Kampala — Uganda and the European Union have marked five decades of partnership with the launch of a special photo exhibition highlighting the lives and work of 12 Ugandans whose experiences reflect the breadth of EU-Uganda cooperation.

The exhibition, titled "Together Tukola, Built By Uganda, Backed by the European Union," was launched on Thursday at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs offices in Kampala by the Ministry and the EU Delegation to Uganda.

It uses personal stories to showcase five decades of cooperation between Uganda and the European Union across areas including renewable energy, education, health, gender equality, the creative economy, human rights, environmental conservation, agriculture, infrastructure and private-sector development.

The 12 Ugandan stories featured in the exhibition include those of an electric boda boda driver in Kampala, a Ugandan film star, a midwife from Lamwo, a human rights defender from Adjumani, a coffee farmer from Nakaseke and a refugee teacher from Yumbe.

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Others include a young female engineer involved in the construction of the Kampala Northern Bypass, a fisherman on the shores of Lake Victoria and a farmer from the Karamoja sub-region.

According to the Ministry, the stories are intended to give a human face to the Uganda-EU relationship by showing how cooperation has intersected with the lives and work of ordinary Ugandans over the past 50 years.

From reconstruction to sustainable development

The Uganda-EU partnership has evolved alongside Uganda's changing development priorities.

The Ministry said earlier cooperation focused on rebuilding infrastructure, supporting rural development and expanding access to essential services.

In recent years, the partnership has increasingly placed emphasis on sustainable development, climate action, decent employment, innovation and opportunities for young people.

Permanent Secretary at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Vincent Waiswa Bagiire, welcomed the EU Delegation to the ministry and commended previous and current generations of the delegation for their efforts to nurture the relationship over the years.

EU Ambassador to Uganda Jan Sadek said the significance of the partnership should ultimately be measured by its impact on people's lives.

"A partnership is ultimately measured not only in years, but in lives changed," Sadek said.

He said the 12 stories featured in the exhibition demonstrate how Ugandans' determination, talent and enterprise have contributed to shaping the country's future alongside programmes, investments and policies supported through the partnership.

Uganda calls for next phase of cooperation

Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Haruna Kasolo Kyeyune, said the Uganda-EU partnership has formed part of Uganda's development story over the past five decades.

He cited cooperation in infrastructure, essential services, education, livelihoods, innovation and sustainable growth as areas in which the partnership has touched Ugandans across generations.

As Uganda and the EU look toward the next 50 years, Kasolo said cooperation should increasingly respond to Uganda's changing priorities.

He highlighted the need for closer cooperation on accessible and additional climate finance, trade that rewards quality and value addition, and education and innovation that connect universities with enterprises.

He also pointed to multilateral cooperation where Africa and Europe can work together on issues of shared interest.

Kasolo said Uganda remains committed to a practical, comprehensive and mutually beneficial partnership with the European Union, building on the foundations established over the past five decades while expanding cooperation into new areas of mutual benefit.

The exhibition therefore provides a visual account of the Uganda-EU relationship through the experiences of individual Ugandans, while also setting the stage for discussions about the priorities that could shape cooperation in the next 50 years.