KAMPALA, Uganda

The Turkish ambassador to Uganda said Ankara is dedicated to supporting Uganda’s development agenda.

Ambassador Fatih Ak was addressing more than 100 women graduates on Wednesday who have benefited from vocational training courses at the Islamic University in Uganda (IUIU), a project launched by the Turkish first lady Emine Erdogan in 2016 to boost women's employment and socioeconomic status.

Turkish Cooperation and Coordination Agency (TIKA) together with SENA Foundation, a Turkish humanitarian NGO, has been providing necessary logistical assistance for the project since its inception.

“We thank TIKA, SENA Foundation, and Mehmet Ali Ozugur, Internal Affairs counselor at our embassy, for their efforts. This sustainable project will create new jobs and supply revenue to the Ugandan women, including a group composed of wives of the Ugandan policemen,” the ambassador said.

“Turkish government institutions, TIKA being the most effective and experienced one, as well as Turkish NGOs, have been instrumental in various projects, small and big, in almost every corner of Uganda. Let me underline that Uganda can count on the continued support of the Turkish authorities in many fields,” he added.

The graduation ceremony held at IUIU was attended by Turkish Embassy officials and members of the SENA Foundation.

Namatovu Madina, who learned to sew different fashions of clothes, told Anadolu that many women are still waiting for vocational training courses and material support for startup businesses.

The Turkish government has several projects in Uganda, helping hundreds of people to reduce poverty. TIKA has so far accomplished 76 projects and planned to launch seven more in the first half of 2024, according to Omer Aykon, TIKA’s country coordinator for Uganda.