New York annual festival to economically empower Ugandans in diaspora

Ugandans in diaspora will be the biggest beneficiaries of the annual festival and expo which is less than five months away.

The five-day festival scheduled on August 29 to September 2 at Grand Hyatt - New York Hotel in Manhattan and organized by Ugandans in North America under their umbrella body UNAA Causes will feature programmes including fashion tourism.

However, organisers say the central programme of the festival will be a business and investment expo in which several business owners, CEOs and investors from Uganda and North America have been invited to network with delegates and consolidate the association’s business projects as well as open up platforms for economic empowerment in the already existing savings club.

UNAA Causes chief executive Officer, Mr David Muwanga confirmed the existence of several business projects initiated by the UNAA Causes platform like; a Diaspora Savings Programme with Equity Bank through the Bank's EAZZY Club, and a North American based Coffee Retail Business that's been in the pipeline since last year, which are all part of this year's business Expo programme. 

“We are targeting the African Growth Opportunity Act (AGOA) to create Economic activity that will impact our Agro - Products and other AGOA qualifying products,” he said.

AGOA is an Act that was created in early 2000s by then USA President George Bush to allow duty free access of Products from Sub- Saharan Countries to the United States of America, there is over 6,000 products that qualify for AGOA but the stringent USA Certification requirements have been prohibitive.

UNAA Causes last year embarked on a journey to start a restaurant retail chain specifically selling Uganda coffee as one of the ways of marketing the country and its products.

Mr Muwanga appealed to business people and farmers to consider expanding their market, stressing that “the North American Market gives us an opportunity to make strategic partnerships and tap into the World's top Economy.”

Meanwhile, Mr James Serumaga, the chairperson said: “We have so much in New York, Business Tours of New York, the New York Business Expo, Fashion Weekend- a top Diaspora destination for designers plus lots of entertainment at the upscale Grand Hyatt.” 

This year the Festival has lined up several artistes to entertain the delegates like; David Lutalo, Cindy Sanyu, Denmark based Joanita Lubega Zachariassen, Vinka, Fik Fameica, Chosen Becky, Spice Diana, Gospel Musician Levixone, Zanie Brown, Myko Ouma, Joseph Sax, plus two Live Bands to backup all performers, among a collection of other entertainers from Kampala.

Also part of the entertainment package is a boat cruise which will offer at least 6 hours of a memorable night with the breeze of River Hudson.