East African Business Week (Kampala)
Stephen Asiimwe
28 April 2008
Bujumbura — A group of young US leaders, with a heart for Africa, has left a mark on Burundi and Uganda people following two weeks of empowerment and a donation US$60,000 worth of equipment.
The Christian group, under the leadership of Dr. Juan Lopez, president of Dr Juan Lopez, the president KING Group an affiliate of Tribal Praise Ministries, have donated towards education and health projects in Burundi and Uganda
Dr Lopez was accompanied by Dr. Clyde Rivers, who is the Vice President of Community Mentorship Connection and also Commissioner for Africa for the Latin University of Theology (LUT).
Last year, LUT president Dr Manuel Tigerino conferred Honorary Doctorates to Burundi's president Mr. Pierre Nkurunziza and Uganda's president Yoweri Museveni and his wife Janet. The group began their mission last week in Burundi, where they donated $24,000 worth of equipment towards the country's education programme.
From this money, $16,000 will be spent on iron sheets for schools, $6,000 for desks and tables and $3,000 for soccer balls.
In Uganda, KING has donated $36,000 towards building a hospital wing in the southwestern part of the country in Ntungamo.
The entourage included New York Jets professional National Football League(NFL) star, Kenyon Coleman. Others are Mr. Adam Ybarra, Mr. Gilbert Antolin, Mr. Daniel Molina, Mr. KJ Bohn, Mr. William Zagger and Mr. Cameron Gordon.
KING, an acronym for Kingdom Integrated Networking Group, is a US-based organisation whose vision, according to Dr. Lopez is to, "Transform nations through entrepreneurial strategies with a mission focus."
This is Dr. Lopez' second visit to East Africa following another in 2007 where he visited with his wife Dr. Irene Lopez.
President Pierre Nkurunziza received the US entourage at his farm in the South Eastern Musongati Commune in Rutana Province last week while on a poverty eradication exercise.
Mr. Nkurunziza said following a massive exercise to build schools in the country, a total of 200 schools with 2,000 classes had been erected.
"This donation comes in handy as the country is trying to come out of the post conflict era," he said.
He said that by the end of 2008, another 120 schools will have been built by the students themselves during holidays with support from the local community.
Dr. Rivers, who has been appointed Honorary ambassador for Burundi, promised more projects to the region.
KING has been holding business empowerment seminars in Kampala in conjunction with the World Business Coalition (WBC) under the leadership of Dr. Joseph Okia. The seminars will be held every month and are attracting hundreds of young business leaders.
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