At the colorful closing event held at the Office of the President, Professor Li Xiaoyun, Lead Professor at China Agriculture University, officially closed the one-year program. He invited BCD Director General Mr. Anthony Mula to identify a fresh group of youth to take part in the next cohort beginning soon.

By. Samuel Mwesigwa| Manager Current Affairs Baba Television

Kampala, Uganda – The China-Uganda Younger Entrepreneurs Project has been officially concluded, marking the end of a one-year intensive training initiative that empowered young Ugandan entrepreneurs with skills in rural transformation and agribusiness.

Launched in August 2024, the project trained 15 young rural entrepreneurs from the Busoga region, under the Village Agriculture Model and the Young Rural Entrepreneurs initiatives championed by the Busoga Consortium for Development (BCD) in collaboration with China Agricultural University(CAU).

The selected participants received full scholarships to attend China Agriculture University, with support from Tencent Holdings Limited.

The training focused on rural innovation, agro-business development, and community digital transformation. Upon returning to Uganda, the entrepreneurs launched various ventures — ranging from commercial farms and production centers to media platforms promoting digital literacy in rural communities.

During a recent site visit, Professor Xu Jin, the project coordinator from China Agriculture University, applauded the youth for effectively implementing what they learned. She also commended BCD for their hands-on support and oversight of the initiative.

At the colourful closing event held at the Office of the President, Professor Li Xiaoyun, Lead Professor at China Agriculture University, officially closed the one-year program. He invited BCD Director General Mr. Anthony Mula to identify a fresh group of youth to take part in the next cohort beginning soon.

“We are proud of what has been achieved. These young entrepreneurs are now champions of change in their communities,” said Prof. Li. “Let this program continue growing.”

Professor Xu further pledged continued mentorship and urged the young entrepreneurs to stay connected with their supervisors for sustainability.

Mr. Mula expressed gratitude to the Chinese partners, stating that the young entrepreneurs are already seeing results, with more projects being rolled out across Busoga.

“We deeply appreciate China Agriculture University for not closing this door,” said Mula. “We look forward to continued collaboration.”

One of the young entrepreneurs, Sarah Nabirye, shared her success story. After training in China, she acquired three acres of land where she is now growing soybeans and chili, with plans to expand next year.

Samuel Mwesigwa, Media Manager at Busoga Consortium and Manager of Current Affairs at Baba Television, showcased his community digital transformation initiative. He founded Ampa Media Company, now providing digital media training to rural communities.

Also present were Sam Nkenga Owek, Agriculture Minister in the Busoga Kingdom, and Isaac Imaka, another participant now investing in chili and soybean farming.

The graduands will now participate in a grand international event in Zanzibar next week, organized by China Agriculture University, Tencent Holdings Ltd, BCD, and partners in Tanzania, where they will be officially recognized.