Arua-based Onduparaka Football Club has re-launched a fundraising drive aimed at raising Shs 250 million for the purchase of a team bus ahead of next season.
Onduparaka, popularly known as the Caterpillars, rose to prominence in 2011 under the leadership of Benjamin Nyakuni before joining the Uganda Premier League (UPL).
During their first season in the top flight in 2017, Onduparaka was the only UPL team that went unbeaten at home, but the club was later relegated in the 2022/23 season and is currently playing in the FUFA Big League. At a press briefing held Monday at Hotel Letshuba in Arua, Ceaser Buti, Team Bus Project manager, disclosed that they have a target of seven months for the completion of the project.
According to Buti, the club will roll forward a previous contribution of Shs 15 million made when Onduparaka was in the UPL, adding that they are determined this time round to ensure they achieve this target of acquiring a minibus for the club.
Charles Orodriyo, patron for Onduparaka FC Fans, said they are ready to receive support from people of all political affiliations but will remain nonpartisan as a club.
In the first fundraising drive, Onduparaka received a pledge of Shs 10 million from MTN-Uganda and Shs 5 million as support from the club management. Other strategies the club seeks to employ for raising funds include identifying 200 entities to mobilize Shs 1 million each, organizing music concerts at Greenlight Stadium to mobilize at least Shs 5 million per concert.
Club vice president Allan Asiku said they have also earmarked launching a Fans TV and hope to mobilize at least Shs 10 million, organizing Ondu Nights within Kampala and West Nile, and hosting match day car wash campaigns and fans day events to raise more funds for the bus project.
“With all these strategies, we are determined and hopeful the club will have a bus by July this year and rise to the Uganda Premier League again,” Asiku said.