Akula’s sight rides on NSSF benefits

When Mr Anderson Suubi Akula was born in then Pallisa District in 1986, his parents noticed his eyes were unwell a few months later. Out of curiosity, they took him to Mengo Hospital in Kampala for check-up. Back then, the technology was not advanced enough to handle Mr Akula’s condition so doctors referred him to a Nairobi based hospital.

“They said I would suit an operation so that the shortfalls in my sight would be corrected,” he says.
But his parents, instead, returned him home.
“My parents did not have the finances for things like the air ticket so they retreated since they did not have much to do.”

Sight problem
When he became of school going age, returning to class every day, children with normal eyes were intrigued by the nature of his eyes. It is then that he understood he was different.
“I started to search for my identity and when I passed Primary Leaving Examinations with a first grade, my parents got contacts of schools with special needs children and I went to school for the blind in Soroti where I was integrated,” he says.
As he grew, the disease took its toll on him. Images got blurrier and made it hard to cope with school. Soon he was in and out of hospitals which had become his source of hope.
Upon graduating with a Bachelor’s degree in Community Psychology, he got a job as a programme officer at Cheshire Services Uganda, an organisation that targets people with disabilities.
For the first time, he underwent two operations to treat corneal opacities, also known as cataracts. This condition left the part of his eyes that focus light and images cloudy.

“They affect the cornea and the light that enters is diverted. so I see blurry images, “he explains.
But once he was supported with assistive devices such as glasses and telescopes, he was able to see.
Three years after his contract expired, he worked with National Union of Disabled Persons of Uganda because of his advocacy agenda. At the same time, he had enrolled at Uganda Management Institute for a post graduate diploma in project management. As he completed in 2014, his sight deteriorated.

“It was to the point that I was torn apart between my job and health,” Mr Akula says.
But because he had done a bit of personal saving from investments, he quit his job. The work environment got very stressful and he needed specialised care.
In Nairobi, he was examined and advised to buy assistive devices to salvage his sight. However, he was out of money.

“While there, I realised that my savings had run out because of the immense expenditure I had gone through. I started thinking of where to run to,” he recalls.
Thankfully, he had saved with National Social Security Fund (NSSF) from his first job.
“I decided to convince NSSF to give me some little money as invalidity benefits because I had read about it extensively,” he thought.

With all his medical records dating back as far as the Mengo Hospital diagnosis, NSSF reviewed his application. With a request to undergo medical examination by the Fund’s ophthalmologist, Mr Akula’s hopes were dashed a bit.
“I somewhat lost hope probably because of the myths I had heard that NSSF pays you when you get old and you do not get it. That it is your children who get the money. But I said let me give it a shot,” Mr Akula explains.

The medical report from NSSF’s ophthalmologist made a serious case for Mr Akula. He was in dire need of specialised treatment and rehabilitation, the report indicated.
A fortnight after a call that informed him he would receive his benefits, a text message showing a deposit of Shs9m into his bank account returned him to self-belief.

“I thought it was a lie.But when I went to the bank, the money was indeed there,” he says.
His previous records with the disease offered an understanding into what his future looked like. The problem was not going anywhere, he knew. Doctors had offered counsel and assured him that all they could do was to alleviate the condition.

After some reflection, sustainability came to mind. “I had issues of esteem, mental torture and a lot of anguish. I decided to do a business plan and tried to scan the businesses around that can favour me to give back to community and sustain my life since I could hardly work,” Mr Akula narrates.

Investment
Barely able to do a million dollar investment because his savings were limited, he settled for a boda boda business. He bought a new motor cycle at Shs4m and another at Shs2.5m.
Entrepreneurs and business people recognise risks but their level of success depends on their ability to mitigate them. To mitigate the risks that come along with the business such as deceit on the workers’ side, Mr Akula vetted his riders and placed one motorcycle under his father’s management.

Like many businessmen, he took up a comprehensive insurance policy to ensure motor cycles’ safety.
Today, on average, the boda boda upcountry fetches him Shs10,000 a day while the one operating in Nansana, Wakiso District, earns him Shs15,000 per day since the demand for the service is higher. Within a month, his income roughly comes to Shs600,000 a month.
“It sustains my medical bills, makes sure my family survives and indeed, I have been able to pay for my master’s degree in Mount Kenya,” he says.

Advice
According to Mr Akula, his life offers insight into the trials many Ugandans go through. He says it is key to encourage people to prepare for invalidity through saving their income.
“People think of retirement and it is important. But what about invalidity? There are young people who are earning good money but who knows what can happen to them tomorrow?” he wonders.

The 32-year-old fundraising and grants officer at Comprehensive Rehabilitation Services in Uganda wishes young people internalise the concept of saving not only for retirement but also for eventualities.
Disability is like death and catches up with you wherever you are, he says. “If I had not got my money from NSSF, it would have been hard for me to move from job to job and to treat my condition. Even if you are not formally employed, there is a new way to save with NSSF through voluntary membership. This is because you do not know, today you are okay and tomorrow you are not,” he advised.

Plans.

Life is good today, he says. His sight problem hardly bothers him now. Years from now, he plans on establishing a wellness and life skills centre.
He believes getting more money from the NSSF’s Friends with Benefits project would go a long way in kick starting this journey.

To vote for Anderson Suubi Akula in the NSSF Friends with Benefits competition, dial *254# or go to www.nssfug.org.