The Ugandan government in collaboration with China, have launched a new satellite TV project in the central Ugandan district of Wakiso. The project is set to benefit over 500 rural village.
Uganda’s minister of education and sports, Janet Museveni, said the initiative would be critical in digital learning, “This is a project that has several benefits, it will support education and encourage digital learning in rural schools by providing learning aids in form of projectors and televisions. These will be utilized to implement lessons plans and demonstrative education through videos and pictures,” she said.
Chinese ambassador to Uganda, Zheng Zhuqiang, said the 12 million U.S. dollars is funded by the South-South Cooperation Assistance Fund and that the fund was announced in 2015 by Chinese President Xi Jinping, designed to promote South-South cooperation and enable developing countries implement the goals set by the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
“It is worth mentioning that the Satellite TV Reception Project is the second aid project implemented by the Chinese government in Uganda using this Fund,” Zheng said. “Previously, in order to help the Ugandan people solve their food problems and ease the relief pressure of the Ugandan government, the Chinese government had cooperated with World Food Program to provide the emergency food aid to Karamoja region with the contribution of 5 million U.S. dollars by the South-South Fund.”
Denis Benjamin Kisakye, one of the many beneficiaries of the project, told Xinhua that the initiative will enable him to learn more about other parts of the world.
Star Times, also a Chinese company, has been contracted to implement the project. Satellite television equipment will be installed in homes and village halls, among others.