Fundraisers in Kampala were expecting record donations following a plea from the British manufacturing industry, which has captured the hearts of the Ugandan people. An appeal was launched after Ugandans saw news reports showing the perilous state of the British economy in general and the fate of industry workers in particular.
“They looked so sad,” said Hassan Obua, “you could see the hope draining from their eyes.” Determined to do his own little bit, Obua is putting himself through a challenge familiar to many a charity fundraiser. “I was going to do the whole day in a bath of beans thing. But as this is Uganda we'll have to downscale a little bit. So what I’ll be doing is sitting for an hour or so with my big toe in a small cup of maize.” Such generosity is being repeated today across the developing world.
However, with the Ugandan economy itself in a fragile state (though in admittedly less debt), organisers have been keen to stress that the money will be directly allocated to good causes; and not passed through the hands of potentially untrustworthy government intermediaries. “Give a lorry driver in Doncaster a fish,” said David Makooza, “and he will deep fry it. But give that same man the means to catch fish. Now he just needs to worry about getting a deep fat fryer.”
“They looked so sad,” said Hassan Obua, “you could see the hope draining from their eyes.” Determined to do his own little bit, Obua is putting himself through a challenge familiar to many a charity fundraiser. “I was going to do the whole day in a bath of beans thing. But as this is Uganda we'll have to downscale a little bit. So what I’ll be doing is sitting for an hour or so with my big toe in a small cup of maize.” Such generosity is being repeated today across the developing world.
However, with the Ugandan economy itself in a fragile state (though in admittedly less debt), organisers have been keen to stress that the money will be directly allocated to good causes; and not passed through the hands of potentially untrustworthy government intermediaries. “Give a lorry driver in Doncaster a fish,” said David Makooza, “and he will deep fry it. But give that same man the means to catch fish. Now he just needs to worry about getting a deep fat fryer.”
