‘I have searched for a job for three years in vain’
Chris Twinomugisha in his father’s plantation. He says his parents have been forced to sell off the land to pay the debts they incurred when they paid for his tuition fees in university. Courtesy photo.
My name is Chris Twinomugisha graduated from Kampala International University (KIU) in November 2011 with Bachelor of Science in Environmental Management.
I started hunting for jobs. In January 2012 when Ntungamo District Local Government advertised job vacancies I applied to become a town agent but I was never shortlisted. In July 2012, I applied to work with Reynold Construction Company (RCC) as a store keeper but I never got the job.
The search gets harder
I kept on the lookout, searching for jobs advertised in newspapers but I never found one which needed a person that had studied environmental management. We studied things like soil and water conservation, tree planting and management, environmental conservation, demography among other community related course units.
Ntungamo District local government advertised job vacancies again, in June 2013. I applied for community development officer because they were looking for community development personnel but I was never shortlisted. My friend in Bushenyi told me to apply for a job in the forestry department and give him the application and all documents which I did but I was never called.
I decided to take a certificate course in entrepreneurship at Rap Technical Institute in Ntungamo. In November 2013, I applied for the job of cashier at Kabale White Horse Inn but failed to get it. It reached a time when I and my parents could not raise money for my travels to hunt for job. I decided to remain at home and concentrate on maintaining our banana plantation.
I feel I am a discouragement to young people who want to study. When they see me around, they look at education as useless. The debts my parents incurred to pay my tuition and finance my movements have eaten the little property that had remained.
They would stake family land to get me the money I needed but now that I can’t pay back, they are selling on the land to refund the borrowed money from individuals, village saving groups and the bank.
