 Do you believe that poverty is the state of mind? A hundred percent. It only manifests into a physical form. It only takes a physical form when you start lacking things, but poverty exists with a person whether they have money or not. You can even give someone a million dollars and you waste it in two months. Now that is poverty that has wasted the money. It wasn't just a problem that he didn't have money. It doesn't have the capacity to hold it and manage it. I leave this end. I want to be known as Africa's number one braga. Please add that to my name. Wadamaya, Africa's number one braga. The guy who brags about the beauty of Africa. The guys who goes around to brag about successful Africans. Yes, I take pride in that. I believe in the motherland celebrating every African I am. I'm excited because I made it to Uganda and I can't wait to show you why it's called the Pearl of Africa. I am here to brag about a young African. Is there a millionaire or billionaire? No, actually, I may be moving to a billion dollars. I have never heard of this guy, but when I landed in Uganda, I asked my community which Ugandan entrepreneur do you guys want me to feature and most of the people recommended him. I'm by the names of Mr. and Mrs. Chugundo. A Ugandan businessman trading in real estate and now moving largely into agro processing and value addition. I was born in Uganda, I've lived in Uganda all my life. If you've never left the country. No, I travel in and out but... I mean, I'm talking about like you left Uganda to steady abroad. No, no, no. All I've done and all I've achieved in Africa. Actually, I think I'm a living example of the fact that you can make it in Africa. How is a real estate developer? But developing residential homes is not his core business. So what is the core business then? No, I have quite a lot of commercial properties in Uganda. In various areas, from commercial structures to now real estate housing structures for residential. I have quite a number of projects, quite a number. Can you believe that this guy built the replica of the White House right here in Uganda? When you look at the United States, I would say one of the best elements that has penetrated the African mind is Hollywood. Because our young children think that what is in Hollywood, that's the way they should live. And the signature mark of 90% of American movies is the White House. So I was like, what can I do with the resources I have that can get bajulit of my fellow Africans and Ugandans per se, start believing in themselves and the fact that we can make it here. And I was like, if I'm to put up my headquarters, let me make it like the White House. To give them confidence, someone passes it and it's like, wow, it's just like the one in the United States. So, you know, the mind is key. His house looks like a castle. When you look at the house I built, I live in a very big house on 11 acres. But you know, a person needs only one room, I have like eight cars, but you can drive one car at a time, but why? That big house, a person can only live in one room, person can only live on one bed, and even on the bed, you can only stay on one side of the bed. We have a soap fountain and you can sit as it on sauna, steam bath. You have a sauna still in the bedroom? Yeah, we have sauna, steam bath and you know. To me, I thought this guy has achieved everything. But when I asked him what is your biggest achievement, he told me, establishing this agro processing business right here in Uganda. By adding value to the raw materials they produce in the country. You don't think that's incredible? No, like you've seen, you've got a chance to move around my projects and I think all my projects are big. But agro processing and value addition is going to be my biggest project because you see, our economy is small as Uganda and my aspirations and projections are big. So if I penetrate and take agro processed products beyond Uganda to the big economies where we can sign contracts in billions of dollars, I think I'll spread bigger and better and I'll be able to remit reasonable amounts of money or drop back reasonable amounts of money into the outgrowers. Why Uganda? So my plan forward is not individual but communal. In Ham Pan's village, you got a football page. As you can see, I just called a go that you've never seen in your entire life. Which means that in this village, they got a football page. But he could be satisfied with the football page that he has built in his own estate. But can you believe it? This young guy is building a modern stadium in the city of Kampala. Like you can serve a lot of projects running and putting up a stadium for 200 million dollars. Is it a private stadium? Actually, the main effect of the stadium, it's the frustration to my fellow Ugandan that if I can do it, they can equally do it. And if we can independently and from an individual perspective pull off such a devouement, still we can spearhead the devouement of Uganda. He is young, a 39 year old, almost worth a billion. I know the question that is going through your mind. Just like what is going through my mind is... What did you do different from your age mates or your peers? I am constant on this thing of reason because that's all. That's all there is if you want to solve a problem. When God created humanity, in fact God created us naked, but with a brain. It is only through the brain that we managed to transform over a given period of time. Now we are flying, everything is on the phone, ICT. These are all, it is evidence of our reasoning capacity as humans. So when you ask me, what do you think you do different from others that has made you achieve what you achieve? It's just reason. If we want to develop and elevate Africa, I think we should attack the mind of the Africans. For all that hams has been able to achieve in this very short time. If you ever ask me, what is the major challenge, I would definitely tell you about finance, but to hams? I would say negativity, people are so negative. Even if you are doing something to their advantage, some may do it out of ignorance, but the majority do it out of hate. So that leaves me wondering how shall we pull up when we fight so much to keep each other down? Hams does not grant interviews, but he gave me the opportunity to speak to him for the first time on camera. I think I've made it in life and because of this, can you all do me a favor and like this video? Now, I notice that most of you watch the videos without liking. Come on, thank you. But hey, if today is your first time seeing this annoying face on your screen, I'm your one and only annoying village boy on a journey to change the negative narrative of Africa by celebrating African excellence. Please subscribe and support our journey. Thank you so much. Now, let's dive into the video because I am inspired and I know you will be inspired. Everyone calls you Ham, but I'm going to call you Mr. Ham. Yeah, that's fine. Are you made in Africa? 100%. I'm Ugandan and proudly African. All I've done and all I've achieved in Africa, actually I think I'm a living example of the fact that you can make it in Africa. So why the doubt that it's not possible to make it in Africa? Actually, I think that is a little bit wide because it all comes down to one element I think which is reason. For me, I believe we are a direct reflection of our reasoning capacity. I would ask, what do you think is the difference between the West and us despite the fact that Africa holds 80% of the resources, yet exploitation takes place in the West and they claim they donate to Africa. Simply because we haven't figured out on how to realize the prevailing resources we have at hand naturally to exploit them towards our own prosperity. So, success and failure at the end of the day just like I wrote a book, success and failure based on reason and reality. For me, I believe reason is one of the governing elements of someone's capacity to attituately analyze what is before them and see how they can make it towards their own prosperity and the society at large. So, the distance and gap between success and failure is merely reason. Are you trying to say Africa is poor because you are not reasoning? No reason is a little bit deep because if I take it from a general perspective I think all present, past and future discoveries of humanities are a mere reflection of the reasoning capacity of humanity or people of that particular period in time. Reason governs everything. When God created man, He created us with a mind. For me, I believe success and failure it all starts and ends in the mind. There are limited resources in the world that satisfy man is unlimited once. So, it's how someone utilizes the limited resources towards their own progress, prosperity and the societies where they live. What's your definition for success? Survival can be success. A man can successfully survive on earth. So, success is a little bit broad. Ability to live within your means and ability to manage your life and solve your problems can be an element of success. But as humans we move for this success where you build empires a lot of finances. Are you talking about that kind of success? I think when it comes to success to so many I mean the word successful people I mean we say successful people are people who have been able to accumulate wealth. Yeah, someone could say that ham is a successful man but you see for me I believe ability to reason is an element of success because when you look at Africa and the West I think the difference between Africa and the West is merely reason because you see they have simply out risen dust something as simple as that because you hear me talk about reason but just like I defined it in my book actually I wrote two books success and failure based on reason and reality another book which says reason as the world masterpiece why do I say reason as the world masterpiece in life we all have challenges and we all think thinking is basic but reasoning is deep when you think acts first and short term when you reason you articulate deeply and act long term that's why we see most of African programs even when it comes to our countries we don't tend to take the long term drive we want short term so just like I defined reason in my book reason is one is ability to deeply articulate analyze the prevailing circumstances let it be an element of a challenge or a problem in order for that person to grasp and understand it in its totality within realistic parameters which gives them the ability to forge a corresponding solution to such a problem a productive continuous chain of one's ability to solve life challenges is what is transformed into progress and prosperity at the end of that day what problem are you solving in Uganda? now when you talk about Uganda is a little bit big but what problems have I solved in my life to some extent our status is and what we possess may it be a direct reflection of our reasoning capacity if you ask me ham what have you done to get where you are today I'll give you an answer reason is that what you did differently because you're so young and what you've been able to achieve I think my next question will be what did you do different from your age mates or your peers? reason because you see I'm constant on this thing of reason because that's all that's all there is if you want to solve a problem when God created humanity in fact God created us naked but with a brain it is only through the brain that we manage to transform over a given period of time now we are flying everything is on the phone ICT these are all you know it is evidence of our reasoning capacity as humans so when you ask me ham what do you think you do different from others that has made you achieve what you achieve it's just reason if you want to develop and elevate Africa I think we should attack the mind of the Africans if we can get Africans to reason I think we shall have solved all the problems of Africa if Africa holds all the world majority of the world resources yet we are still donated to up to day we take resources in raw materials minerals and they are brought back in form of peanuts in donation what stops us from utilization of available resources and their exploitation towards or a finished product in line or in the direction of our prosperity what is stopping us the resources are here now what is stopping us we are not reasoning enough but according to you what do you think is the problem of Africa I think we haven't exploited our reasoning capacity to forge a way forward for our continent because at the end of the day if you ask me what does Africa need to do to develop I will tell you things like unity but it takes reason for us to unify we cannot unify physically if we haven't unified in the mind we talk about borders but these borders are only physical the real borders of Africa are in our minds if we agreed mentally that we take out the borders I think they would be out but we fade to reason even on the simplest things Africa would have one unified flag Africa would have a free trading zone Africa would be traveling on one passport why do I need to cross from me at South Africa through a visa all these things the limiting factor of our ability to grow despite the resources we hold as a continent is reason someone may ask what is reason but you see reason is so simple and so precise that its strength lies in its softness actually it takes reason to reason and yet almost we have all the capacity to adjust and kickstart our reasoning capacity the books I wrote were known to tell you how much he has achieved what is he looking to achieve no these books were made to kickstart a person is reasoning capacity to make you think what am I doing wrong how can I explore the prevailing circumstances towards my own progress Ham let's go back to how it all started what was your first ever business that you invested in it comes my personal progress I started as a young man made it after my A level classes before joining campus I started trading my family was a trading background but I started really small trading in garments on retail scale mainly ladies garments and bags then I moved into to another bigger scale of the same I started getting these things from Thailand, Hong Kong and China and selling them not only to Uganda domestically but also regionally to Burundi businessmen from Burundi, Rwanda, Sudan Kongo a wholesale center people from the village different areas of Uganda central north everywhere they come and shop their stock from here which they take back and sell on retail so that's why you see a lot of people most people coming from the villages to trade on wholesale they go back and sell on retail I think I even saw people from different African countries we have Kongolis we have Kenyans we have Tanzanians we have Sudanis people from different East African countries come and shop here and take back to their country as my capital group I moved into real estate putting up a few commercial structures now I've moved into industrialization you can serve a lot of projects running I'm putting up a stadium for $200 million I'm setting up 500 houses an estate of 500 houses I'm setting up agro-possessing industries so I'm doing quite a lot Welcome to Nakivibo stadium the only stadium that was designed built and funded by Uganda that's incredible man when you're walking around and you see what you've been able to achieve how does that make you feel actually as an element of reason I don't take too much pride in what I've achieved because the reality is what I've achieved I already have otherwise if you focus too much on what you have within perimeters of reason then it denies you that drive to strive for what you haven't achieved yet I don't think it is an element of reason to take too much pride in what you hold really? but I mean in Africa people who make it always want to let us know that they've made it what I have I have whether I'm proud or not it is there you see as a young African when I see a fellow young African who has been able to achieve so much success in a short time we tend to hate on that thinking that okay how did this guy accumulate his wealth we tend to attribute it to other sources I don't know has anyone ever yeah negativity is one of the limiting factors of progress in any society and trust me Africans at large are too negative they always want to pull down wherever they see going up but you see that goes back to the mind it is an element of inhibited reason because maybe if I'm up I can pull you down I can pull you up I can't pull you up when you're both on the ground but you see they don't think that way at the end of the day they always fight too much to pull you down and if you ask me where do I get pride am I proud of what I've achieved yeah to some extent if young people in Africa look up to me in what I've achieved because you see success and failure cannot be limited to an individual to some extent you learn this with time in fact prosperity or progress in a poor society becomes more over liability than an asset after some time because people look at you and they are like you see what harm has got our resources maybe the resources we have present would be enough if all of us had equal shares but how come we have too much and we have less so they start hitting on you but you don't hit back as a reasonable member of society you start thinking what can I do to improve the lives of those around me that is why you find like we have a problem majority of Africans are leaving the country going abroad this has been brought by our education systems that were imported and imposed and education system is supposed to provide corresponding solutions or build the society the young generation with the capacity to sort of problems within the privileged circumstances but these imposed imported and imposed education systems don't address our problems as Africans the way they are on ground that is why when majority of them finish studying they only think about one thing how do I go abroad in fact I would say we blame slavery but there are more Africans leaving the country today going abroad more over qualified ones with degrees than they were when they were being taken on chains what does it mean that we've been outrizoned, mentored slavery never left Africa it was simply upgraded from physical slavery to mental slavery and that is the problem we have so the West are successfully outrizoned Africans we can our politicians I've seen a lot of motivational speakers political speakers they talk about how the West has exploited us they talk about how they've made us suffer they talk about you know they keep criticizing the West on what they've done wrong for us to fail but they haven't talked about our inability to reason unafrican hates unafrican more than it can hate in a foreign person why? we have even failed to appreciate our identity identity is an element of reason simply identifying yourself and saying you know what I'm an African man and in Africa is where I belong for me I would with the kind of man I have I would move and move to the West but that is betray I can't live with it but why do you do all that the way you saw it to illustrate to my fellow Africans and Ugandans look here what you see in the States we can equally do it if I can get more Ugandans and Africans living in themselves as an element of reason together we can lift this continent up but something as simple as believing in our originality and character and the fact that we are Africans and it is our responsibility as Africans to develop this country as failed then we have even failed to take the first step we have even failed