The Magical President of the Rotaract Club of Lake Victoria Winnie Oboo and Projects Director Gwen Ninsiima were hosted by Chantal Olive Akandinda and Joram Paul Sonko on Good Morning Uganda, a UBC TV show on Friday, July 12th 2024 and they gave an insight into their upcoming fundraiser and project.
Here is how the interview went…
Chantal Olive Akandinda: What are you people up to Madam President?
Winne Oboo: We are making a difference in a community called Wabulungu. We have a basic literacy project and our interest is to improve the learning environment at St. Andrews SS Wabulungu. It is in Magamaga, Mayuge District. We are in the east and a number of us do know that communities are majorly sugarcane growers and we know the negative effects that come with that; little income, a struggle with education, livelihood and everything in that line. So, the Rotaract Club of Lake Victoria is in Mayuge District and improving the learning environment. You and I might have had a better learning environment that gave us a breeding ground to grow and do better in our studies and become what we are now. We are running a five-year project and this is our third year of implementation We have managed to put in place a six-stand VIP latrine, and it has access for differently abled people. We intend to continue improving the environment by restructuring some of the classrooms and giving them a well-organized kitchen. But we are not only stopping at the students, this is because they go back home and so we are engaging the community (the parents) in economic empowerment and health talks. We have had health camps with them and we intend to grow and partner with more people to do that.
Joram Paul Sonko: We have an issue with sustainability or maintenance in Uganda. I don’t know if you have a sustainable plan to ensure that this project (within the community especially when you have left) is still there.
Winne Oboo: The beauty of this community is that they came together and built that school. It is not a Government School but a community started or private school. We are working closely with the board and it is made up of some of the local leaders within the community and people who grew up from there and are now out. What we are doing is having engagements with them.
About a week ago, we went to visit the site and without our knowledge, we found part of the structures being renovated. When we had a conversation with the board, they told us that we got an offer from somewhere. So they put together some money and not waste the resources that had been given to them. We are working closely with the community leaders and the board.
Chantal Olive Akandinda: Project Director, let us get deeper into the project. You have so far done three years. It is supposed to be five years. Take us through how that has been for the Rotaract Club of Lake Victoria and after that, what other project do we have?
Gwen Ninsiima: Well, as earlier said, I am Gwen the project’s director this Rotary Year. With Rotary, you serve in a different role every Rotary Year. This year I am the Project Director but I am the President-Elect. There is continuity. We also hope that the person who will be elected as the President-Nominee now will be the project’s director in my Presidency. So last year, the project director did a good job. Mr. (Kalanda) Sharif was the director. We finished the washrooms and will be launching them when we go on 3rd August. This year we are focusing on the kitchen. They have quite a tight kitchen that prepares food for teachers and students who are quite many, and we know food is important for a child to concentrate.
And we appreciate any kind of support that you can give us. Social media has been a very good tool. It has been helping us a lot. In Rotary, we fund our projects from our members, partners and RI Grants but we also put in place measures to get money without straining people so much. Our club holds an annual beach soccer. And this year it is on the 27th of July.
It is so fun, I have been part for the last five years, and it gets better each time. All you have to do is pay for a team. As a Rotaract Club at UGX 100000/=, a Rotary Club at UGX 150000/= and Corporate Companies at UGX 200000/= for a team of five. An individual ticket is at UGX 15,000/=. It will be at Lido Beach Entebbe. We have board games too. Imagine UBC TV being on the shield. We have a surprise gift too this time around…
Chantal Olive Akandinda: I am now interested in knowing what you guys studied at campus, there could be an element of sale/business in that range.
Joram Paul Sonko: Because of how they are marketing.
Gwen Ninsiima: (laughs) …For every winner, we engrave their name on shied. This time we have a surprise gift and it is big. Last evening when I was talking to another Rotaract Club, one of our committee members said we could promise them a goat which is very pregnant. So it is a surprise. Kindly come through. It is open to the public, not just Rotary.
Winne Oboo: I know a lot of people might wonder (what to do) if they can’t make it to the beach, they can send any kind of contribution.
Joram Paul Sonko: I am planning to join Rotaract but I do not know what someone like me who is watching our there needs to do.
Winne Oboo: If you are interested in joining Rotaract, in every location in Uganda right now there is a Rotaract Club or Rotary Club. All you need to do is walk to that place. Most of the Rotaract Clubs or Rotary Clubs have a signpost or signage showing that they meet at the given location on such a day and time. Walk in and they will attach you to a person or club that will take you through the journey. You will undergo mentorship. We are looking at youth who portray a clean image.
Chantal Olive Akandinda: Let us have the Last remarks.
Winne Oboo: We cannot stop saying thank you and it has been an amazing conversation although I feel we need to have this conversation more often. UBC should think of a Twitter (X) space to have this conversation but I want to encourage young people. For me, it is about what you put out there. I work in an organization where they do a background check. So your social media posts and whatever you are linked to come up. Whatever we do with our social media matters. Today do something good. A little kindness goes a long way.
Gwen Ninsiima: Thank you for having us. Thank you for the conversation. I also serve with Centenary Bank. Kindly come for how we can change your life. A big thank you to all who will come to us at Lido Beach.
Additional info
In a bid to raise funding to support their projects, the Beach Soccer Fundraiser started in 2013 with the Rotaract Clubs of Butabika and Lake Victoria (both mothered by the Rotary Club of Port Bell) at the forefront of the fundraiser.
The first edition happened at White Sand Beach (now Coco Beach) in Entebbe and was able to raise UGX 500000 after all costs were deducted. This money would then be shared equally between the two clubs. In 2015, the Rotaract Club of Lake Victoria took full control of the fundraising event.
Additional information was provided by the Club’s Public Image Chair Richard Okello
