miss uganda north america leadership program€¦ · kibira safaris tours and travel ... kibale...

MISS UGANDA NORTH AMERICA

LEADERSHIP PROGRAM 2018 CARES TOUR OF UGANDA

2018 LADIESFIRST! FORUM FOR WOMEN IN LEADERSHIP

REPORT MARCH 2018

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MISS UGANDA NORTH AMERICA LEADERSHIP PROGRAM 2018 CARES TOUR & 2018 LADIESFIRST! FORUM REPORT

ABOUT MISS UGANDA NORTH AMERICA

The Miss Uganda North America Leadership Program was launched in January 2017 as one of UNAA’s latest efforts to engage and unite young people in North America that have ties to Uganda. It is organized and run by Texas-based Inzozi Fashion House, a fashion company that organizes fashion events for charity. The program supports young Ugandan women living or studying in North America to achieve their educational and leadership goals by promoting awareness of global issues and their cultural heritage. It also creates opportunities for them to connect with Ugandan communities globally to discover ways to collaborate on business, women’s issues, education, charity and other initiatives.

The program is organized as an annual class of 12 participants. The participants go through 3 months of leadership education leading up to the annual UNAA Convention. The Miss Uganda North America Beauty Pageant at the UNAA Convention introduces these 12 ladies to the Ugandan community, and it is at this event that a winner is elected by a team of mentors and judges to lead the class for the rest of the term as the Miss Uganda North America Beauty Queen. The leadership of the program includes president Tibba Murungi Kabugu and Director of Communications Julius Kabugu.

The first pageant was held in Miami, Florida at the 2017 UNAA Convention, where Yvonne Kushemererwa from Vancouver, British Columbia (Canada) came out the winner.

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PART 1: CARES TOUR OF UGANDA

ABOUT THE CARES TOUR OF UGANDA

The Cares Tour of Uganda is a venture by the Miss Uganda North America program that aims to connect with communities in Uganda and bring together young women in Ugandan and North American communities. Sponsored by Ugandan businesses in partnership with Inzozi Fashion House and UNAA, the Cares Tour is organized in two parts.

The Tourism, Culture and Charity tour of Uganda is led by the current beauty queen, visiting tourist sites, charities and cultural centers in a selected region of Uganda. The 2018 Cares Tour of Uganda toured the Kingdom of Tooro.

The Ladies First Forum for Women in Leadership brings together influential young women in Uganda as a space to share experiences in life, at work and in business. More on this forum is discussed in Part 2: Ladies First Forum.

TOUR SPONSORS

Inzozi Fashion House, UNAA and all beneficiaries of the Miss Uganda North America Leadership Program would like to thank the following sponsors of the 2017 Miss Uganda North America Beauty Pageant, 2018 Cares Tour of Uganda and 2018 Ladies First Forum.

● Brussels Airlines Platinum Sponsors 2018 Cares Tour of Uganda – Beauty Queen’s Travel Sponsor

● Equity Bank Uganda Platinum Sponsor 2017 Miss Uganda North America Beauty Pageant

● Kibira Safaris Tours and Travel Gold Sponsor / Travel Partner 2018 Cares Tour of Uganda

● Crystal Lodges Uganda / Crater Safari Lodge Gold Sponsor / Travel Partner 2018 Cares Tour of Uganda * Special Recognition - Excellent Stay Experience - 2018 Cares Tour of Uganda

● Uganda Tourism Board Platinum Sponsor / Travel Sponsor 2018 Cares Tour of Uganda * Special Recognition - Excellent Travel Experience - 2018 Cares Tour of Uganda

● Uganda Wildlife Authority Park Permits 2018 Cares Tour of Uganda

● Waves Affordable Housing Project by Aqeeq Uganda Ltd Bronze Sponsor 2017 Miss Uganda North America Beauty Pageant

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● Mahogany Springs Safari Lodge Uganda 2017/18 Miss Uganda North America Travel Partner

● Kyaninga Royal Cottages Host 2018 Cares Tour of Uganda

● AFRISENT Collections Fashion Designer 2017 Miss Uganda North America Beauty Pageant

● NFKA Clothing Fashion Designer 2017 Miss Uganda North America Beauty Pageant

● iConnect Uganda 2017/18/19 Miss Uganda North America Business Partner

● Media: Diaspora TV, The New Vision Press Coverage: 2017 Miss Uganda North America Beauty Pageant

● Media: Capital FM, The Daily Monitor, Galaxy FM, Matooke Republic, The New Vision, NTV, UrbanTV, XFM Press Coverage: 2018 Cares Tour of Uganda

TOUR REGION SELECTION

Region selection is based on two factors:

● Recommendations from sponsor travel agencies ● Budget

Based on sponsorships received from 2017 and budget, Tooro kingdom was selected as the region for the 2018 Cares Tour of Uganda.

TOUR SITES AND ACTIVITIES

The following were the sites visited on the Cares Tour.

YVONNE’S ARRIVAL AT THE AIRPORT. DECEMBER 31ST 2017

Yvonne arrived at Entebbe International Airport on December 31st, 2017 at around 11 PM aboard Brussels Airlines. She was received by 'Different, Better with a Purpose' Founder and Miss Uganda Rising Woman 2017/18 Irene Nakitende.

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DAY ONE. JANUARY 6TH 2018

FORT PORTAL TOWN

We discovered the important sights of Fort Portal Town and visited the market in the city center.

AMABERE GA NYINAMWIRU CAVES AND WATERFALL

Through our tour guide Latiff Amooti Muhumuza, we learned about the formation of these caves, the cultural importance of the site as relates to the Banyoro and the Bachwezi (including its history as told in folklore) and the efforts made to preserve it. Latiff’s knowledge of the history and geography of this place was very eye-opening - anyone who has not been here has not lived this history that is very popular in schools across Uganda.

OVERNIGHT KYANINGA ROYAL COTTAGES

DAY TWO. JANUARY 7TH 2018

KIBALE FOREST NATIONAL PARK

At Kibale Forest National Park, our team were taken on a nature walk. Through our tour guide Africana, we learned about Kibale Forest’s eco system - resident animals, insects and flora, as well as its importance to the health, wellbeing and sustenance of the area’s residents. We even chanced to briefly spot a retreating chimpanzee and its baby even though we were not on the chimpanzee tracking trail. We learned about how important Kibale Forest is as a Chimpanzee habitat, the dangers that poaching poses to Chimpanzees’ livelihoods.

TOORO KING’S KARUZIKA PALACE

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We were welcomed to the Tooro King’s palace by Anna Bagaya, Tooro’s minister for Tourism, and the on-duty palace guard, Vincent. We were taken to the palace library, where we learned about the history of the Kingdom and the palace - including how the palace came to be located atop Karuzika Hill. We were also given a tour of the palace grounds, where we sighted the palace cows and some ceremonial huts. Unfortunately, the King was not in the palace at the time of our visit.

OVERNIGHT AT KYANINGA ROYAL COTTAGES

DAY THREE. JANUARY 8TH 2018

TREE PLANTING - KYANINGA ROYAL COTTAGES

Early in the morning of January 8th, 2018, Yvonne Kushemererwa planted an Avocado tree on the Kyaninga Royal Cottage grounds in her honor. The tree was named Kushe. Mr Joseph Kamaradi, the manager of the cottages, urged us to think of the tree as a source of food for the local residents as well as the animals that live in peace with their human neighbors. It inspired us all to think of the world as a space that we are supposed to share with all species.

KYANINGA CHILDHOOD DEVELOPMENT CENTER

Miss Uganda North America 2017/18 Yvonne Kushemererwa, accompanied by the Miss Uganda North America program team, delivered 4 (four) specialized wheelchairs to children with mental disabilities at KCDC as a gift from Ugandans in North America. All funds for the wheelchairs were raised from the Ugandan community in North America. The four chairs and transportation to KCDC amounted to a $900 donation.

We met 6 unique children whose lives have been greatly transformed by the therapy that they have received from this center. We also met their mothers, whose livelihoods are greatly improved by such donations. One wheelchair makes the journey from home to the center or to the hospital a long walk that doesn’t have to involve carrying a 10 year old child on their back.

Also present at the wheelchair presentation ceremony were Richard Mugahi (Kabarole District Health Officer), Harriet Nyakake (First Deputy Prime Minister of Tooro Kingdom), Anna Bagaya (Minister of Tourism for Tooro Kingdom) , Fiona Beckerlegge (Co-Founder and Clinical Director of Kyaninga Childhood Development Center), Rev Sr Dr Katutu Euphrasia (Consultant Paediatrician), Dr. Daudi Mporampora (Physician at Fort Portal Referral Hospital who coordinated local efforts with the Miss Uganda North America team) and other Kabarole District and Tooro Kingdom

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officials. One of the issues that was highlighted was the need to help educate the locals about being proactive when they see signs of infections in order to reduce the prevalence of preventable mental health issues that arise during pregnancy or early childhood out of easily treatable infections.

Special thanks for Steve Williams, Founder and Director of Kyaninga CDC and CEO of Kyaninga Lodge for hosting a luncheon for the entire group of delegates at Kyaninga Lodge. His story about his son Sidney was the inspiration for KCDC and the center continues to be a beacon of hope for poor families that have children with disabilities.

Miss Yvonne Kushemererwa and Miss Uganda North America program president Tibba Murungi Kabugu pledged to seek more help for the center when the team returns to North America. Yvonne is a mental health advocate and picked great interest in the issues discussed.

OVERNIGHT AT CRATER SAFARI LODGE

DAY FOUR. JANUARY 9TH 2018

QUEEN ELIZABETH NATIONAL PARK

We started Day Four with an early morning drive through Queen Elizabeth National Park, where we met Gazelles, Elephant herds and Wild Pigs among others. The park fee was waived by the Uganda Wildlife Authority at the request of the Uganda Tourism Board.

KAZINGA CHANNEL BOAT RIDE

We chartered a boat ride on Kazinga Channel. Our hosts from the Uganda Wildlife Authority educated us about the channel’s origins, the animal and bird species that live in the park, as well as animal protection efforts going on in the park. We chanced to see elephant herds, buffalo herds, hippopotamus herds, deer herds and various bird species.

OVERNIGHT CRATER SAFARI LODGE

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DAY FIVE. JANUARY 10TH 2018

RETURN TO KAMPALA. STOP AT PELLETIER TEENAGE MOTHERS FOUNDATION

On our way back to Kampala we paid a visit to Pelletier Teenage Mothers Foundation (PTMOF), a home for teenage mothers that was founded by a Ugandan resident in Toronto, Canada, who also serves as a councilwoman for UNAA. We sat down with the mothers in the home to learn their stories and share our experiences and some words of hope and empowerment. At the end of the visit we handed over some home supplies for the ladies at PTMOF and their families.

DAY SIX. JANUARY 11TH 2018

ELLA FOUNDATION AND ALPHA JUNIOR ACADEMY

Our team delivered over 60 reading books to Alpha Junior Academy, a non-profit school supported by the Ella Foundation for children from poor families who would otherwise not have a chance at an education. The school currently runs in makeshift classroom blocks and they are seeking donations to build better classroom blocks. Yvonne also did a book-reading for the school children. Our hope is that Alpha Junior Academy will someday have a library where these children can find reading resources and more. We will list Alpha Junior Academy on our website as one of our partner projects and continue to seek funding for its activities. The need in this region is great, and small institutions like this one achieve great outcomes with even little funding by reaching the families in need directly.

SOURCE OF THE NILE AND BUNGEE JUMPING, JINJA

We completed the 2018 Cares Tour of Uganda with a boat ride to the source of the Nile, where we learned about more bird species and got to see the very popular source of the Nile - the point where Lake Victoria and the Nile River split. Busoga’s Miss Tourism Bugabula Becky Julia and Miss Tourism Miss Talent Busoga Praise Kitamirike joined in on the fun. Also present was 2017/18 Miss Uganda Rising Woman and Founder of Different, Better with a Purpose, Irene Nakitende. This was a great team building exercise, and it allowed us to connect with Busoga’s tourism ambassadors, who extended an invitation to our team for next year’s Cares Tour of Uganda.

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RECOGNITIONS

CRATER SAFARI LODGE. Excellent Stay Experience.

Crater Safari Lodge exceeded our expectations and our experiences elsewhere in the areas of guest service, meals, accommodation and environmental conservation. We were received with utmost courtesy. Our meals were placed on order early enough and served on time. The accommodation was first class - spacious rooms, warm bath, a flask of evening tea, as well as exceptional room service. The lodge is also an eco-lodge that makes various efforts to use as much clean (solar) energy as possible and encourage environmental consciousness among its guests.

UGANDA TOURISM BOARD. Excellent Travel Experience.

Uganda Tourism Board provided a fueled van to enable our team’s transportation during the entire tour. Our driver, Tom, was highly knowledgeable about parks as well as transport routes. The van was in perfect condition and a very comfortable way to tour Tooro Kingdom on all types of road.

Crater Safari Lodge UTB Van

Amabere Ga Nyinamwiru

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Andrea Bonaiuto coordinated our Brussels Airlines sponsorship. Kibira Safaris and Travel coordinated tour activities - thank you Dorothy Tukamushaba Okoboi and Anna Bagaya. Daudi Mporampora, Emmanuel Turwomwe and Joseph Mwebesa coordinated charity activities. Justus Mirembe coordinated some of Yvonne’s transportation during her stay in Kampala. Fiona Beckerlege coordinated our tour of Kyaninga Child Development Center and Steve Williams hosted us at Kyaninga Lodge. Joseph Kamaradi welcomed us to Kyaninga Royal Cottages and planted a tree in honor of Yvonne Kushemererwa. Barbara Baruka and the entire team at Crystal Lodges and Crater Safari Lodge for the outstanding customer service and guest experience. Olive Busingye and Fred Beinomugisha provided our team a pleasant home stay in Kampala. Arnold Kyambadde coordinated our press appearances, our charity visit to Alpha Junior academy and our Jinja bungee jump experience. Irene Nakitende welcomed Yvonne at the airport and has been a mentor with our program from inception. Isaac Mukisa Ssebakijje (iConnect Uganda) was always making important connections for our team behind the scenes.

Miss Uganda North America Team and Friends (L-R) Julius Kabugu, Tibba Murungi Kabugu, Justus Mirembe, Dorothy Tukamushaba Okoboi, Irene Sserunkuma, John Julius Muwulya, Yvonne Kushemererwa, Arnold Kyambadde

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PART 2: THE 2018 LADIESFIRST! FORUM

The LadiesFirst! Forum is an annual African women’s leadership forum organized by the Miss Uganda North America program. It is hosted by the reigning queen as part of her Cares Tour of Uganda.

The objective of this forum is to create a space where:

Women can inspire fellow women to greatness Women can present to society the challenges faced by women seeking leadership in

their various roles in family, society and business, and discuss how best these challenges can be addressed

Tomorrow’s leading women can be discovered by employers and potential business partners

The mission of the LadiesFirst! Forum is to create more female achievers by creating a support system and new opportunities.

On January 19th, 2018, 200 (two hundred) women gathered at Méstil Hotel & Residences in Kampala, Uganda to participate in the first LadiesFirst! Forum for women in leadership. 25 (twenty-five) influential women from various disciplines participated in empowering conversations with the audience. Formats included motivational speeches, educational presentations and discussions. Snacks and drinks were provided to all attendees.

Topics at the 2018 LadiesFirst! Forum included equality, feminism, work and life balance, dating and marriage, entrepreneurship, self-motivation, personal branding and social media, and women’s health. All topics were a great hit with the audience based on the feedback we have received.

FORUM SPONSORS

Inzozi Fashion House, UNAA and all beneficiaries of the Miss Uganda North America Leadership Program would like to thank the following sponsors of the 2017 Miss Uganda North America Beauty Pageant, 2018 Cares Tour of Uganda and 2018 Ladies First Forum.

● Equity Bank Uganda Gold Sponsor 2018 LadiesFirst! Forum

● Mahogany Springs Safari Lodge Uganda 2018 LadiesFirst! Awards Sponsor

● ROMA Furnishings Furniture Sponsor 2018 Ladies First Forum

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● Apryl Blooms Deco Sponsor 2018 Ladies First Forum

● DAVILLE Photography Photography Sponsor 2018 Ladies First Forum

● Tina Brad Store Yvonne and Tibba’s styling for TV and select public appearances to market the forum

● Zziwa Hair Studio Yvonne and Tibba’s hair styling for TV and select public appearances to market the forum

● Méstil Hotel & Residences Host / Gold Sponsor 2018 Ladies First Forum * Special Recognition - Excellent Stay Experience - 2018 Cares Tour of Uganda

● Media: Capital FM, The Daily Monitor, Galaxy FM, Matooke Republic, The New Vision, NTV, UrbanTV, XFM Press Coverage: 2018 Ladies First Forum

KEYNOTE SPEECH

Entrepreneurship that creates wealth - How women can make sure that family wealth is passed on from generation to generation Maggie Kigozi | SDG5 Ambassador, President | Business and Professional Women

Keynote Introduction Anthony Kituuka | Executive Director | Equity Bank UgandaAnthony gave a speech about the contributions of women to the banking sector, and promised that Equity Bank will fully support a larger event with longer discussions.

FORUM PANELISTS AND TOPICS

EVENT HOST

Diana Deedan Muyira | TV/Radio Presenter | Urban TV/Radio City

MOTIVATIONAL PRESENTATIONS

Breaking up with mediocrity Anita Beryl | Designer | BERYL Qouture

Featured entrepreneur: Making money moves Maxima Nsimenta | Founder/CEO | Livara

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FORUM OUTCOMES

SOCIAL MEDIA

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We took over Twitter!

Special thanks to Rachel Asiimwe and Gystin Angarukiremu

from NTV!

SURVEY RESULTS

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5 / 5 “This forum was a great idea, it was so

empowering, it was good ground for strategic networking and identifying role models/mentors. I would love to see it become an annual event and in

different places in Uganda”

- Charlotte Arinaitwe

AUDIENCE RECOMMENDATIONS

● Larger meeting space ● Longer sessions ● New topics were recommended by the audience and will be worked into the program

for 2019

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RECOGNITIONS

MÉSTIL HOTEL AND RESIDENCES Excellent Stay Experience. Excellent Event Experience.

Méstil Hotel and Residences helped the LadiesFirst! 2018 team to a successful event by adding a personal touch to all interactions. We were able to get the conference room (Mabira) arranged as desired. We were provided adequate accommodations to allow us to meet our event organizers and vendors at the hotel. The hotel’s location, meeting spaces, food and courtesy of staff received a 5/5 rating from 100% of our survey respondents. We would like to add a 5/5 rating for the excellent suite. Thank you Jackie, Paul, Stephen and the rest of the team at Méstil!

EQUITY BANK UGANDA Commitment to Women Empowerment.

Equity Bank Uganda has stood strong with the Miss Uganda North America program since inception. Equity Bank Uganda sponsored the 2017 Miami beauty pageant and pre-event networking cocktail. In 2018, Equity Bank Uganda sponsored the LadiesFirst! Forum and Equity’s very own Charmaine Yoti joined our Equality discussion to chat about equality in the workplace and beyond. Equity Bank’s ED Anthony Kituuka recognized the importance to the economy of empowering women. He reiterated the bank’s commitment to creating women-focused banking products and supporting endeavors like LadiesFirst! We would like to commend Equity Bank Uganda for supporting Ugandan women and women empowerment programs globally.

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Equity Bank and Miss Uganda North America Meeting.(L-R) Julius Kabugu, Charmaine Yoti (Customer Experience Manager Equity Bank Uganda), Phillip Otim (Communications & Marketing Manager Equity Bank Uganda), Tibba Murungi Kabugu

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CONCLUSION

Given that 2018 was the first year of the Cares Tour of Uganda and the LadiesFirst! Forum for Women in Leadership, based on feedback received and benchmarks established earlier, both ventures were a success. The Cares Tour of Uganda provides opportunities for the tourism industry to build upon, and these opportunities will be multiplied with more support from Uganda Tourism Board and other stakeholders. The LadiesFirst! Forum satisfies a very specific need for a space for women and our team has proven an ability to organize such a space and execute it satisfactorily. This presents an opportunity for local businesses that target very specific women groups across all nature of business.

The 2019 Cares Tour of Uganda and LadiesFirst! Forum are projected to attract more interest and are therefore good candidates for stronger sponsorships from our partners.

PERSONAL CREDITS

Andrea Bonaiuto - Marketing and Online Sales Manager North America, Brussels Airlines Ann Bagaya - Min. of Tourism Tooro Kingdom Arnold Kyambadde - Co-Founder Ella Foundation Brian Ainebyoona – NTV Charmaine Yoti - Equity Bank Uganda Christine Bradshaw - Tina Brad Store Daudi Mporampora - Medical Physician Daville Deedan Muyira Derrick Aine - Urban TV Dhikanio Omubrazil - Galaxy FM Dius Walugembe - Urban TV Dorothy Tukamushaba Okoboi - Kibira Safaris and TravelCounsel Emmanuel Turwomwe Esther Mahoro Fiona Beckerlege - Clinical Director, Kyaninga Child Development Center Flavia Tumusiime - Capital FM Francis Tusiime - Our Lady of Africa Rubaga Girls' SSS Gladys Piper - Guest Experience, LadiesFirst! Forum Innocent Nahabwe - Galaxy FM Irene Kakonge - African Secrets Magazines Irene Nakitende - Different, Better with a Purpose Isaac Mukisa Ssebakijje - iConnect Uganda Jackie Kwesiga - Méstil Hotel

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John Julius Muwulya - UNAA Vice President Joseph Kyamagero - Galaxy FM Juliana Musiimenta Justus Mirembe Lucy Among - Apryl Blooms Lucy Natukunda - Guest Experience, LadiesFirst! Forum Mariat Candace Nasasira - Galaxy FM Masimo Peter coordinated our Bungee Jump experience Monday Atigo - UNAA President Mwebesa Joseph Olivia Busingye & Fred Beinomugisha Patrick Wasajja - Videography Paul Ocama- Méstil Hotel Philip Namayo - Urban TV Phillip Otim - Equity Bank Uganda Phiona Ampire - Apryl Blooms Rachel Asiimwe and Gystin Angarukiremu – NTV – took over the Twitterverse with #LadiesFirst Sheila Namuddu - Guest Experience, LadiesFirst! Forum Ssebidde Kiryowa - The New Vision Steve and Asha Williams - Directors, Kyaninga Child Development Center Stephen Mayanja - Méstil Hotel Tom Sseluma - UTB Wandera Were - Urban TVZziwa Kennedy Katebalirwe - Zziwa Hair Studio

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THE MISS UGANDA NORTH AMERICA LEADERSHIP PROGRAM EMPOWERING YOUNG WOMEN TO LEAD

615 WESTBURY LN., GEORGETOWN, TX 78633, UNITED STATES OF AMERICA TELEPHONE: +1 720 773 2376

EMAIL: [email protected] | WEB: WWW.MISSUGNORTHAMERICA.COM

miss uganda north america leadership program€¦ · kibira safaris tours and travel ... kibale...

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