[Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents Volume 34, Number 13 (Monday, March 30, 1998)]
[Pages 493-494]
[Online from the Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

<R04>
Remarks at the Foundation for International Community Assistance Women's 
Village in Wanyange

March 24, 1998

    Thank you very much. I will try to say this right: Kodeyo. 
[Applause] Thank you. I must say it is a great honor for me to be around 
a group of women who say they are willing to give jobs to men. Thank you 
very much. [Laughter]

[[Page 494]]

    It is a great honor for me to be here with the President and Mrs. 
Museveni. My wife and I like these loan programs very much. And 
Florence, we thank you for the fine job you did being the leader of this 
program today. I want to thank Milli Mukyala and Robinah Balidawa, thank 
you very much for being an example to women, not only throughout Uganda 
and, indeed, Africa but throughout the world. The United States is proud 
to support FINCA in these efforts. FINCA now has set up 3,400 banking 
groups, like the two of which you're a part, in Africa, in Latin 
America, in the former Soviet Union.
    The United States, just in the last 2 years, has increased its 
support for such programs through our AID program, and now we are making 
over 2 million loans every year to people just like you--over 2 million. 
What that means is that women in villages like this all across the world 
are going to be able to meet the needs of their children, as Milli so 
eloquently describes, are going to be able to build the economies of 
their villages. It will make their nations stronger, and they will make 
the world a better place. So the song you sang today is a song for 
children everywhere. It's a song for women everywhere. It's a song for 
the future of the world everywhere. We will continue to support these 
programs as long as I am President.
    I want to say a special word of appreciation to my wife, who 
introduced me to these programs now over 12 years ago. Twelve years ago 
she came to me and told me about what was happening in a far away 
country in Asia--Bangladesh. And she said this could be done everywhere. 
And you have shown through your media and ours--today you have shown the 
whole world--what can be done in villages everywhere. So you have done a 
great service, not only to yourselves and your own children but for 
women just like you all across the globe. And we thank you very, very 
much.

Note: The President spoke at 6:07 p.m. In his remarks, he referred to 
Florence Kangolo, master of ceremonies; Milli Mukyala, dairy 
distribution operator; and Robinah Balidawa, business owner.