The Tour Guides Forum Uganda (TFGU) is a registered association of tour guides and tourist drivers in Uganda.
Even while its members are bearing the brunt of the COVID-19 pandemic since Uganda was first locked down in March 2020, charity was the priority.
The organization donated wheelchairs, clothes, reusable sanitary pads, and soap to vulnerable groups in the Ngora village of Soroti located in Eastern Uganda. by Tony Ofungi – eTN Uganda
The second lockdown that took place in early June saw the tourism sector exempted from the lockdown with licensed tour operators allowed to operate unhindered after clearance by the Transport Licensing Board of the Ministry of Works and Transport, limited to foreign tourists. Although this was a reprieve for tour operators and guides alike, several companies were swamped with cancellations and sought to reschedule or resell gorilla permits altogether, dashing hopes of restarting the sector.
Some lodges (names withheld) were uncompromising on their cancellation policies, urging tour operators to rely on travel insurance to make their claims for refunds, much to the frustration of tour operators.
“In spite of the setbacks,” said Chairman of Tourism Guides Forum Uganda, James Mwere, “We have guides who had invested in other areas before the pandemic came up and were able to contribute some small funds for these community projects. Yes, most tour guides have not been working for about 2 years now, but this pandemic gives us something to learn, to always be innovative with our income.
“Much thanks to our members for the great heart of help and love. To my team I traveled with, you are amazing – Joseph Mutebi, Lubowa Moses, Luchi Williams, Zed Bbale, Carol Amutuhairwe, Nangai Paul, Tamale Joseph, Cesar Edrom,a and Ben Ajadu – may God bless you abundantly.”
Many on the team belong to the founding members of the said association and had invested in farming, poultry, and real estate. Mwere, who sells chicken products, said that the association is looking at getting partners on board.
In Uganda, from January 3, 2020, to today, July 21, 2021, there have been 90,910 confirmed cases of COVID-19 with 2,412 deaths, as reported by the World Health Organization (WHO). As of July 19, 2021, a total of 1,058,084 vaccine doses have been administered throughout the country.
