Dear Entrepreneur― The Innovation Village’s Founder and CEO, CK Japheth’s uplifting letter to entrepreneurs. 2020 was a fight for survival, CK Japheth tells entrepreneurs, and urges Uganda to use this festive season to take stock and recharge batteries for 2021

Gentlemen, I hope this finds you well. I wanted to deliver this myself. But you know, COVID happened. That has become a very acceptable excuse for any meeting you don’t want to attend. When this year began, I know how excited you were—all the hopes and dreams you had. We thought, as entrepreneurs, we were going to take over the world. We thought this was finally the year when it all comes to life. That this is the year, we’ve been waiting for. And then as you know, the pandemic happened. We were all forced to go home, wash our hands and stay safe.

When people ask me what they need to do to become an entrepreneur, I tell them, don’t start because I know how impossible the work you do is. And if they tell me they have started, I tell them, don’t stop because I know, that is how we win as entrepreneurs. Our prayers are with all of those who have lost a loved one during this difficult time, and those struggling with the different challenges, including closure of business. But if anything this pandemic has taught me is that no one has all the answers. And as entrepreneurs, we know that we shouldn’t waste a crisis.

They say that every generation has a revolution; the revolution for this generation is innovation and entrepreneurship. So in not wasting this crisis, I encourage you to be a solution to all the challenges we face as communities and businesses. As we conclude the year, I call upon you to reflect on all the challenges you’ve overcome to get to this level. I believe you have fought a good fight. I therefore encourage you to rest, chill, take a pause and reflect on how we can come back stronger together in 2021.

From everybody at The Innovation Village, I’d like to wish you a very Merry Festive Season. May the New Year bring you new hopes, new dreams and new aspirations and let’s continue to be the change we want to see as entrepreneurs.