First Minister of Wales visits Uganda
Welsh First Minister, Rt Hon Carwyn Jones AM, visited Uganda from 6-12 January, to see the impact Welsh projects are having in Uganda.
Members of the Welsh community in Kampala with the Rt Hon Carwyn Jones AM, First Minister of Wales (centre) and the High Commissioner Alison Blackburne (right)
The First Minister of Wales, the Rt Hon Carwyn Jones AM, visited Uganda from 6-12 January, to see at first hand the impact that Welsh projects are having in Uganda.
At the beginning of his visit, the First Minister met the Ugandan State Minister for Trade, the Hon David Wakikona, accompanied by the British High Commissioner to Uganda, HE Alison Blackburne. He was also the guest of honour at a lunch for the Welsh community in Kampala, hosted by the High Commissioner at her Residence.
The First Minister spent almost a week visiting projects made possible with support from the Welsh Government’s Wales for Africa programme, which has supported 138 community links with almost 300 development projects in Sub-Saharan Africa.
Before flying to Uganda, the First Minister said:
I am looking forward to my trip to Uganda to see first hand the excellent work being done to support and transform the lives of communities as a result of projects based here in Wales.
The Wales for Africa programme gives people across Wales the chance to be involved in and contribute to international development and focuses our efforts to deliver the UN Millennium Development Goals to halve global poverty by 2015.
During his visit the First Minister planted the one millionth tree in the “Size of Wales” Million Trees project, which aims to reduce the impact of climate change and de-forestation. He also laid the foundation stone at a mill and store house being built for widows in the Mbale region by apprentices from Carmarthenshire College in Wales. Also during his visit, the First Minister opened a new girls’ dormitory at school in Mbale, funds for which were raised by Pontypridd High School in Wales. This will enable girls, who were previously dropping out of education because of fears for their safety during the long walks to school, to stay securely closer to the school.