On October 15, local time, the completion ceremony of the second phase of China's "10,000 Villages" project in Uganda was solemnly held at the Enderbebuno Primary School in Uganda. Chinese Ambassador to Uganda Zhang Lizhong, Counsellor of the Economic and Commercial Office Jiang Jiqing, Ugandan Minister of Communications Chris Baryomounsi, and Entebbe District Governor Ms. Bakuma BAGUMA), project contractor StarTimes Enterprise representative Ogmundai and others attended the ceremony.
The scene of the ceremony
Live dance performances
The "Connect to 10,000 Villages" project is one of the China-Africa cooperation initiatives in the field of humanities proposed at the Johannesburg Summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation in 2015, aiming to connect 10,000 villages in African countries to satellite digital TV signals. This project was undertaken by StarTimes Group. In January 2019, StarTimes successfully completed the construction of 500 villages in the first phase of the "10,000 Villages" Uganda project. In August 2021, the second phase of the "10,000 Villages" Uganda project was officially launched.
During the construction of the first and second phases of the "Ten Thousand Villages" Uganda project, StarTimes Uganda Subsidiary overcame the challenges of the epidemic, meticulously coordinated and strictly implemented, and successfully completed the construction plan covering 900 villages in Uganda. The project covers 18,000 households and 2,700 public areas, including schools, community centres, churches and health centres, benefiting nearly one million people.
Ambassador Zhang Lizhong and Ugandan Minister of Communications Chris Barrio Monsi signed the handover certificate
At the completion ceremony, Ambassador Zhang Lizhong said that the "Ten Thousand Villages" project is a window to help families in remote areas of Uganda understand information on agriculture, science and technology and public health, "The project construction has promoted local employment in Uganda, trained nearly 2,000 relevant young technical talents for Uganda, and produced extensive positive social benefits." ”
Ugandan Minister of Communications Chris Barrio Mensi highly praised the Chinese government's support for Uganda, said that the implementation of the "10,000 Villages" project is a great enhancement to the friendship between China and Ukraine, and looked forward to the arrival of the third and fourth phases of the "10,000 Villages" project.
Ogmundai, Deputy General Manager of StarTimes Group's Uganda subsidiary, said, "Satellite TV not only facilitates villagers to watch TV programs, but also helps children in beneficiary villages to learn and grow better. Children now have access to science and education programs and video lessons, closing the gap in educational attainment with their peers. Adults can access essential news and health information via satellite TV. ”
group photo
Coinciding with the 60th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Ukraine, the successful completion of the second phase of the "Ten Thousand Villages" project is an important witness of the friendship between China and Ukraine. As a representative of Chinese enterprises going abroad, StarTimes has always been committed to deepening the friendship between China and Ukraine and being a bridge for cultural and economic exchanges between China and Ukraine.
This article is an exclusive contribution of Observer.com and may not be reprinted without authorization.