The Uhuru Institute for Social Development has marked 10 years of existence and empowered cooperatives into professional enterprises, Chief Executive Officer Leonard Okello has said.
However, Okello says they look forward to becoming a global brand in the coming years.
“I am certain that TUI will become a global brand in the next ten years. We are serious about this,” Okello affirms.
Officiating at the anniversary event in Kampala under the theme: Generating wealth Together Okello said the cooperative movement in Uganda is emerging from dormancy to reclaim its rightful place in the country’s socio-economic development.
TUI is a social business enterprise that connects cooperatives to a variety of services, including affordable financing, training, institutional development, ICT solutions, research, media services, business networking.
TUI was launched in 2011 and registered as a company limited by guarantee in June 2013.
“TUI envisions an equitable society, led by a developmental state and guided by the principles of a social market economy that places the citizen at the centre of an inclusive, cooperative, and accountable system. TUI’s mission is to establish an enterprising, prosperous, peaceful, and happy society by inspiring citizens to generate wealth together,”Okello said.
Commenting about the key milestone achievements, Okello noted that TUI has empowered over 4,000 young people with knowledge, skills, and opportunities to engage meaningfully with cooperatives through Youth No Excuses Programme.
He further said through IT Hub, Uhuru Institute developed Coop360° Network a platform that nurtures cooperatives by guiding them with the seven cooperative principles, values, and ethical standards, providing value to members and communities.
TUI has also hosted Coop360° Innovations Awards, which recognizes cooperatives that are innovative in providing solutions to challenges.
“We have developed CoopProfiler a web- and mobile-based software that helps cooperatives collect,analyse, and report on their businesses, enabling informed decision-making. This tool has provided cooperatives with a new dimension in management, enabling them to assess their strengths, identify gaps, and chart a path toward sustainability,” Okello stressed.
Looking to the future, Okello says TUI has partnered with various stakeholders, including government agencies, NGOs, and the private sector, to support cooperatives in areas such as finance, insurance, governance, fiscal policy, and regulation.
Okello is confident that with continued determination and growing partnerships, TUI will expand to Africa, and rest of the world.
State Minister for Cooperatives Frederick Gume congratulated Uhuru Institute for its capacity development programme that has enhanced growth of cooperatives in the country and business training programmes.
“TUI has been key partnership in the development of cooperative movement in Uganda. We cherish their enterprise development trainings and cooperative guidelines, ”Gume said.