UBA, Vision Group to promote financial literacy in schools

By Raymond Baguma                                  

Vision Group has signed a contract with the United Bank for Africa (UBA) under the Media in Education programme to provide financial literacy to secondary school students around the country.

Under the partnership, Vision Group will distribute a total of 1,500 copies of The New Vision title to 15 schools in Kampala, Mukono, Jinja, Mbale, Mbarara and Kabarole districts.

The students will receive copies of the Friday issue and interact with targeted financial literacy content in the Pakasa Pullout on personal finance.

The agreement was signed from the media company’s offices in Kampala by Wilbrod Owor, the UBA Managing Director and Robert Kabushenga, Vision Group’s Chief Executive Officer.

UBA Managing Director, Owor said the bank already runs a Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) programme dubbed Read Africa Initiative, to promote literacy and a reading culture which he noted is lacking in Africa.

In addition, the schools will also benefit from the bank’s initiative which provides classic African literature books. A statement by UBA revealed that the bank will invest sh100 million to provide 2,500 reading books and reading materials under the partnership.

Owor said the partnership between UBA and Vision Group is boosted by the latter’s market position as a leading media company with several platforms in various languages.

Vision Group publishes dailies and weeklies which include New Vision, as well as the vernacular daily Bukedde. The weeklies include Kampala Sun, Saturday Vision, Sunday Vision and other vernacular titles of Orumuri, Etop and Rupiny.

This is besides broadcast platforms that include radio and television stations.

Kabushenga said that the latest Audit Bureau of Circulation (ABC) figures indicate that The New Vision title’s circulation continues to register growth. He attributed the growth in newspaper sales to innovative pullouts such as Pakasa which teach people how to organise their resources and manage their businesses.

Dixson Ampumuza, the Media in Education Specialist for Vision Group said the partnership is a unique approach to education and will enable students get knowledge about financial matters.

Brian Mukisa, the UBA head of marketing and corporate affairs said, “Financial literacy is a big thing when it comes to entrepreneurship. We saw it fit to partner with Vision Group to change young people’s minds.”