Saemaul Leadership school in Uganda

The first educational institute in Africa for training "Saemaul Undong Leaders" was launched in Uganda, a hub of Africa’s Saemaul Movement, on Monday. More than 100 leaders of agricultural community will be trained in this institute annually, to which 4.4 million dollars were invested. The Korean government expects that this will be a milestone for expanding the movement to across all Africa, not just in Uganda.

The Saemaul movement promotion was one of the main agenda at the summit held the previous day. Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni said, “The Saemaul movement was a project to transform the spirits of the people. The launch of the institution helped Ugandan people to have more diligent and hard-working attitude.”

President Park responded by saying that she hopes that the new institute could “contribute to Uganda’s economic growth by making use of the great growth potential of the nation’s agriculture.” The leaders of the two nations have also reached an MOU deal to support Uganda’s community reform movement.

Uganda is the fourth country in the world to have established a local Korea Saemaulundong Center, highlighting its great interest. Since the first Saemaul movement began in 2009, 30 villages have been designated as pilot villages. Apart from this, around 40 communities are voluntarily participating in the movement. A song named “Let’s embrace Saemaul Undong” has become popular in the country.

President Park left the country right after the launching ceremony and moved on to the third African country, Kenya, to hold a meeting with Korean expats. “I hope to establish a win-win partnership between Korea and Kenya by connecting Korea’s development experience with Kenya’s potentials,” she wrote in a column on Daily Nation, the biggest newspaper of the African country, adding that the two nations must write a new history by constantly seeking new momentum for cooperation.

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