We want to reunite Ugandans in US

Who is Shamim Tendo?
I am a Ugandan entrepreneur, and journalist who has lived in America for the past seven years. 

I am the spokesperson of Uganda American Entertainment,  a nonprofit organisation that seeks to reunite Ugandans in the US and the wider  diaspora.

When did you first travel? 
In 2006, I went  to Nairobi after my friends’ wedding. The couple invited me to join them on their honeymoon.

Tell us your experience on the plane?
For Nairobi, it was almost an hour or less travel and I do not have fond memories of the journey.  

However, the journey I treat  seriously was the one to The Netherlands. I was going for a short course in journalism. En route to The Netherlands, I was about five months pregnant and it was exciting.

Back to the Uganda America Entertainment Expo and Gala. What is it all about?
The gala will include: entertainment, business expo, where Ugandan business owners will showcase their products and services to the diaspora community and also network and market themselves.

It will also consist of a charity fundraising to benefit the girl child in Uganda. The fundraising targets helping teenage girls who got pregnant during the Covid-19 lockdown and cannot access basic needs.

This is an annual event slated for September at Sheraton Universal Hotel near Universal Studios and Hollywood Walk of Fame.

What makes this event different from other diaspora events?
We would like to unite  Ugandans in  the diaspora regardless of their political, religious or tribal affiliation.  Ugandans in the diaspora have for years been divided, especially by politics and our agenda is to reunite them.

Also, this expo is different because for years similar arrangements have been promising a lot and delivering less. 
We realised that after a few disappointments for the last  few years a group of people came together and chose to get things back to the way they used to be.  

It has now become a tradition for Ugandans to convene every Labour Day weekend and it is an opportunity for the Ugandan community to get together, unwind, network and make merry.

The main purpose of this event is to entertain and give Ugandans a chance to take a break from the pressure and stress of our daily lives.

You mean you don’t have any political backup?
Politics has been at the centre of disunity among people in the diaspora. We respect political beliefs of individuals but we are not aligning the event to any political outfit in Uganda.

What do you want to achieve and who are the organisers?
We are a group of independent Ugandans who came together under Uganda American Entertainment, a non-profit organisation. 

We look forward to the day when Ugandans will once again come together as one community. Our people are worryingly divided and we are here to provide an alternative. 

The proceeds from this event will go towards the girl child that has been affected by Covid-19.  We also prioritise Ugandan talent and we have invited artistes such as Kenneth Mugabi, Azawi, Winnie Nwagi, Mathias Walukagga, Chosen Becky and Vinka.

Why are there many rivalries amongst diaspora events arrangements?
As mentioned earlier, there are a couple  few  issues that usually create the differences and these are mainly political and tribal. 

However, we want to eliminate those rivalries and create unity.

Quick notes

What books do you read?
 I grew up reading novels but as I grew older, I switched to self-help books and my first was Woman Of Substance and my recent read was How To Win Friends And Influence People by Dale Carnegie. 
The music you listen to is...?
RnB from the 1990s,  gets me hooked.