Event Industry Leaders Join Forces to Change Lives in Uganda

January 18, 2019

As the American cultural anthropologist Margaret Mead once said, “Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it’s the only thing that ever has.”

We are seeing Mead’s words come to fruition in many aspects of our society, including the global business community, as more people and companies are taking the lead in creating positive change via corporate social responsibility programs. 

The events industry is no exception to this, with many companies and individuals doing their part to set up programs and campaigns to help make a difference in the lives of less-fortunate people throughout the world.

Established in September 2011 by events industry leaders who decided to come together to create an industry cause, Events for Namuwongo(EFN) works to improve the living conditions and youth educational opportunities of the estimated 20,000 people who live in the slum community of Namuwongo, located in Kampala, Uganda.

Namuwongo

Founded and spearheaded by London-based Chris Hughes of Brand Events and Trevor Foley of tfconnect, the cause officially kicked off at the 2011 Global Event Summit and has resulted in a growing network of event companies driven to change the lives of the vulnerable children and underprivileged citizens living in squalor in Namuwongo.

“The response from our industry was immediate and positive,” says Foley. “As show producers, we serve a community all the time; we build shows and we look after a community of people at our shows. With the slum in Uganda, we started by thinking of the community as the four corners of an exhibition space and what we could do to improve the look of the landscape.”

EFN is affiliated with the UK-based arm of Hope for Children, an international charity foundation committed to enhancing the lives of vulnerable children throughout the world, which also has a permanent presence in Uganda.

“We raise the money and they do the work, including (handling employees), where the money is being spent and all the logistics in the village – we wouldn’t be able to operate without them,” explains Foley. 

He added, “TSNN’s very own CEO Douglas Emslie ensures that our own parent company, Tarsus Group, is a big supporter of EFN and has visited the community.”

Doug in Namuwongo

After a flurry of fundraising efforts not long after its launch, EFN’s first group traveled to Uganda, where the sobering reality of life in Namuwongo was met with the enthusiastic desire of its residents to create real, lasting change in their embattled community. 

“We had grand ideas about giving them water and making improvements to this and that,” says Foley. “But then a group of village elders told us what they wanted, which included toilets, clearing away many years’ worth of trash and fixing their drainage issues. They also asked if we could start by buying them boots, overalls and spades because they wanted to be able to do this for themselves.”

Realizing that empowering the community members would be the catalyst to sustainable change, EFN employed them directly to carry out the work. After projects were completed, employees stayed on to ensure the new infrastructure would be maintained.

“We did what they asked, but we controlled every penny – we treated it like a show budget and didn’t give them money for anything until we saw evidence of supplies they’d bought and invoices for the work,” says Foley.

It might sound a little like tough love, but it worked. When EFN returned to Namuwongo for the second year, its adopted community was barely recognizable. Thanks to new cement and stone drainage trenches, water was flowing through the community rather than sitting it, eliminating many water-borne illnesses that had been prevalent before.

But EFN wasn’t done. The group also wanted to help more of Namuwongo’s youth to go to school, and it now funds the education of 150 children. Almost eight years and more than $1 million in donations later, Namuwongo is a dramatically different community, maintained by approximately 40 local employees who once lived on trash heaps but now have houses for their families.

Namuwongo

It’s safe to say the people behind EFN have been changed, too. In addition to helping a community in need, they gained their own community of new friends. 

“We play soccer with them; we dance with them; they love us, and we love them,” says Foley. “It’s no more complicated than that. Everybody in the world deserves help if they need it.”

To learn more about Events for Namuwongo and how to help this life-saving cause, contact Trevor Foley at trevor.foley@tfconnect.co.uk.

 

 

 

 

Don’t miss any event-related news: Sign up for our weekly e-newsletter HERE and engage with us on TwitterFacebookLinkedIn and Instagram!

 

 

 

 

Add new comment

Partner Voices
Overview: The award-winning Orange County Convention Center (OCCC) goes the extra mile to make every day extraordinary by offering customer service excellence and industry-leading partnerships. From their dedicated in-house Rigging team to their robust Exhibitor Services, The Center of Hospitality brings your imagination to life by helping you host unforgettable meetings and events. With more than 2 million square feet of exhibit space, world-class services and a dream destination, we are committed to making even the most ambitious conventions a reality. In October 2023, the Orange County Board of County Commissioners voted to approve allocating Tourist Development Tax funding for the $560 million Phase 5A completion of the OCCC. The Convention Way Grand Concourse project will include enhancements to the North-South Building, featuring an additional 60,000 square feet of meeting space, an 80,000- square-foot ballroom and new entry to the North-South Building along Convention Way. “We are thrilled to begin work on completing our North-South Building which will allow us to meet the growing needs of our clients,” said OCCC Executive Director Mark Tester. “As an economic driver for the community, this project will provide the Center with connectivity and meeting space to host more events and continue to infuse the local economy with new money and expanding business opportunities.” Amenities: The Center of Hospitality goes above and beyond by offering world-class customer service and industry-leading partnerships. From the largest convention center Wi-Fi network to custom LAN/WAN design, the Center takes pride in enhancing exhibitor and customer experience.  The OCCC is the exclusive provider of electricity (24-hour power at no additional cost), aerial rigging and lighting, water, natural gas and propane, compressed air, and cable TV services. Convenience The Center is at the epicenter of the destination, with an abundance of hotels, restaurants, and attractions within walking distance. Pedestrian bridges connect both buildings to more than 5,200 rooms and is within a 15-minute drive from the Orlando International Airport. The convenience of the location goes hand-in-hand with top notch service to help meet an event’s every need. Gold Key Members The OCCC’s Gold Key Members represent the best of the best when it comes to exceptional service and exclusive benefits for clients, exhibitors and guests. The Center’s Gold Key memberships with Universal Orlando Resort, SeaWorld Orlando and Walt Disney World greatly enhance meeting planner and attendee experiences offering world-renowned venues, immersive experiences and creative resources for their events. OCCC Events: This fiscal year, the OCCC is projected to host 168 events, 1.7 million attendees, and $2.9 billion in economic impact.  The Center’s top five events during their 2022-2023 fiscal year included:  AAU Jr. National Volleyball Championships 2023 200,000 Attendees $257 Million in Economic Impact MEGACON 2023 160,000 Attendees $205 Million in Economic Impact Open Championship Series 2023 69,500 Attendees $89 Million in Economic Impact Sunshine Classic 2023 42,000 Attendees $54 Million in Economic Impact Premiere Orlando 2023 42,000 Attendees $108 Million in Economic Impact