ASA’s WISHH program put soy’s benefits for health and economic growth on stage and on television in Uganda in September. Kentucky soybean grower Daniel Adams, a member of the WISHH program committee, along with WISHH Executive Director Gena Perry and Strategic Advisor Liz Hare joined WISHH’s long-term strategic partner, SESACO, in promoting soy foods and feeds in at the 2023 Soy Foods Festival. Key speakers included government representatives from the Ugandan Ministry of Education and Sports and the city of Kampala as well as a representative of Ghana’s school feeding program.
USB funding supported WISHH hosting a variety of festival events, including television and radio interviews in advance of the festival that featured food experts as well as government officials who recognized the power of soy protein for nutritious and delicious foods.
Adams and Perry spoke on stage at the Soy Forum where they honored SESACO CEO Charles Nsubuga who began partnering with WISHH in 2011 when he signed a memorandum of understanding between the two organizations. The partnership led to WISHH providing SESACO with a container of U.S. soy through the USDA Quality Samples Program. The nearly 10,000 pounds of U.S. soy was instrumental in SESACO’s efforts to introduce U.S. Soy’s benefits to African markets. That same year, SESACO captured national media coverage in Uganda when it introduced the first soy milk.
WISHH continues to support SESACO’s growth with technical trainings and partnerships on educational programs. Both Adams and Perry noted how companies, such as SESACO, work together to create win-wins for Ugandans as well as U.S. soybean growers.