Mara Foundation Launches "Uganda 2012 - More Than Kony 2012" Video as Counter to Invisible Children's Kony Videos

Mara Foundation Launches "Uganda 2012 - More Than Kony 2012" Video as Counter to Invisible Children's Kony Videos

LONDON, April 3, 2012/PRNewswire/ --

To show a very different Uganda to that depicted in the viral "Kony 2012" video, Mara
Foundation of Uganda has launched "Uganda 2012 - More than Kony 2012"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yi1poly673k a three-minute video that comprehensively
summarises Uganda, displaying its natural endowment and the vast opportunities that exist
in tourism, business and lifestyle. This is to counter the negative impression of the
country created by Invisible Children's viral video, which the foundation believes may
have damaged Uganda's reputation for years to come.

The foundation credits the "Kony 2012" video with surpassing all expectations in
raising awareness of the activities of warmonger Joseph Kony, but says it simultaneously
created an impression in the minds of many that Uganda today is unsafe and unstable,
whereas the reality is very different.

While the Foundation hopes that the video does not downplay the goal of capturing
Kony, it hopes to present a more balanced representation of Uganda that many Ugandans feel
they rightly deserve.

The fact that Lonely Planet named Uganda as the top destination to visit in 2012 is a
testimony to the country's rising popularity as a world-class tourist destination. Mara
Foundation says that their aim is that the hundred million people who watched "Kony 2012"
view "Uganda 2012 - more than Kony 2012" as well, and see a very different story of the
country. Founder of Mara Group and Mara Foundation, Ashish J. Thakkar, who was recently
selected as a Young Global Leader by World Economic Forum, says, "As a passionate advocate
of Africa, and most especially Uganda, I want the world to view Uganda as it is -
beautiful, serene, and entrepreneurial. We have had enough of people trying to create a
negative impression of us as a continent and fundraising on the back of it." Ashish is
also flying into space as a Founder Astronaut for Virgin Galactic representing East Africa
as a way to promote the region.

Launching the Presidential Initiative on Sustainable Tourism in London earlier this
year, Uganda's President Museveni emphasised the importance of attracting visitors to
Uganda as the preliminary to other growth opportunities for the nation. "While tourism is
about travel, Uganda's 5-year National Development Plan (NDP) recognizes the tourism
sector as one of the primary growth drivers of the economy that create market for local
products. Tourism is in essence the opening of a window of opportunities into Uganda," he
said.

NOTES FOR EDITORS

Mara Foundation is the Mara Group's non-profit social enterprise for emerging African
entrepreneurs, focused on Sub-Saharan Africa.

http://www.mara-foundation.org

Mara Group, set up by Ashish J. Thakkar is a pan-African conglomerate with offices in
18 African Countries with 5,000 employees, which was recently named as a Global Growth
Company by the World Economic Forum.

http://www.mara-group.com

CONTACT

Meera Ashish, Strategy & Communications Director, Mara Foundation
mail@meera-ashish.com

Nigel Ball, Director, Mara Foundation
nigel@mara-foundation.org

@marafoundation
@ashishmaragroup
http://www.youtube.com/marafoundation

Source: Mara Group

Meera Ashish, Strategy & Communications Director, Mara Foundation, +97150-6307227; Nigel Ball, Director, Mara Foundation, +256-754-333-414

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