Ugandan wins BBC award
Jul 03, 2007
TWENTY-TWO-YEAR-OLD David Ssegawa has won the Faidika Na BBC (Prosper with the BBC) young entrepreneur competition. His award-winning idea is to launch a candle-making business which will stop people from having to buy imported candles from China.
TWENTY-TWO-YEAR-OLD David Ssegawa has won the Faidika Na BBC (Prosper with the BBC) young entrepreneur competition. His award-winning idea is to launch a candle-making business which will stop people from having to buy imported candles from China.
Ssegawa beat over 5,000 Swahili-speaking business hopefuls to win the finals and a cash prize of $2,000. He also received a laptop and a unique opportunity to address delegates at the Commonwealth Youth Forum, which runs from 14 to 21 November, prior to the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in Kampala, Uganda.
He pitched his idea to a team of East African judges in front of a live audience and was presented with his prize by Tanzania’s President Jakaya Kikwete. The finals were broadcast live across East Africa on BBC radio and on Tanzanian television stations –– ITV and EATV.
The judges were impressed with his presentation and well-thought-out business plan. Ssegawa explained: “Uganda suffers from loads of power cuts and there is a massive shortage of electricity. There is a daily problem of power rationing, which has led to an increase in the price of fuel and therefore, a high demand for candles. Presently, candles are imported from China, but I want to launch a business which will make them locally and bring savings and benefits to the local community.â€
Ssegawa will use his prize money to buy a special machine for melting and moulding the wax. He will also employ someone and rent premises for three months.
In Kikwete’s words “Prospering with the BBC is so brilliant that we have launched a similar young entrepreneur project ourselves. I thank the BBC for coming up with such a great idea primarily because it is a challenge for young people and hope the BBC will do another project like this.â€
The three Faidika Na BBC runners up were Kenya’s Arthur Buliva and Tanzanians Francis Wakara Baraka and Geofrey Kibiki who received cash prizes and a mobile phone to help kick- start their business ideas.
The award winning singer Lady Jay D from Tanzania gave a special performance at the event held at the Kilimanjaro Hotel with broadcasts going to Burundi, DR Congo, Kenya, Tanzania, Rwanda and Uganda. Visitors to bbcswahili.com can listen to the show again for up to a week.
Ssegawa beat over 5,000 Swahili-speaking business hopefuls to win the finals and a cash prize of $2,000. He also received a laptop and a unique opportunity to address delegates at the Commonwealth Youth Forum, which runs from 14 to 21 November, prior to the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in Kampala, Uganda.
He pitched his idea to a team of East African judges in front of a live audience and was presented with his prize by Tanzania’s President Jakaya Kikwete. The finals were broadcast live across East Africa on BBC radio and on Tanzanian television stations –– ITV and EATV.
The judges were impressed with his presentation and well-thought-out business plan. Ssegawa explained: “Uganda suffers from loads of power cuts and there is a massive shortage of electricity. There is a daily problem of power rationing, which has led to an increase in the price of fuel and therefore, a high demand for candles. Presently, candles are imported from China, but I want to launch a business which will make them locally and bring savings and benefits to the local community.â€
Ssegawa will use his prize money to buy a special machine for melting and moulding the wax. He will also employ someone and rent premises for three months.
In Kikwete’s words “Prospering with the BBC is so brilliant that we have launched a similar young entrepreneur project ourselves. I thank the BBC for coming up with such a great idea primarily because it is a challenge for young people and hope the BBC will do another project like this.â€
The three Faidika Na BBC runners up were Kenya’s Arthur Buliva and Tanzanians Francis Wakara Baraka and Geofrey Kibiki who received cash prizes and a mobile phone to help kick- start their business ideas.
The award winning singer Lady Jay D from Tanzania gave a special performance at the event held at the Kilimanjaro Hotel with broadcasts going to Burundi, DR Congo, Kenya, Tanzania, Rwanda and Uganda. Visitors to bbcswahili.com can listen to the show again for up to a week.