ONDUPARAKA FC FANS LEADERSHIP LAUNCH FUNDRAISING DRIVE TO PURCHASE CLUB A MINI BUS

Left to Right) Orodriyo Charles (Fans Patron) , Buti Ceasor Galdino (COC-Chaiperson), Asiku Albine (fansVice President) and Andabati Sunday (Advisor) during the project launch Press Conference

By Godwin Abedican

Arua

The leadership of Onduparaka football club fans has initiated and launched a project towards purchasing a mini bus to cater for the transportation of players ahead of the anticipated return of the club to the Uganda premier leagues in the next season 2025/2026.

This is the second time the club is in a drive to purchase a bus. Previously members of the public initiated a drive to purchase a bus for Onduparaka football club out of which 411 people contributed around 15 million Ugandan shillings which caused uproars with some people asking for a refund of their monies when the management failed to buy the said bus.

According to Buti Ceasor Galdino, the central organizing Committee Chairperson for this current fundraising project, the leadership of the fans has opened an independent account for the drive and promises weekly public updates on the collections made.

“For the last one week, we have been having meetings with the club chairperson and the directors. We investigated where the 15 million collected in the previous drive is and we were able to find it, we have 10 million from MTN, then the club chairman and director also contributed 5 million. Making a total of 30 million to kick start this project. On that note we now got energy to move ahead,” he said in a statement during a press briefing fir launching the fundraising drive.

Buti says, from preliminary findings at different car bonds, a modest good mini bus as opposed to the previous option of buying a bus will cost between 180 million to 200 million but due to the need to work on the seats, charging system for players and a TV in the bus, they have estimated a project cost of 250 million shillings
Noting the challenges that the club is going through, the C.O.C Chairperson says if public intervention is not taken up, the future of the club shall remain uncertain.

The 7 months project that runs until July 2025 targets raising around 220 million shillings to fill the gap after realizing 30 million shillings already.

Albine Asiku, the Vice president Onduparaka football fans association calls upon the public to support the club given the benefits it has brought to the region “The team is not doing badly off and is not where we expect it to be. The team needs our support and help plus courage. Nothing else. This team has suffered a lot in terms of expenses. And as fans leadership, we sat down and profiled all the expenses that the club goes through and we realize that there is one mega expense which if taken off from the club, the welfare of the team will improve, and that is none other than the expense of transportation,” he cited. 

He says that, in the previous drive, the targets could not be met and after the committee sat to discuss how the dive can be made better, the final decisions have been reached to ensure the plans come to be accomplished.

Meanwhile   Charles Orodriyo, the fans club patron speaking during the project launch press conference city said for the club to be sustained, it’s only the approach through the fans that can work.

After realizing 30 million so far to kick start the project the fans leadership is now targeting to get 1 million shillings from  around 200 different entities, 5 million from Ondu fans day to be organized on February 15, 2025,  2 million from Car wash during match days for the remaining home fixtures, 1 million each from 10 events clubs in Kampala and West Nile, 5 million from the  fans and the general public , 5 million each from 4 different concerts including comedy, gospel , circular and charity and also raising 10 million  through advertising on the Ondu-Fans Online-TV