entrepreneur. Vision makes all the difference.

 

In what will be a culmination of Vision Group’s Pakasa awards project, that ran for three months — from July to October. The five successful business people will walk away with prizes worth sh20m. 

 

The winners have been picked after a rigorous selection process, which was concluded on Wednesday last week. The selection was conducted by a panel of respected judges from the private sector.

 

The judges were Joseph Ssekandi, the membership development officer Uganda Small Scale Industries Association, Robert Kintu, a development consultant and managing director FIT Uganda Ltd, Rachael Kemirembe, a trade expert with International Trade Centre, Geneva, an entrepreneurship consultant and the director Bazaar Experts Ltd, Gideon Badagawa, executive director Private Sector Foundation Uganda and Illona Ndagire, the public relations officer Kenya Commercial Bank Uganda with a masters degree in entrepreneurship.

 

According to the judges, selection of the winning candidates was based on a number of factors, which included: ? Proper planning and clear vision for sustaining and improving the business

 

At the end of the process, Margaret Kemigisa carried the day with 82.2%. She was followed by Awany Odongo at 80.4%, Grace Zzimbe at 77.2%, Fiona Atto at 75% and Gilverse Tayebwa’s 74.8%. 

 

As overall winner, Kemigisa will receives sh8m in prize money. Odongo will get sh5m, Zimbe sh3.5m, Atto sh2m and Tayebwa sh1.5m.

 

Catherine Mwesigwa, the New Vision’s deputy editor said the award seeks to recognise those who through their businesses have worked to reduce unemployment.

 

Mwesigwa said Uganda had experienced a population explosion, leading to many unemployed youth. She said the New Vision has been running for the last five years, a project called Uganda Making a Difference. “We highlight and recognise Ugandans who make a difference. This year we decided to highlight young people who were not following crowds with the mentality that educated people can only get white-collar jobs.”

 

Mwesigwa explained that young readers would be expected to undertake innovative income-earning activities as an option to looking for jobs.

 

Ben Opolot, the managing editor Vision Group said the awards seek to make a positive impact on society. 

“Pakasa is looking at the economic challenges people face. There are too many graduates chasing few jobs, but there are those within that gloomy environment who are not looking on any more. They are doing something with little,” Opolot remarked.

 

He said the project further aims to inspire youth to learn from others, who are undertaking the lead in creating opportunities for employment for them.

 

Margaret Kemigisa, a 31-year-old former teacher from Kabarole is the winner. 

The owner of Community Action Project, dealing in crafts-making was described by the panel of judges as having had a strong community impact. 

 

“Her desire to improve her life and also help others prompted her to leave her teaching job where she earned