PROFILE: Odinga giving back to community

Kampala
Why do you this job?
Well, am doing this job because after graduating, I thought the best way to serve the foundation (Madhvani Foundation) was through some sort of leadership position.
My job helps me give back what I got from the foundation.

What training did you receive?
I am a lawyer by profession. I started my education at Main Street Primary School in Jinja, then joined Jinja SS for my O level before completing my Advanced Level from St James SSS.

I later joined Uganda Management Institute where I acquired a Diploma in Journalism and Media Management and then Makerere University where I graduated with Bachelors in Laws. I have also done various certificate short courses.

What do you do between 9 and 5pm?
Besides the duties in Madhvani Foundation, I am a consultant with DFCU Bank. I work in the credit department as a collections and recoveries consultant. I am usually at my desk at exactly 8 am and sometimes go out in the field.

I also have weekly meeting with my colleagues basically to review the week’s performance. Sometimes during the course of the day, I visit clients and hold meetings. I always end my day at around 7 pm.

What are the upsides of your job?
For me the driving force is that my position as Chairman of the Madhvani Foundation is that it gives me an opportunity to give to the less privileged people.

And the fact that I went through a similar system of being helped to be what I am today, gives me great motivation and satisfaction.

Without the Madhvani Foundation, I don’t think I would have been what I am today. My position also gives me an opportunity to interact with people from different backgrounds.

The fact that we (Madhvani Foundation) all come together enables us to network and share experiences. That’s an opportunity you don’t find anywhere easily.

What are the downsides of your job?
My biggest challenge is the fact that the association is new and therefore getting it off the ground is not an easy task. It’s also a big challenge bringing together all these numbers in tens of thousands.

What are your future plans?
We intend to make the Madhvani Foundation the biggest Alumni Association in the entire East African region.

The other thing is that we intend to form an investment club that is basically to generate resources as a business entity. But the most important thing is we are striving to support education in the country for the less privileged.