Rwanda Presidential Advisory Council's (PAC) Visit to UOB...

On Tuesday, March 30th, Rwanda Presidential Advisory Council (PAC) members visited UOB's Nyamata Branch as part of PAC's focused review of Rwanda's education and finance sectors. For the finance sector, PAC members visited Banque Populaire, RIM (a non-bank microofinance institution) and Bank of Kigali in addition to UOB. The PAC members who visited UOB's Nyamata Branch included prominent people, such as Francois Kanimba, Governor of Rwanda's central bank and Sir David King, Oxford Professor and Chief Scientific Advisor to the U.K. Government).

Rather than my own description of what happened, I wanted to quote what one of the PAC members (Dale Dawson, Founder and CEO for Bridge2Rwanda) said in his e-mail to the UOB board members. (Dale happens to be one of the UOB board members.)

QUOTE

Friends – I’m sorry that I won’t be joining you for the UOB board meeting in April. I just returned home to Little Rock after being in Rwanda for most of last month. The last 3 days of the March, Bishop John and I attended President Kagame’s Presidential Advisory Council (PAC) meeting in Kigali. At this meeting, we focused on Rwanda’s education and finance sectors which included a field trip day last Tuesday to visit banks and schools.

As board members, I want you to know that Jeffrey Lee and UOB were singled out and praised as one of the most positive developments in Rwanda’s economic development. I joined other PAC members [BNR Governor Francois Kanimba, Sir David King ( Oxford professor and Chief Scientific Advisor to the UK government), Eliane Ubalijoro (Professor at McGill University in Canada), Doug Shears (Agribusiness Entrepreneur and one of Australia’s wealthiest) and Dr Emmanuel Ndajiro (Intelligence and Security for Rwandan Government)] to visit the Nyamata branch and hear from Jeffrey and one of our extraordinary clients.

It was a stark contrast to our visits to Banque Populaire, RIM (Catholic MFI) and Bank of Kigali. Each of the other institutions have important roles to play in delivering financial services in Rwanda, but UOB’s professionalism, innovation and clear commitment to serve the needs and to transform the lives of the majority of Rwandans was impressive and inspiring.

The next day, all the team, including the Governor, raved to the President and the rest of the PAC about UOB’s current and potential impact on Rwanda. I want to thank Jeffrey and the rest of our UOB team for doing such a great job. We can all be proud of what Jesus is doing in Rwanda through UOB and our opportunity to be His witness. In His hands -- Dale

J. Dale DawsonFounder & CEO501.350.6269ddawson@bridge2rwanda.orghttp://www.bridge2rwanda.org/

UNQUOTE

The Lord has been gracious to us so far and I trust that He will continue to hold our hands in our journey to serve the needy in Rwanda creatively and holistically in His name ultimately for His glory. Praise the Lord! - Jeffrey