“Based on a prediction by the United Nations that the population of the African continent will account for one third of the world’s population in the 22nd century, the education of children is indispensable to improving African living standards and preventing European countries, China, and India from exploiting Africans,” said Yoshiomi Tamai, President of Ashinaga while presenting a paper on “Poverty Eradication in Sub-Saharan Africa” during the fifth Makerere Africa Lecture Series held on 4th May in the University Main Hall.
The 77-year old Japanese Philanthropist said increasing educational opportunities for the less fortunate children was key in promoting economic development.
He added that orphaned children should be liberated from the chains of poverty through education so as to produce competent and skilled human resource and future leaders needed to spearhead economic prosperity.
President Tamai explained that Ashinaga Uganda was started in the country because of the HIV/AIDS scourge that left high number of orphans who have been deprived of an opportunity to attain quality education and play a role in economic development.
He said they have so far identified 15 bright students from the orphans who are now pursuing studies in the leading universities in Japan. One of these students, Rita Nabukenya from Nansana who lost his father in 2006 is pursuing her master degree at Waseda University in Tokyo.
President Tamai informed the audience of the “Ashinaga 100-year Vision of Educational Support for Orphans in Africa,” plan to take one superior student from each of the 49 Sub-Saharan nations and prepare them for entry into top universities around the world.
He encouraged students to work hard and hold true to their beliefs, and warned that persons who worked halfheartedly would never achieve much.