Gudie Leisure Farm (GLF) has dedicated the month of April for the Lango Region Spotlight. This is an initiative aimed at enlightening the country about the investment opportunities in Lango, generating support for young entrepreneurs within and from across Uganda that are already investing in it, and celebrating its rich cultural heritage. The Spotlight will feature 3 major events; - (1) the Lango Region Business Symposium, Cottage Industry Investment Show and Dinner that will be held on Saturday 1 st April, 2023 starting at 9:00am; (2) a Cultural Immersion (cultural village, museum, art market and food market) and Talent Show, both of which will be held on Sunday 2 nd April. 2023 from 10:00am to 7:00pm - all taking place at Gudie Leisure Farm in Najeera; and, (3) the Lango Region Expedition - a business tour around the region – that will run from 4 th to 7 th April, 2023. Speaking at the launch of the Lango Spotlight, Prof. Gudula Naiga Basaza, Founder and Managing Director of Gudie Leisure Farm, said that, “To create significant change in Lango, we need to attract catalytic investments into the region. The region’s leaders must play the proactive role of exposing and convincing the Private Sector and other would-be investors that Lango does indeed have the ability to generate for them worthwhile returns if they put resources in the region. This is why as a Private Sector actor that is investing especially in its young entrepreneurs, we have embarked on creating investment promotion platforms through which the region’s leaders, youth, business community and government can highlight the commercial opportunities the region offers and also promote Lango’s beautiful culture and people - starting in the Central Region - Uganda’s major business and trade hub.” Ms. Teddy Owot Ogong, Dokolo’s Gudie District Agent and a business leader from the region, said, “Lango hosts some of the most talented youth in the country who are eager to become active participants in the socio-economic transformation of Uganda! In Dokolo and Amolatar, for example, we have incubated and trained over 400 youth in several market-relevant agribusiness skills since 2021. These young people want to join hands with the Private Sector to exploit the region’s resources for Lango’s communities’ and Uganda’s benefit.” About Gudie Leisure Farm Gudie Leisure Farm (GLF) is a social enterprise providing various agribusiness development services to youth-owned micro and small enterprises (MSEs) in the agricultural sector, and in particular, those operating in the white meat and related value chains. Established in 2009, the company, since its inception, has been providing the MSMEs with the technical and business training they need to produce and distribute high quality white meat products and services through its agribusiness incubation center, linking them to markets in and outside their districts of operation that can deliver them with the returns 2 they expect from their investments and business development services (BDS) providers in the public and private sectors that can support the growth and sustainability of their enterprises. The entity has built a network of 112,900 youth in 740 parishes in all regions of Uganda across 27 districts including; - Kampala, Mukono, Wakiso, Lwengo, Kyotera, Masaka, Kiryandongo, Luweero, Dokolo, Moroto, Arua, Amolatar, Nwoya, Soroti, Jinja, Namisindwa, Tororo, Hoima, Mbarara, Isingiro, Kabale, Kisoro, Kikuube, Fort Portal, Kamwenge and Kassanda, and operates in 6 refugee settlements - Rwamwanja, Kiryandongo, Maaji, Nakivale, Rhino and Kyangwali. Within the Lango region, Gudie Leisure Farm has incubated 240 Youth Agripreneur Champions from 40 Parishes. These have since returned to the region and incubated over 4000 Youth Agripreneur Champions out of school and 4800 Youth Agri- Club Agripreneurs (youth in school). All the youth have embracing the role of transforming their region by being proactive, productive, planned and profitable. They are engaged in value chain linked agribusiness. They have held district skilling fairs for communities within the region and train community members on a weekly basis in their Parish Entrepreneurship Learning Associations (PELAs).
