Vision Group, UNDP enter development partnership

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KAMPALA - Vision Group has entered a fresh partnership with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in an effort to inspire Uganda towards sustainable development.

This, according to the two parties, will be done through promoting the country’s innovations, entrepreneurship and industrialisation.

The signing of the partnership followed the meeting of two parties at Ndere Cultural Centre in Ntinda, Kampala 10 days prior.

According to the document, both parties will carry out activities geared towards sensitising, inspiring, advocating and educating the country on development. This they (parties) say, is in line with Uganda’s move to achieving Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and Vision 2030.

Speaking during the signing of the agreement at the UNDP head office in Kampala on Thursday, January 18, 2024, Vision Group CEO Don Wanyama said the partnership was about the country’s survival since it envisions national sustainable development.

“This is a great day in our history; we thank you for accepting to partner with us. You have been pivotal in inspiring hope among our people and we are delighted to join hands on this,” Attafuah said. (All Photos by Godiver Asege)

Advancing society

Wanyama noted that the terms of the agreement resonate with Vision Group’s mission which he said is to generate content that advances society. He noted that the move would create more development opportunities for the country.

“We are very deliberate about this partnership, and we are taking it very serious to see to it that our audience benefit from available development opportunities,” Wanyama said.
Wanyama also hailed UNDP for working to better lives across the country and the continent.

He noted that the programme has touched people’s lives, especially through poverty alleviation arrangements.

“Your contribution towards bettering lives is commendable and we are here to combine efforts so that we can better many more lives for a better society,” he said.

Wanyama said Vision Group has and will always stick to aiding factors that facilitate development. This, he explained that the company was ready to contribute to national transformation a role he said Vision Group has committed to doing.

Need to align information

However, the CEO cited the need to align the information about development with the interests of young generation who he noted constitute the biggest number.

Wanyama pointed out to Vision Group’s media platforms which he said are followed highly since they work for public good, especially on matters of development.

“Identifying the audience and suitable information for the purpose of rallying communities towards national development is key. This is what we do best,” he said.
Upon signing the partnership, Elsie Attafuah, the resident representative of UNDP in Uganda, lauded Vision Group for what she called “amplifying voices of the poor”. 

Attafuah expressed excitement for having entered the partnership, which she described as an opportunity to sensitise the public more on development.

Ahead of the park

This, she said sets the group ahead of others. She commended the company for persisting on creating positive hope for the country, something which according to her has cultivated a development spirit among Ugandans.

Attafuah expressed excitement for having entered the partnership, which she described as an opportunity to sensitise the public more on development.

“This is a great day in our history; we thank you for accepting to partner with us. You have been pivotal in inspiring hope among our people and we are delighted to join hands on this,” Attafuah said.

She added: “We are ready to move to the next level; we are aware that the youthful population don’t have jobs and, therefore, are below poverty levels. We should fix our eyes on developing the country”.

Attafuah observed that the partnership had come at the right time when the country was hosting the Non-aligned Movement (NAM) summit, an opportunity that should be used to advance the country’s development agenda through partnerships. She said that the promotion of Uganda’s interests by national media should be prioritised if the country is to yield from available opportunities.

“It is a good idea for us all to step forward and attempt to solve the challenges our countries face; the roles you (Vision Group) play help support general social development,” she said.

Speaking during the signing of the agreement at the UNDP head office in Kampala on Thursday, January 18, 2024, Vision Group CEO Don Wanyama said the partnership was about the country’s survival since it envisions national sustainable development.

Farewell

Wanyama used the same event to bid farewell to Attafuah who is exiting the role as Uganda’s UNDP representative saying the country would miss her service. He noted that her commitment towards development has facilitated the country’s drastic growth in the past years.

“We shall miss your service, but we want to wish you the best in your next area of service,” Wanyama said.

Attafuah has been the UNDP Resident Representative for Uganda for four-and-a-half years.

Recently, President Yoweri Museveni bid farewell to her, commending her for what he described as a “fundamental contribution to the development of Uganda”, noting that he has been following her work across the country.

“If the United Nations could just help us in skills development and environment, they don’t have to do everything but skills and environment,” Museveni said.