Finance Trust Bank Pledges continuous support to Ekigangu Kya Busoga, Commended for Transforming Ugandans
Finance Trust Bank (FTB), Uganda’s leading financial institution in transforming lives and livelihoods throughout the country has pledged continuous support to Busoga Kingdom through partnering in initiatives like Ekigangu Kya Busoga, which motivates children to pursue their studies, empowering them with knowledge and skills for a brighter future.
Speaking at the closure of Obwa’kyabazinga bwa’ Busoga (OBB)’s Ekigangu Kya Busoga on Sunday in Mayuge District, Percy Paul Lubega, the Head of Marketing and Business Development at Finance Trust Bank said the Bank, a leading financial institution with over 35 branches across Uganda, will maintain its commitment to empowering communities by partnering with the Kingdom develop the region.
‘’As part of this ongoing commitment, the bank has joined hands with the Busoga Kingdom in initiatives that seek to encourage children to pursue their education and deter early marriages, particularly among young girls. The event has served as a platform for open dialogue among community leaders, educators, and youth’’.
Finance Trust Bank which funded the event actively participated in discussions, sharing insights and experiences to inspire change and foster collaboration giving an opportunity to attendees to celebrate the vibrant culture and traditions of the Busoga Kingdom.
Lubega who further noted that the institution has a strong presence in various regions of Uganda and is dedicated to fostering positive change and sustainable development within local communities, adding that the Bank is privileged to be a key partner in this initiative, which aligns with the bank’s core values of promoting education, gender equality, and the economic empowerment of women.
Rt. Hon. Rebecca Alitwala Kadaga the 1st Deputy Prime Minister of Uganda and Minister for East African Community Affairs, who is the Managing Director of Ekigangu kya Busoga commended Finance Trust Bank for this timely support , emphasizing the protection of girls and educating sons as a way of ending violence by working against the perpetrators of violence.
Kadaga commended Finance Trust Bank for the good work in Uganda specifically in Busoga sub-region and further called upon parents to desist from the habit of violence to promote good respectful families.
She hailed Finance Trust Bank for recognizing the transformative power of education and is committed to advocating for its importance.
Finance Trust Bank has a longstanding commitment to serving women entrepreneurs and promoting their financial inclusion. The event emphasized the value of education in helping young girls avoid early marriages and empowering them to make informed choices about their futures.
The team leader, owek. Dr. Joyce Abaliwano Mulebeke, who attributed their achievements as Ekigangu to team work and consistency, appealed to parents, guardians and development partners to trust the organization by registering their children for the forthcoming retreat and thanked their partners for supporting this initiative.
Owek Abaliwano said all the above activities and many more were planned with a view of helping the participants use their holiday time productively when they return home. During ‘Ekigangu kya Busoga’ they bring together both the girls and boys for social, economic welfare through elective, socialization, practical knowledge (skills),behavioral change, norms and cultural values in Busoga region through trainings, mentoring, positive socialization and awareness creation as well as experience sharing.
The children were reminded to remember that education is key. This is because education is simply the role of society to promote positive attitudes towards the education of both girls and boys.
FTB is a women’s bank and women are the main custodians of children in the family. Women account for 52% of the total population of Busoga while 0 to 18 years old account for 70% of the total population.
FTB was founded in 1984 as Uganda Women’s Finance Trust Limited. The objective was to provide financial services to low income people in Uganda, especially women. Sixty percent of the bank’s customers are women.Subsequently, the institution rebranded to Uganda Finance Trust Limited, a Tier III financial institution, recognized as a microfinance deposit-taking institution under the supervision of the Bank of Uganda. On 11 November 2013, the Bank of Uganda granted the bank a full commercial banking license. The institution then rebranded to its current name.
Ekigangu Kya Busoga is an Annual Retreat for the Youth formulated by Obwa’kyabazinga bwa’ Busoga (OBB) in its development strategies to combat and restore the morals, harmony, discipline and responsibility in the young generation. This year’s 4th edition is running under the theme “Using Culture to End Early Marriage and Keep Girls in School”.
The over 500 Participants in the ongoing 8th edition of Ekigangu kya Busoga exhibited the acquired practical skills from the Youth Retreat that are vital in their day to day life experience.
“Prior to our arrival for the retreat, we were very green about making sanitary towels, door rugs, doing decorations, bags out of local materials, peeling and the traditional food preparation process. However, a few days into the retreat, we have been subjected to the practical part of the training to the appreciation of all of us in the training”, a participant said.
Besides the practical skills, participants were also taken around to experience modern agricultural projects in the chiefdom with emphasis on backyard gardening.
Rt.Hon. Rebecca Alitwala Kadaga engaged the participants with more practical skills while .Officials interfaced with Abagangu and their parents/guardians ahead of the closure.
The Busoga Kingdom, renowned for its rich cultural heritage, is organizing “Ekigangu kya Busoga” a forum where children can have a voice but also a forum for the restoration and revival of the Kisoga culture among children. This event brings together community leaders, educators, and young learners from across the region. The intention of “Ekigangu kya Busoga” is to meaningfully engage with both the women and children in activities that can help break the poverty cycle in the Busoga region – and this can be done by creating awareness on financial literacy.