DPF Commissions ESG Garden Benches at Soroti University and Islamic University in Uganda (IUIU) Mbale main campus and enhances the financial literacy agenda
The Deposit Protection Fund of Uganda (DPF) has commissioned forty Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) compliant garden benches at Soroti University and the Islamic University in Uganda (IUIU), Mbale Campus, as part of its continued engagement with higher institutions of learning to promote financial literacy, environmental sustainability and conducive learning environments.
The two-day engagements, held on Wednesday, August 19, 2026, at Soroti University and on Thursday, August 20, 2026, at IUIU Mbale Campus, brought together university management, staff, students and DPF officials. Beyond the commissioning of the benches, the engagements provided an opportunity for DPF to interact directly with the university communities and raise awareness about its mandate, deposit protection and the importance of financial literacy.
The ESG garden benches are designed to provide practical and convenient spaces for the university community. Speaking on behalf of the Chief Executive Officer, Dr. Julia Clare Olima Oyet (Mrs.), DPF Director Communications, Mr. Patrick Ezaga, said the intervention, although simple, would add value to the university environment.
“These benches may appear to be a simple intervention, but we are confident that they will add value to the University. Students and staff alike need convenient spaces to sit, read, interact, exchange ideas, relax and build relationships. In a university environment, such spaces contribute to a more conducive and supportive learning experience.”
In the Financial Year 2025/2026, DPF has invested UGX 20 million each to provide twenty ESG garden benches at IUIU Mbale Campus and twenty at Soroti University. The intervention also reflects DPF’s commitment to the environmental and social dimensions of Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) principles.
As part of the initiative, the Fund delivered five hundred tree seedlings to each of the two universities for growing in accordance with their respective landscaping masterplans. The tree-growing component is intended to contribute to environmental conservation while creating greener and more sustainable university environments for present and future generations.
Mr. Ezaga encouraged the university communities and Guild leadership to nurture and protect the trees as a long-term investment. “The trees we plant today are an investment for the future,” he noted.
At Soroti University, Mr. Oloya Stephen, University Secretary, speaking on behalf of the Vice Chancellor, thanked DPF for the initiative, noting that the benches would contribute to their vision of an ambience that is conducive for a University.
He described the intervention as an appropriate innovation capable of weathering the storm and standing the test of time given that they are made of concrete and not metal or wood which do not last. He expressed the University’s commitment to further improving the spaces around the benches through measures such as providing shade and lighting.
The University leadership also encouraged DPF to continue supporting financial literacy initiatives within the university community and invited the Fund to consider conducting an online seminar for university staff and management.
At IUIU Mbale Campus, Dr. Jamil Serwanga, Vice Rector, expressed appreciation for the initiative and requested that this noble gesture from DPF should be the foundation for a long-standing partnership between DPF and the University. He noted that DPF’s initiative had enhanced the visibility of IUIU as a centre of excellence in implementing the intervention.
The IUIU Guild President, Mr. Kaale Muhamud, also thanked DPF for the benches, noting their contribution to students’ learning, socialisation and networking.
The engagements also provided an opportunity for DPF to congratulate Soroti University on emerging as the overall winner and IUIU Mbale Campus as the first runner-up in the inaugural DPF Higher Institutions Quiz. The achievement further demonstrated the value of sustained engagement between the Fund and higher institutions of learning.
The ESG garden benches are part of DPF’s broader strategy to build meaningful and sustained partnerships with higher institutions of learning, which the Fund considers an important audience for deposit protection awareness and financial literacy.
Students and staff are current or potential users of financial services, while students also have the potential to influence financial knowledge and practices among their peers, families and communities.
Through initiatives such as the ESG garden benches, tree growing, the Higher Institutions Quiz and financial literacy engagements, DPF is strengthening its connection with the next generation of professionals, entrepreneurs and leaders while promoting awareness of deposit protection, responsible financial decision-making and environmental stewardship.
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