Education entrepreneur Ofwono rallies Ugandans to participate in Pakasa Forum
Ofwono, who will be the keynote speaker at the November 21 forum taking place next week, is expected to draw from her nearly three decades of entrepreneurial experience, highlighting the importance of business knowledge, mentorship, networking, continuous learning and strategic planning.
Dr Barbara Ofwono, the founder of Victorious Schools. (Credit: Ponsiano Nsimbi)
__________________ Dr Barbara Ofwono, the founder of Victorious Schools. (Credit: Ponsiano Nsimbi)
With over 1,500 people expected at the Pakasa Forum 2026, Dr Barbara Ofwono, the founder of Victorious Schools, is preparing to challenge entrepreneurs to rethink how they establish, manage and grow businesses into sustainable, generational enterprises.
Ofwono, who will be the keynote speaker at the November 21 forum taking place next week, is expected to draw from her nearly three decades of entrepreneurial experience, highlighting the importance of business knowledge, mentorship, networking, continuous learning and strategic planning.
The Pakasa Forum, organised by Vision Group and hosted by Enterprise Uganda, will take place at the Enterprise Uganda Business Development Centre of Excellence in Butabika, Kampala, as the climax of activities marking Global Entrepreneurship Week. Entrance will be free.
Ofwono, who addressed pressmen yesterday at Vision Group headquarters along 1st street Industrial Area, believes that many businesses fail because entrepreneurs venture into business without adequate research, understanding of their markets or knowledge of the problems they intend to solve.
"Entrepreneurship is a beautiful journey which has to be prepared for. Its not an accidental journey. An entrepreneur need to generate information on their area of investment. Who needs your services or products? What problem are you solving? These are some of the questions you need to answer before venturing out," she said.
She argues that entrepreneurs must embrace collaboration and networks, explaining that interacting with people who have successfully established businesses provides practical lessons that cannot be acquired through theory alone.
From a $350 investment to five campuses
Ofwono will use her own entrepreneurial journey to demonstrate that substantial enterprises can emerge from humble beginnings.
Victorious Schools started approximately 27 years ago with 30 children in a small kindergarten campus. It has since expanded to five campuses, with a sixth operating online, and employs more than 500 people.
She says the journey involved numerous mistakes, disappointments and limited mentorship, experiences she hopes to share with upcoming entrepreneurs.
"When I tell people about my story of beginning with 30 children in one little campus, a kindergarten, and now we have grown to five campuses, the sixth is online, to over 500 staff, I have the narrative," she said.
"I have where the challenges were. I have where I totally failed, and I also have success stories. It's not about only success, but all these things blended together is what is called experience."
Networking and mentorship
Ofwono particularly encourages women and young people to take advantage of the forum, saying women should not underestimate their entrepreneurial potential while young people need experienced mentors to guide them.
"Don't sit in your own world and die with your problems or think you're celebrating. Whatever you think you're doing and doing it alone, it will fail," she warned.
Samuel Iga Zinunula, the Board Chairperson of the Global Entrepreneurship Network Uganda (GEN Uganda), said the celebrations provide an opportunity for entrepreneurs to overcome the isolation that often characterises business ownership.
"Entrepreneurship can be a very lonesome journey. But during this particular week, all of us come together," he said.
Zinunula explained that GEN works to improve the entrepreneurial ecosystem globally and partners with Enterprise Uganda and other stakeholders to celebrate and promote entrepreneurship.
He described Enterprise Uganda as a centre of excellence for business development services for small and medium enterprises.
He called upon policymakers, traders, farmers, established companies and aspiring entrepreneurs to participate in the November 19–21 activities, culminating in the Pakasa Forum.