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Mak student leaders spearhead corruption, HIV/Aids fight in varsities
L-R: Ms Lorna Magara the Makerere University Council Chairperson, Mr Gozan Wilson Babinga Guild Speaker and Mr Elon Katweheyo the Leaders Strategies Team Leader at Life Ministry Uganda. PHOTO | NOELINE NABUKENYA
What you need to know:
- According to Ms Lorna Magara, the chairperson of Makerere University Council, students are vulnerable to challenges arising out of being financially unstable, dragging them into temptations of unhealthy relationships.
Makerere University student leaders have spearheaded the national Anti-corruption and HIV/Aids campaign in higher learning institutions.
The campaign is an initiative of Ms Janet Museveni, the First Lady and also Minister of Education who during the inauguration of the university council in February this year asked the council to join her and implement it in a bid to raise a dignified generation of youth in Uganda.
According to Ms Lorna Magara, the chairperson of Makerere University Council, students are vulnerable to challenges arising out of being financially unstable, dragging them into temptations of unhealthy relationships.
“Our findings indicate that the students are already sexually active. We therefore need to help them live a value-based life, to shape them so they know their worth. We don’t want petty things to land them into lifetime troubles of sexually transmitted diseases,” she said at a press conference on Saturday.
She noted that this campaign is a pilot at Makerere University, but will later be extended to other institutions starting in 2024.
Prof. Henry Alinaitwe, the acting Deputy Vice Chancellor in charge of Finance, said there are cases of bribery among students and their lecturers which need to be tackled.
“Female students bribe their lecturers through sex to earn marks. It is a rare case, but we don’t need the rumour to be attached to Makerere anymore,” he said.
Bishop Joshua Lwere, the Board Chairperson of the Emerging Leaders Program (ELP) said the campaign will transform students into good leaders of the next generation. "They will be able to know that peer pressure can be controlled. It can only manage you if you do not have self-dignity. Do not defile yourself,” he emphasized.
Mr Gozan Wilson Babinga, the Guild Speaker at Makerere noted that financial constraints are the root cause of the rising cases of new HIV/Aids infections among students.
“They (students) lack financial discipline and want to have what they cannot afford. That is why they end up falling for whoever comes their way to get money,” he revealed.
The programme is a partnership between Makerere University, Life Ministry Uganda, and The Global Summit targeting 60 lecturers and 125 student leaders to train them in life skills aiming to foster character mindset change to influence the present and shape the future generation.
