Conservatives boost business skills, coach cricket

A group of project business volunteers from the UK’s Conservative Party led by Fiona Bruce MP, yesterday participated in a session aimed at equipping Rwandan men and women with business skills. The team, which is part of the annual visit of Conservative volunteers, under the Umubano Project, delivered a presentation on developing negotiation and teamwork skills and held smaller group sessions with business people from various parts of the country. The team of volunteers took time to listen to Rwandan businesspeople and helped address the challenges within their companies. The group also held meetings with capital firms to discuss the potential of the Rwandan stock exchange. The other group, the Umubano Senate project, is working at the Parliament buildings, meeting with senate staff and presenting new ideas on staffing in government. Stephen Crabb MP made a presentation on operations within the British parliament. The group’s communications coordinator, highlighted coaching cricket among the ongoing activities. “Umubano cricketers have been working with children in Girubuntu, coaching and carrying on their kit donation scheme. They visited Kagarama School in Kicukiro in the afternoon to coach children and their teachers,” Doorey told The New Times. On Monday, the Conservatives Project Umubano began their cricket coaching clinic involving young Rwandans at Kabusunzu School. The team of UK volunteers visited the school located in Kigali to hold cricket lessons for the children there. “Around 45 children were taught batting skills with the donated equipment brought by the Project, before matches of cricket began,” Doorey said. “Many of the children had never played before, but before long, they were hitting sixes into the playground. At break time, hundreds of children poured on to the playing fields to cheer on each side,” The team will travel around the country, working with teachers and community leaders to teach cricket and hold their match against the Rwandan 35ers on Saturday. Project Umubano is the Conservative Partys social action project in Rwanda and Sierra Leone. The Project is taking place for the fifth year with expanded teams going to both Rwanda and Sierra Leone. More than 100 volunteers have already signed up for the Project, which is entirely self-funded. Set up in 2007 by the Prime Minister David Cameron and Andrew Mitchell MP, Project Umubano is the first time a British political party has engaged in a social action projects in the developing world. Ends

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Conservatives boost business skills, coach cricket