Jackie Chandiru to launch campaign against drug addiction

Jackie Chandiru. Photo by Abubaker Lubowa

Makerere University Business School (Mubs) will on Friday launch a campaign to sensitise students about the impact of drugs, which is now being felt at campus.

While closing the (National Social Security Fund) NSSF-Monitor annual universities career fair at the Nakawa campus yesterday, Prof Wasswa Balunywa, the Mubs principal, said the campaign will be launched by Jackie Chandiru, an artiste who is recovering from drug addiction.

He said Ms Chandiru will be present to narrate her story from the time she started drugs and her journey to recovery.

“You take a stroll to [a nearby] hostel right now, you will find smartly dressed people selling drugs. When you enter the hostels, you will find many students sleeping instead of attending lectures,” Prof Balunywa said, adding that this has led to a drop in the attendance of lecturers, which now stands below 70 per cent.

Prof Balunywa told the students that the 8th annual NSSF-Monitor universities career fair aimed at addressing the vision of establishing the skills and career development centre, which is there to equip them (students) with skills that differentiate them from students in other universities.

Ms Ritah Mugerwa, the human resources business development manager for Africa Broadcasting Uganda Limited, a subsidiary company of the Nation Media Group, told the students to practise professionalism when looking for work or internship opportunities because most times that is where their selling points are.

Mr Thaddeo Twahira, the NSSF voluntary contributions relationship manager, asked the students to be mindful of their posts on social media, saying these are some of the things employers today crosscheck to understand the character of the person seeking employment with them.