KAMPALA – Minister of Education and First Lady Janet Museveni, on Wednesday, May 22 asked Africans, particularly Ugandans, to desist from foreign development partners and focus on self-reliance and building internal capacities.
In her letter to Ugandan children who call her ‘maama’ by choice, Mrs. Museveni noted that real transformation does not come from big International Organizations but rather from simple personal decisions made by ordinary people.
“I believe that God has been waiting for Africans to awaken from a deep slumber and realize that our greatest obstacles are internal rather than external,” she said.
Referring to the bible and the riches put in the holy book, First lady noted that,” All these accounts show that the Africa of antiquity was not only prosperous and wealthy but more so a political and global hegemon.
“The question that I have pondered many times over the years is, “What happened to Africa?” she added.
The first lady noted that our weaknesses are our own petty and selfish differences that are obscuring the many ties that bind us and our historical, cultural and spiritual interests.
“All that is sacrificed on the altar of personal ambition and ego and the thirst for unjust gain,” she said.
In her letter, she points out China who modernized her economy through their population.
“They didn’t wait for “Development Partners” as we often do in Africa, rather they succeeded by building their internal capacity and studied other world systems picking what worked and discarding what didn’t work for them,” she added.
She hit at political leaders who are profiting from the unjust gain that they are heaping problems and curses on themselves and their families.
“Can you imagine a home that is built with embezzled government funds earmarked for establishing a community school or hospital?” she noted.
“You have denied that community a basic need and put your personal needs above those of others,” she added.
The minister added that such people may succeed in hiding their wrongdoings but that Lord who judges all will withhold their blessing and so they should not delude themselves.
She said developing Africa is not an easy task but by any means, it is possible, with God who created Africa and Uganda for a purpose.
She sent her prayers to Uganda men and women who are working hard to build their families noting that, “that God will help us to raise children who will become serious, responsible and productive citizens that seek to make a positive contribution to their society.”
Unless we Africans begin to mature and understand the barriers to our blessings and stick to the commandment” Love your neighbour as yourself,” we will be able to be a blessing to others & God will, in turn, bless us.
“If we pray, He will guide us as He always has and if we are obedient to Him, He will multiply and bless the work of our hands so that poverty and insufficiency will become a thing of the past,” she concluded.
It should be highlighted that the total budget for FY18/19 was UGX 32.7 trillion which is 13% up on FY17/18 and 40 percent of this national recurrent budget was funded by donors.
