Hello everyone, my name is Sylvia Owori and I’m sending you all here my warmest greetings and I hope you are all enjoying this evening.
It’s unfortunate that I couldn’t join the fashion fraternity to celebrate fashion and art tonight but I’m right here and will always be with you in spirit.
REASON BEHIND SYLVIA’S ABSENCE
The reason why I couldn’t make it tonight, is my extremely wild schedule that has me running around tirelessly voicing our concerns and aspirations as Uganda’s fashion industry to high levels of both political and economic power.
As I have gotten closer and closer to these high offices , I have immersed myself in the task and the responsibility of highlighting on how the different policies affect us, positively or negatively so as to ensure big dreamers and everyone who works in this industry that I love so much, has a shot on actually succeeding, creating new sustainable wealth and better yet, employing fellow youths.
You see, often times industries only flourish when they have full and comprehensive support from the authorities; We have been doing high level advocacy and lobbying; pulling key stakeholders such as legislators, consultants, international fashion buyers, equity investors, fashion designers, manufacturers, artisans and many others to forge out fresh approaches on how to scale up Ugandan – East African design firms through entrepreneurship, training and skills development to unemployed Ugandan youth, and boosting access to finance and global markets.
THE POWER OF FASHION
Just like my little brother Ahumuza Brian often preaches, Fashion is Power. To change the culture or the mood of society — you change fashion. It’s a powerful channel to not only invent new things in society but for socio-economic transformation of societies especially through our youth in Uganda as well.
We have been working on ways on how to strengthen value chains in the textile and fashion sector by building up the capacities of local fashion players, mobilizing foreign direct investment, textile trade regulatory reforms in Uganda and so forth.
It’s thus imperative that key partnerships between public sector and the private sector are emphasized as they play a crucial role in the development of our dear fashion industry.
As i conclude, I urge all of us to continue supporting, talents and go-getters like @Ahumuza Brian who create fashion spectacles such as this one which act as catalysts in this process that I’m talking about. He does this by bringing these vested players, actors or stakeholders to the table to strengthen the industry as a powerful vessel for social and economic change.
The reinforcement of Uganda’s creative industries will indeed lead to a more sustainable and faster economic transformation by, among other ways, giving hope and livelihoods to creative youth, and keeping the talent right here, in our beautiful home: Uganda.
Otherwise, lets make tonight a true showcase of the diversity and brilliance of African fashion to the rest of the world. And remember, I’m Just like you; I was and still is a big dreamer! FASHION IS POWER, and DON’T STOP BELIEVING!
~ Love Sylvia.
