With the world under ineluctable and inescapable lockdown, our reporters at the Hive have taken an added initiative to reach out to the general public, specifically those in an academic institution setting so as to unearth some of the concealed effects and consequences of the Government ruled lockdown. Below is an unbiased report by Obed Obedgiu Kwokuboth Jalmeo, a Makerere University guild aspirant, regarding his thoughts on the pandemic as a whole and it’s pending future sequels.
“To many of us, the pandemic that started November 2019 was only some foreign mythical ‘disease’ that would be contained within the Chinese boarder walls. 20th March, 2020 proved most of us totally wrong. The day brought with it the closure of all institutions of learning hence putting all and sundry in the now very familiar frenzy; ‘WHAT NEXT?’
As a student vying for the position of Guild President, wherein the electoral process had just began taking shape, after back and forth talks between the student leadership on whether or not the electoral reforms be implemented, I was at crossroads with the ‘What next’ now ringing louder on my mind! We had just secured a victory in the UYD-People Power primaries, we had injected money in porridge nights, hostel outreaches, poetry nights among a plethora of other things. Just like my colleagues, I was at a loss on my next course of action.
Being a student who fends for himself and hails from Zombo District, I had to think of all means of survival during this unplanned for quarantine period. My major rescue then came from the fact that the friends I’ve created are way much more than family. They were then my major fall back position.
My tale however is one that isn’t compounded to myself alone, a vast majority have quite similar tales to tell of how this pandemic has had far reaching negative impacts on them.
My interaction with a close comrade, Deng Mabior, an international student even depicted the situation in a more worse off state than I had imagined it, they were literally facing it rough not until the varsity management and some student leaders vouched for them to get accommodation and also be given some resources for upkeep every now and again. My other associate, Joseph Malinga, who operates a photocopier at Faculty of Arts also wonders hard how adequately he’ll re-plan for the semester seeing that he’ll have to clear tuition in time too.
The Corona pandemic has left everyone complaining of what shall proceed the lockdown, seeing that everything and everyone will be demanding for money. The tuition question therefore becomes a very critical point of focus. I guess it won’t be news at all when we hear the number of those settling for temporary withdrawals rising to its all-time highest.
The different stakeholders must therefore not brush aside such a very pertinent discussion and point of view. Seeing how critical every sector of the economy is ailing things are.
Conclusively, it goes without saying that the lockdown in itself presents us an opportunity in improvements in our personal financial management, to disaster management as a Country, and for the University to expedite the infrastructural development into it’s E-learning utilities. UCU for instance came under serious fire when they suggested some particular students be given online tests.
In an era where technological advancement is at its best, it’s only imperative that we uphold and work towards improving platforms such as MUELE (Makerere University E-Learning Environment) so as to be more than ready for such scenarios and further gain from the vastness of knowledge the world has to offer.”
