George W. Bakka is the founder and CEO of Angels Initiatives. He is a networking, pan African, social entrepreneur who has participated in a range of businesses associated with micro finance, health, librarianship, marketing, economic development and environmental maintenance. He has worked on a micro finance project for Educate!, an American NGO, and is a managing partner in Mara Launchpad, a shared office and business support facility for upcoming businesses.
Bakka led Angels Finance Cooperation to first runners up at Anzisha Prize in South Africa which was organized by African Leadership Academy and Master Card Foundation, an award that recognizes the best young social enterprises across Africa.
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Tell us more about Mr. George William Bakka. Who is he and what does he do for a living?
Bakka George William is a pan-african social entrepreneur passionate about visions and exciting things that can fundamentally change Africa and lead it to its path for prosperity and social economic development. I love meeting with new people and learning about what and why they do what they do, trying out new things just for purposes of curiosity. I love music, debating, reading and writing. What I do for a living is what I love.
You were among the winners of the Anzisha Prize. What was your secret recipe for achieving success?
You couldn’t point to one thing and say that that was it. We like to think of it as a recognition of the process we started when we were still young, to do something that could solve some of the fundamental challenges we face in Africa and locally as a nation. Our desire to build something new, the team work and communication to change and learn when we make mistakes and over scrutiny of being novel and new to create results, i think all produced some thing that Anzisha wanted to push forward. We are still committed to our mission to grow Angels Initiatives as an organisation creating change through building social businesses in critical sectors germane to Africa’s development.
Did you buy an expensive car with your prize money?
Absolutely not. What you could say is that we put it somewhere. We shall get a cool car sometime soon…well am joking! The prize money was invested in setting up a business incubation and development center, Mara Launchpad, in partnership with Mara Foundation. We are currently supporting more than thirty youth entrepreneurs who are building exciting businesses, creating jobs and changing their own lives too.
Do you have a Ph.D?
A Ph.D? Haha, no. And I do not intend to get one. I want to get my professor abilities in different fields currently..
Words is that you are a mogul with a large company called Angels Initiatives. Is this true?
Angels Initiatives is yet to become a large company, if we may call it that. We are still a growing organisation, but we shall get there sooner than later. And yes yet still to create a mogul in process.
What Does Angels Initiatives do?
Angels Initiatives aims to promote social-economic prosperity in Africa by building social ventures in critical sectors necessary for spiraling her growth and development. Angels Initiatives is currently growing growing initiatives promoting economic empowerment, agriculture, energy, environmental conservation, education and promoting leadership and advocacy in the above thematic areas.
How have you used yourself as an avenue to eradicate poverty in Uganda and inspire innovation?
Currently Angels Initiatives has put up Angels Ventures, a business accelerator and incubator for young businesses to access capital and mentorship. It has put up Mara Launchpad to provide office space and networking opportunities to entrepreneurs and innovators to access critical resources. As well, Gimara Foods to promote agriculture through value addition. Panda Afro Energy is to enable the use of renewable energy and Edge Tours to promote eco-tourism in Uganda and Africa. All these are creating opportunities to create wealth, jobs and effect transformation.
What is your say on all the demolishing going on in Kampala by KCCA (Kampala City Council Authority)?
I think for the time being we need to give the technocrats a chance to recreate the kind of city that we all want to live in and give them all the political support that they need. I have been to Kigali and quite often I have heard so many Ugandans making a mention of how how organised and beautiful Kigali is as compared to Kampala. So if our focus is to have a city we are all proud of living in and we are committed to that vision, then it should be known that they will be some sacrifices along the way. And I think we should accept them. What is important is that there is a good compensation strategy for all who may be found in the wrong unaware,short of that, lets move forward.
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