Ugandans in the diaspora are not lazy Reply to Bling bloke Omuyaye:Ugandan women living on benefits abroad



Ugandans in the diaspora are not lazy. We send more money to Uganda than what Uganda earns from its coffee export earnings.



I live in Sweden, and the only reason I do not have a job is because of my African name which is not Swedish. My African name betrays me whenever I seek a job. The Swedish people just like the French only have to read your name and if it does not resemble their names, your application for a job is put aside and never considered.



I have been living in Sweden for almost nineteen years. Because of the language barrier, I was forced to do my education again, i.e. “O” levels and “A” levels. I learnt the Swedish language. I went to a Swedish University. I got a Bachelor of Science Degree in Business Administration and Economics. I also got a Master of Business Administration degree, but up to now, I have never got a job because of my African name. Do you call that laziness? My qualifications have now become a curse and a hindrance because some would be employers say that I am over qualified for their jobs.



So my new strategy is to lie about my qualifications, by not telling the would be employer that I have those qualifications. But this is difficult because all the information about my qualifications is stored on the national government computer. To be highly educated in Sweden is now a curse and a disadvantage. Those who are less educated like bus drivers, find it easier to get a job and earn good money than those with high qualifications especially in Economics.



I know two people from Eritrea. One has a degree in Bio-chemistry and another one has a degree in building houses, construction. Both are unemployed because of racism. All we want is a job that matches our education, but because of institutionalized racism it is impossible.



Most Ugandan women whom I know in Sweden are working. The only women who do not want to work are from Somalia. They do not even bother with learning the language. They are pregnant every year and the more children they produce the more benefits they get. But this is not the case with Uganda women. Mind you Uganda has the most educated people in Africa after Nigeria. So our women know the virtues of birth control. Ugandan women in the diaspora are not parasites on the state as their counterparts the Somalian women are. Even the Swedish people praise Ugandans for being hard working people.



If people in the diaspora are lazy as you suggest, then we would not be able to earn for Uganda all that foreign exchange which we send home as dollars and pounds, which even exceeds the annual coffee earnings.



We in the diaspora support the Uganda economy more than you who are in Uganda. Most of those mansions you see around Kampala are built by money from the diaspora.



The money they give us as social benefits is so little that it is calculated to just to meet our basic needs like rent and food. Nothing is left over to send home. So the money Ugandans send home is earned through hard work and sweat. So next time you talk about an issue, do so only on things you are well informed about.



Edward/Sweden





Mbadde ntambula past radio Katwe nengwa kukawulile kano nekankwata omubabilo.