By Howard Mwesigwa
The 86th Students’ Guild Leadership at Makerere University has through its Students’ Employment ad hoc committee, chaired by Hon. Martin Asher, launched its Students’ Employment Campaign.
It should be recalled that the Makerere Students’ Guild Constitution (as amended), under Art. 146(7), grants the Guild Representative Council (GRC) the powers to appoint an ad hoc committee on the advice of the Business Committee, to investigate any matter of public importance that does not come under the jurisdiction of any standing committee.
The 86th Students’ Guild Employment ad hoc committee through its general secretary is intended to be a bridge between the Students’ Guild and the University Administration with particular emphasis on the Human Resources Directorate. This initiative is aimed at exploring the feasibility of availing skilled and unskilled employment opportunities within the university to students who need them to be able to meet their financial obligations such as tuition, food and other scholastic necessities.
This initiative comes in the wake of failure of many students, especially the most financially disadvantaged ones, to sit for their final examinations due to the inability of their parents and or guardians to meet the University tuition requirements in time.
The 86th Guild is of the view that such an unfortunate phenomenon can be mitigated if the students in need are given a second chance and offered paid work which they can engage in, as part time with their mainstream studies.
It is in that light that the Guild Committee has launched a survey whose results will in turn inform its comprehensive report to be presented to the University Council.
