10 May 2009, Dhaka. Ugandan Vice President Professor Gilbert Bukenya visited various BRAC programmes in Manikganj today (10.05.09). During the visit, Professor Bukenya told local journalist that Bangladesh is a fantastic country. He said that the country has changed vastly in just a few years due to organisations like BRAC.
Gilbert Bukenya traveled from Dhaka early morning to Noyadingi in Manikganj to observe BRAC's Sanitary Napkin Production Centre. He explored the different sections of the handmade napkin factory and spoke to the workers. He also met with a BRAC health volunteer (shashthya shebika) and enquired about her daily work. Later he visited the Ayesha Abed Foundation sub-centre in Sadarpur, Manikganj. Professor Bukenya was impressed by watching almost hundred poor women doing embroidery together.
On his way to the BRAC regional office he stopped at a handloom weaving centre in Gorpara, Manikganj where he viewed handloom weaving and embroidery.
At the regional office, the Ugandan Vice President spoke to local journalists and stated that he visited Bangladesh on a previous occasion while he was a student. He said that the country has changed greatly since then. Professor Bukenya also stated that he will try to replicate BRAC's employment generation enterprises in his country to eradicate poverty. Later he visited the Ayesha Abed Foundation handicraft production and training centre and a milk chilling centre in Dorogram, Manikganj. He also met BRAC microfinance borrowers with livestock enterprises in the same village.
The Ugandan Vice President was accompanied by Mr. H.E. Madhvani, the Ugandan High Commissioner to Dhaka (based in Delhi), and from BRAC, the Executive Director of International Programmes Md. Aminul Alam and Deputy Executive Director Dr. Imran Matin.
The Ugandan Vice President arrived in Dhaka last Thursday for a six-day visit. BRAC began operations in Uganda in 2006 and has quickly grown to become on the largest micro credit providers in the country. BRAC also has integrated programmes in health, education, agriculture and livestock, adolescent development, capacity building, training and research.
