ICOA CONVENTION
International Community of Ankole. This is an association that was started by a few Ugandans, some members from Uganda who are living in Uganda and those that are living outside Uganda, most especially in USA and its offices are in Boston.
But as Ugandans we have come together to see how we can network A network for the growth and development of our communities back home.
Aikoa started as a small group of Banyankole people living in the diaspora, but later on there was demand from other tribes because they saw what the Aikoa members were doing, most especially when it came to healthcare, they have come around We have supported the value chain, we have supported farmers, In terms of value chain, we have given them knowledge, we have supported the university students whom we have today who are going to present, some are from university, some are from Munkosi, others are from Makerere.
We have encouraged them to innovate and some of the innovations you have seen them today. So as IKOA, we came together as people from the diaspora and the whole of Africa. So, because of that demand. So our main focus, one, is we focus on promoting what we have back in our homes.
One is tourism, two is a complete value chain. I’ve given you an example of the coffee that I gave out some time back when I was a member of parliament. A complete value chain. How do we add value to our products that we already have in our countries? So that it can fetch more money for us, other than exporting what is in raw material.
We are focusing ourselves on new technology around the globe. We are focusing on culture and heritage. There is a lot of moral decadence. So our children, some of them, they don’t know what culture is. That’s why they are indoctrinated into other cultures that they don’t understand.
So it is our work as an international community of Banchole to go back to our roots and teach our children and ourselves what we should, what used to hold us culturally and traditionally. What do you think is missing in harnessing those particular tenets or areas you are focusing on? Yes.
What is missing in ensuring that those areas you are focusing on properly? What is missing now is the unity. Some associations that can bring us together. Because two minds are better than one. So that’s why we have come up as an association. So that we bring all our ideas together and expand on all these areas of focus. But when we remain as individuals we are not going to move.
So we have to attract audience, we have to attract Members, so that we all gather our brains together, our knowledge together, our experience together, so that we can achieve our areas of focus. Is it something government can also hinge on, to see that it promotes the culture, the industrial usage? Yes, I think government really has to come in, because we are 52doing this on behalf of government.
This should be done by government but we as people, as Ugandans, as Africans, as East Africans, the development starts with us. At times we may not wait for government to start because we are the ones who experience whatever we are experiencing. We are the ones who want the growth.
So this is to say that everyone now should be brought on board to start something so that we move forward. What are some of the challenges? Some of the challenges are membership and also the coordination. Mainly our headquarters are in Boston, USA, so coordinating with the local communities at times is a little bit difficult.
So that’s why we put there this expo, which will bring the diaspora and the local communities together. So this expo will draw strategies on how to move. And we also believe that as we go to USA, that’s why we had the dinner today, that let us start with our indigenous country, so that now we can try, we can think of going outside the country to get more knowledge on what we have.
That’s why we had a dinner, so that this dinner can enhance what we anticipate to achieve in the eco-abortion in the US. It is 11th, between 11th and 14th of October. Peace.
Annet babigamba So, how is this kind of union and the international community of Hawaii helpful to you, mostly the exhibitors, and the origins as well? Okay, I came here to exhibit housing, because I do affordable housing in Uganda, and I believe everyone needs an apartment or home, shelter, that is affordable. and in good areas so it has been a very good network because I’m giving a solution to housing in Uganda.
Yeah, so today you have a new product, you call it Stock Ergance.
Yeah, Stock Ergance in Nintendo. How do you come with that? What is in that? No, it’s just Stock Ergance, it’s just like any other name that we give our projects, but we have 33 projects and they are all unique.
We have Crane Heights in Numbria, we have Stock Ergance in Nintendo, but today we came with a flyer for Stock Ergance in Nintendo. So how do, why this business in Uganda, in a broader terms? We want to give Ugandans affordable housing and shelter that is decent and affordable. So we are helping in bridging the gap of housing deficit. So booking is 5 million Uganda shivings and then you can pay between 3 years and 20 years.
This is the booking fee for you to start the journey of home ownership. This is a condominium apartment with a title. We are going for the event in Boston as well Because we believe there are so many Ugandans who need this service that we are giving. Thank you