In Bwaise, an area often defined by its challenging economic indicators, where statistics suggest that four out of every ten households are currently battling food insecurity, the atmosphere on Monday morning was noticeably different.
Instead of the usual struggle for daily provisions, the community gathered for the “Just Believe Day,” a collaborative outreach that attempted to move the needle from mere subsistence to long-term economic empowerment.
Spearheaded by Ugandan music sensation Joshua Baraka and supported by MARU Credit, the initiative offered a departure from traditional corporate social responsibility (CSR) models. While the event facilitated the distribution of relief items to over 1,000 families, organizers insisted that the focus was as much on intellectual property as it was on immediate sustenance.
"Our partnership with the Just Believe Foundation is about bridging the gap between our financial services and a community that has historically been on the periphery of formal banking," said Norbert Aonu, Senior Credit Supervisor at MARU Credit. "We are here to support, but more importantly, to empower the Ugandan creative industry."
For many in Bwaise’s informal settlement, the challenge is not just a lack of capital, but a lack of visibility and legal protection for their talent. Recognising this, MARU Credit integrated an educational workshop into the outreach program, focusing on the business of music and intellectual property (IP).
The logic is simple: the creative economy is a massive, yet largely untapped, revenue stream for Uganda’s youth. By teaching artists how to navigate the complex world of royalties, rights management, and contracts, the initiative aims to provide a sustainable path out of the food insecurity trap.
Joshua Baraka, who has been at the forefront of the campaign, expressed his optimism regarding the ripple effect of such collaborations.
"Seeing over a thousand families supported is a testament to what is possible when we combine our resources for good," Baraka said. "But the real impact will be seen when these young creatives start securing their own futures through the business knowledge shared today."
Economists have often argued that relief efforts, while necessary in the short term, rarely solve the structural issues that keep urban populations in a cycle of poverty. By marrying relief with financial literacy and business training, the “Just Believe Day” offers a prototype that other financial institutions might look to emulate.
Joshua Mazune, the Managing Director of MARU Credit, noted that the event in Bwaise is only the first step in a broader strategy.
"Our presence here marks the beginning of a continued journey to uplift those often overlooked by traditional systems," Mazune stated. "MARU Credit’s commitment to supporting underserved communities remains unwavering, and we believe that the creative sector, if properly supported, can be a major engine for household-level change."
As the event concluded, the focus shifted from the immediate relief provided to the long-term potential of the youth who participated in the workshops. For Bwaise, the hope is that today’s workshop on the business of music might, in the long run, do more for food security than any single distribution of food ever could.
