KAMPALA, Uganda — Col. Edith Nakalema, head of the State House Investors Protection Unit, has praised the Youth Platform Africa for its role in agribusiness, calling it a major investment that aligns with President Museveni’s vision to combat poverty.
Speaking at a car giveaway ceremony at the organization’s headquarters in Kampala, Nakalema, who is also a patron of the group, commended the Youth Platform Africa (YPA) for its work in empowering young people through commercial goat farming and agribusiness training.
“My work is to protect investors both from abroad and within the country, and YPA is a big investment in Uganda,” Nakalema said. She noted that YPA’s work is in line with the president’s vision of fighting poverty through commercial agriculture.
The event celebrated the organization’s growth, which has seen its membership increase from 13,000 to 13,500 over the past three months. The YPA’s managing director, Obed Ben, said the group, which started in 2008 with 21 members, now has 110,000 goats, 6,000 cows, and a SACCO (Savings and Credit Cooperative Organization).
During the ceremony, YPA member Nduhura Lauben won a Toyota Harrier through the organization’s “Section B Giveaway Car program.” Lauben, who said he had bought shares in the YPA SACCO just that morning, expressed his surprise. “I was not expecting this,” he said.
The managing director of the National Social Security Fund (NSSF), Patrick Ayota, also spoke at the event. He pledged NSSF’s support to help YPA grow, stating the fund aims to increase its number of savers from 3 million to 15 million by 2025 by partnering with groups like YPA.
Dr. Maka Moses Ndimukika, the president of the Seventh-day Adventist Church in Uganda, encouraged more Ugandans to join YPA to create wealth. “God never created you to suffer. Poverty is a disaster, you need to create wealth,” he said.
Ben, the YPA director, announced plans to establish two factories that will produce wheat and fertilizers. He highlighted that while agriculture is profitable, proper management is key, and YPA provides both active and passive management services to its members, including insuring their livestock.
