By Mark Kawalya
Hon. Babirye Milly Babalanda, Uganda’s Minister for the Presidency, has commended Huawei Technologies for their effort in skilling Ugandans using a host of ICT programs like the ‘Seeds for the Future’. She made the remarks at the launch of the 2022 Huawei Uganda Seeds for the Future program, which was held at Huawei’s offices in Kololo mid last month.
“In a special way, I would like to commend Huawei for living what they preach as one of the top ICT companies. The Seeds for the Future program was a gift to Uganda and was officially handed over to H.E. Yoweri Museveni by China and Huawei in 2015,” Hon. Babalanda said.
She explained that the program was initiated to benefit Ugandans and one of the key mandates of her ministry and the office of the president is to monitor programs such as ‘Seeds for the Future’ and evaluate them in terms of achieving their objectives.
Hon. Babalanda added that the government has set aside a larger budget for the education sector over the last two years with hopes that the investment will accelerate enrollment and improve the quality of learning in Ugandan schools. These are key factors that will develop the human capital necessary for sustaining productivity and boosting economic growth.
“The job market in Uganda is becoming more technologically driven and disruptive, requiring high levels of digital, social, and life skills. The Seeds for the Future program by Huawei is one of the initiatives the government can look up to, among others, to beef its investment in technology,” the minister said.
In her concluding remarks, Babalanda stated that Uganda and China’s relationship will continue growing from strength to strength, benefiting both countries along the way.
Joy Tiko, a graduate from Makerere University who went through the previous Seeds for the Future program, expressed gratitude to Huawei for training her and her colleagues and skilling them, something that has enabled them to progress in the world of ICT.
“My team created a working prototype of a system that uses artificial intelligence to combat disease and pests. This propelled us to being chosen as the winner of the 2021 Huawei Seeds for the Future competition,” Tiko said.
