By Ricky Rapa Thomson

The most important thing to a Ugandan is a means to provide for themselves and their family. Nothing else comes close. For the vast majority of Ugandans, this means doing the daily hustle. This hustle can take many forms, it can be selling avocados in the market, transporting milk to the trading centre, breaking rocks into gravel for road construction or cleaning a person’s house. For me it was boda boda. Allowing me to work through the day and night and earning cash in my pocket every day laid the foundation of my economic empowerment. What academics and rich people call the “informal economy” in Uganda is actually the “economy” and the foundation of our country. In 2021 supporting our Ugandan economy will be even more important. The youth need to be allowed to work.

Covid-19 presented challenges for everyone in Uganda. We didn’t know what it was and the government did a good job to reduce the spread of the disease. The Ministry of Health ensured the damage was very limited particularly compared to other countries and compared to other diseases that kill thousands and thousands of Ugandans each month such as HIV/AIDs, respiratory infections, diarrheal diseases, malaria and road safety accidents. The lockdown was needed at first while we protected our vulnerable, most commonly our elderly. Today, however we still have a very strong lockdown that is hurting our economy. Boda boda has a special restriction to 6pm which greatly hurts us. We are still prevented from working, even as matatu operators are allowed to operate further into the evening. This has greatly impacted boda boda earnings by as much as 50% putting the 1.2m boda boda youth and their families in serious financial trouble.

In 2021, we all need to be able to get back to our daily hustle. This doesn’t mean we need the government to give us free cash transfers like citizens receive in the USA or Europe, but simply the government needs to let us get back to work. Fully opening up the economy is the most important thing for us all as Ugandans.

Looking at our East African neighbours, Kenya has implemented a 10pm curfew and is pushing for full economic recovery, for example allowing their boda boda to fully operate. It has supported small businesses by enabling lower costs of the internet and pushed Safaricom and Airtel to reduce fees on M-PESA transactions, greatly helping the hustle of the normal Kenyans. In Tanzania, their President largely ignored Covid-19 and let the economy go on. While it was very risky, the impact doesn’t seem as bad compared to the destruction of income of normal people seen in other African countries, putting them back years in their economic empowerment.

We know Covid-19 is dangerous, however, we have shown that Ugandans can live with Covid-19 through mask-wearing and hand-washing as shown by the Private Sector Foundation (PSFU) Tugobe Corona Wear a Mask campaign led by Chairman Elly Karunanga. SafeBoda and other boda boda leaders across the industry were proud supporters of this movement and we continue to push for mask wearing of our SafeBoda drivers.

Uganda needs to recover economically. We are seeing the first economic recession in decades with all the development we have worked on being nearly destroyed. We need to save our young people from further poverty. As a Ugandan, I am requesting for us to open our economy, greatly extend the curfew, and let us all get back to work.

About author: 

Ricky Rapa Thomson is the Co-Founder & Director of SafeBoda, Inspirational Speaker, Forbes 30 under 30 Africa.

The post Opinion: It’s time to fully open up the economy! appeared first on BigEye.UG.

By Our Reporter

With the COVID-19 pandemic still with us, and the night life on halt, Kampala has turned from a city that never sleeps to one of crazy happenings. It seems like every new day brings it own set of bizarre stories.

The latest in the crazy, crazy Kampala tales is one of a man who drove a Grader to an interview.

When he was called for a job interview at Hima Cement recently, Paddy Kitandwe who at the time of the call was working at a construction site, rather than lay down his tools instead carried them to the interview. To put it more aptly, Paddy drove his Grader to the interview.

According to a video which emerged online, Paddy is seen tumbling out of the Grader with his papers in hand soon after arriving at Hima Cement offices. He at least remembered to change from his work gear and dress up in a suit.

Job things are not easy 😂. This nigga showed up to the Hima office for an interview in a GRADER 🙆🏾‍♂️. Apart from blocking me, banange RT until we find him & he gets the job 😂🙏🏾🙏🏾🙏🏾 pic.twitter.com/53Am9MAlZK

— Faisal (@PyeparFaisal) February 11, 2021

It is said that Paddy had been out of gainful employment since the COVID-19 pandemic hit and when the big opportunity came calling, he wanted to impress.

His antics have left many on the internet shocked and left questioning his choice of transport means. They argue he could have used more convenient means.

Although the Grader was not fit for purpose, he definitely made a lasting impression.

The post Video: Shock as man drives Grader to job interview appeared first on BigEye.UG.

By Reporter

Tina Brad real name Christine Akello is one who has made her name from fabric and some real great innovation. From a fresh graduate who always desired to have an attachment with fashion to a prominent brand that has rubbed shoulders with miss world, we bring you the inspiring story of Tina Brad.

In 2018, Tina Brad styled Miss World Vanessa Pounce in 2018. “It came when I least expected it” she says with a broad smile. “Tina Brad is a brand for Adventurers, initially we used to bring all sorts of clothes but then we got to a point where we wanted to stand out that’s when we started bringing in gowns, bridal, pegeantry, red carpet among others” she added.

We had an interview with her as she told us her journey.

What’s your interest in styling beauty Queens?

Actually, it’s not about interest, its quality, for sure; these girls always look for me because my brand stands out of the rest, they reach out for me for their different events.

I find pageantry interesting because the girls are really beautiful; they have nice bodies which bring out beauty in all its forms.

What is this special thing that makes you partner with these beauty queens?

It’s our work relations, most of them are humble for example, Sylivia Namutebi is a very humble and honest person and their brands are also international.honestly, who wouldn’t want to work with the best?

Should we assume such partnerships bring more value to Tina Brad Store?

Yes, they do, as a matter of fact; exposure is one of the biggest elements which come with these partnerships. For example, when I dressed Miss World many people started contacting me.

Talking about Vanessa Pounce, how did you persuade her to your brand?

It was all God’s intervention. First of all, when I was told to dress up Miss World, I thought it was just a hype for the Miss Uganda crowning. I couldn’t believe it because hey look, this is someone who has it all, she would be dressed by many big brands out there and Tina isn’t really that big.

I wondered to myself, that Vanessa has everything, why would she ask for a dress in Uganda yet she could order it anywhere in the world? I felt like I couldn’t style her but things turned up on a good side and in the end, I was the one who dressed her up.

How did it feel Styling Miss World?

OMG!… for sure Benjamen,I have never woken up from that dream, honestly it was something huge, I couldn’t believe it but as you know, it all happened.

First of all, it started when Quinn Abenakyo was in West Africa; Ghana for Miss Ghana with Vanessa and she loved the dress Quinn was wearing.

Vanessa asked Abenakyo where she got it from and was told her she got it in Uganda and she was very surprised to know that such dresses were in Uganda. She told Abenakyo that she would love to be dressed by the same stylist when she made her way to Uganda.

And finally when Vanessa was coming to Uganda, Abenakyo called me and said I should be ready to dress her up. After designing the dress, I sent Abenakyo the photos of the dress and they really loved it.

I took everything to Sheraton and she really loved it and took it in immediately and that’s the dress she used for the Miss Uganda crowning occasion.

What was the impact of you styling Miss World in the international scene?

Well, most of the people who contacted me were Ugandans in the Diaspora, they would place in their orders and I managed to deliver their orders.

I was also called to dress Miss Uganda North America and other contestants but I just declined the offer because I couldn’t travel there.

Which big names in the World are you dying to style?

Huh! I think the former first lady of America Melania Trump because I love her style and I also love Kate Middleton

What Message do you have for young girls looking out to be in your shoes?

They always follow their dreams and above all; passion.

For my case, I grew up loving and having bigger dreams for fashion and I think I started realizing it not only when People used to love what I was wearing but then I used to style myself very well way back when I was still in University, My friends used to buy my staff for example all the bags I used, someone would just see me with them bag and they be like, I love this bag, you are not going back with it, sell it to me and I would get a kavera to carry my things.

So to me it has always been passion. Let them follow their passion; let nobody tell them they can’t.

There is also this element called persistence, if you are not persistent, then you can’t achieve your dreams.

If I could take you back memory lane, I do remember there was a big store in Uganda back then that I used to admire so much that I really wanted to work for and I could keep pastering them for a job.

Even if it meant me sweeping their store or offices, I would love to do not until I could one day be a sales girl but they never hired me.to assure you that didn’t hinder me from dreaming big and guess what, last year, the same store contacted me, wanting to bring their clothes to my shop so that I could sell them in my shop, so it showed me that nothing is impossible.

Just imagine this is the same store I badly wanted to work for but instead they are now the ones looking for me, they are the one telling me can you please help us sell this, they are the ones now looking for me.

Much as i was young, my dream was big and it remained big, I couldn’t rest until I got what I wanted. For sure I would advise someone out there not to give up. The People you admire today may admire you tomorrow.

It starts with passion, what do you love and if you love it, go for it and even when you start, advertise. Most people use social media for the wrong reasons, they attack each other, they fight.

When I was working with NTV for the Hostel series I would style those actors and actresses and I would get my clothes from Owino and dress them. They would appear on the front pages of renowned newspapers including Red pepper, you see Helen Lukoma but the dresses she was wearing were mine that I had bought from Owino and no one would even notice that.

I would post everything on social media.One thing I would love to inform someone out there is that, don’t wake up to attack people, wake up and post bag on your Facebook, Twitter among others.

There are bags downtown of shs10k that you can sell at 50k,if you can get shoes, bags or clothes put them on social media every day, you will definitely find buyers. Make money off social media and don’t use it to attack others.

The post Meet Tina Brad, a Ugandan fashion genius who has dressed both Miss Uganda and Miss World appeared first on BigEye.UG.

By Reporter

On 8 March, Ugandans joined the world in celebrating International Women’s Day as we recognise and appreciate the achievement that women accomplish every day. The theme this year is #ChooseToChallenge and we talked to a Radiant Cosmetics Brand Manager Catherine Mulanghi about what it means to them.

Today is International Women’s Day, what does it mean to you?

Women’s day to me, means the celebration of the female gender. Women around the world including myself commemorate the International women’s day on 8th March every year to recognise our social, cultural, economic and political contribution to society and ensure that the plight of the disadvantaged women is ended in our quest to attain equality and inclusiveness. Women from all walks of life remain the true unsung heroes that we celebrate on such a day.

How important is hair to an African woman?

It’s almost impossible to take a selfie without a head, just think about it! I believe that hair to an African woman, especially when well taken care of is a unique and beautiful feature that makes us stand out. With that, I encourage every African woman to boost their pride and appearance by taking care of their hair using Radiant products, made from organic natural plant extracts to provide healthy and great looking hair!

What key roles do women play in your organization?

First of all, I would like to thank Movit Products Limited for being an equal opportunity employer and giving chance to women like myself to create an impact in our society and change livelihoods.  We have a number of women employed in various departments serving a number of roles to ensure that we enhance natural beauty through satisfying the needs of our customers, which is a major key role.

Who do you think is the most admirable woman and why?

My role model, who happens to be my mother. She chose to stand when she had every reason to walk away but she chose to challenge the status quo and single handedly raised all four of us into responsible citizens that every one is proud of today. I salute you Mum.

How could men contribute to promoting gender equality?

Men are strong witted and are advantaged in so many ways. They need to acknowledge the fact that they are more privileged and that the onus is on them to transform power dynamics and support the girl child in taking the lead. That solidarity is what we need to attain gender equality for all.

What advice would you give to women in the beauty care industry?

Aim for the Moon if all fails, you’ll land on the stars. Fellow women, bbelieve in yourselves, and have faith in your abilities with God by your side, your dreams will come to life.

Is it important celebrating International Women’s Day during the pandemic?

As long as one is alive, they should celebrate each day as it comes. There’s always a God given purpose for our life. For every storm we face in life, we need to learn to adjust our sails because life will always move on. Personally, regardless of what I am going through, I always wake up, dress up and show up. I #Choose to challenge which makes it quite important that we celebrate every milestone regardless of the situation even with the pandemic looming over us, we should celebrate today.

Any other comments or thoughts you would like to share?

Happy International Women’s day to all our Radiant African Women, remember to look good and feel great with the right products from Radiant.

The post International Women’s Day: Interview with Radiant’s Catherine Mulanghi appeared first on BigEye.UG.

By Staff Writer

While there are some great movies about the world of gambling and casinos (Casino by Martin Scorsese comes to mind), some movies get some things regarding gambling and casinos very wrong. Below you will find out the top 5 things movies get wrong about gambling and casinos, regardless of whether the movies are about gamblers who play slot games online, blackjack, roulette, or any other game.

Top-tier casinos being run by the mafia

Okay, this one is not that far from the truth – at least the truth of a few decades ago. Some casinos were indeed run by racketeers and mobsters, and the aforementioned Scorsese movie is a testament to this. However, the vast majority of modern casinos are run by completely legitimate operators. This goes even more so for Native American casinos – as they are strictly regulated by the authorities. Modern regulations make it very hard for “wise guys” to own and operate a criminal venture through their casino fronts.

Savants winning millions at the casino

One movie that springs to mind is “Hangover,” where the character Alan is a bit of a goof. However, at one point, he enters Caesar’s Palace Casino and makes thousands of quick mathematical calculations in his head to get an easy win at the blackjack table. While it’s not unheard of that certain people are savants, it’s next to impossible for these people to become millionaires in a casino. It’s much more likely that they will get smaller profits than get out rich out of a single gambling session.

Gamblers getting beat up for cheating

It’s much likelier that the casino will sue you to oblivion if it catches you cheating – than it is that the casino will send hired goons to beat you up. The security guards at casinos aren’t mafia-related – even though movies like Casino may make it seem like it. In most cases, casinos will refuse to take in the cheaters and card-counters and bar them from entry.

The cooler will jinx your luck

There was an eponymous movie, The Cooler, where the casino operator sent a bad-luck person to jinx the players if they should get a good run. While this concept looks great in a movie – it’s about as unrealistic as it gets. When it comes to “luck,” this is not a tangible concept by any means. Sometimes you will get lucky at the tables, and sometimes the opposite will happen. But to think that somehow you or anyone else can influence your levels of luck is unreal. There are no such things as “coolers.”

Ultra-dramatic poker hands

There are certain gambling movies that pit the protagonist and the antagonist in an all-out poker war. Typically, the protagonist and the antagonist will have their ups and downs during the game, but in the end, it will all boil down to a single ultimate hand (at the end of the movie) that will be a finale. During this card, you will see that the antagonist gets the upper hand by getting a poker or full house combination, and the protagonist will defy the odds and win a royal flush. The odds of this happening are microscopically small, and the real-world poker games are won and lost in a lot less dramatic hands.

Conclusion

We love movies because they tend to single out the best, most dramatic events of life. And gambling and casinos are two very popular subjects that many movies feature. But still, it’s important for people that see these movies not to overestimate their truthfulness. There are some things about gambling that are simply unrealistically presented in movies. But still, there’s no denying that this makes the movies a lot more fun to watch than if everything was represented truthfully.

The post 5 Things Movies Get Wrong About Gambling and Casinos appeared first on BigEye.UG.

MTN Uganda’s CMO Somdev Sen addresses guests during the Kibanda Xpress launch that was held at Hotel Africana recently.

By Our Reporter

Early this month, MTN Uganda launched Kibanda Xpress, a digital Platform from which its customers can access a plethora of home-grown entertainment content. SOMDEV SEN, the MTN Uganda Chief Marketing Officer shares more about this initiative in this interview.

What is Kibanda Xpress?

Kibanda Xpress is a new Video on Demand channel that MTN Uganda has launched as a distribution channel for local Ugandan content especially Ugandan Films. The service is provided in partnership with the Association of Core Film Producers Uganda Limited (trading as PEARLWOOD) as the content creators and Albayan Media Limited the platform provider through the YOTV mobile app.

What does this mean to an ordinary person out there?

This is a channel where Ugandan movie producers will upload their content, in this case movies and then the public can access and watch these movies from anywhere and everywhere they go conveniently and affordably. The practice now has been people going to local movie shops and buying or renting a movie. That has literally been the only distribution channel for Ugandan movies. But now if you are out there and you are a lover of local Ugandan movies, we have brought you a channel through which you can get these movies by the click of a button on your phone. If you are stuck in traffic in a taxi, or you are travelling on a long journey and you get bored on the way or even while you are just chilling at home with the family, you simply log onto YoTV channels, select VOD and choose a movie to enjoy. It’s that simple.

What does it mean for the local movie industry?

For the local Film content creators, they now have an opportunity to build a sustainable industry in which content creators not only earn consistently from their content, but one in which they also thrive and gain the global visibility deserved. Without doubt, going digital is the right move for the industry; it will reduce on the copy rights infringement, increase footprint of the Uganda movies, expose our artists globally among others.

Is there Potential in Uganda’s movie Industry?

At MTN, we recognize the potential of the movie industry to create employment, to reposition the African narrative and positively contribute to the national GDP. Through Kibanda Xpress, we hope to boost the Uganda film industry to realize that potential.

Let me put this in perspective; In 2020, globally there was unprecedented growth in online video usage with revenues estimated at $34 billion of which premium video on demand accounted for at least $630 million. The COVID pandemic contributed significantly towards this shift to VOD as it did with many other things.

Africa can and is gradually making its mark on the global entertainment industry with its vast talent and unique flavor of storytelling. We are not short of stories in Africa and we must tell them sustainably. This is the opportunity that this provides for the industry.

That raises the question of how much is it to watch a movie and don’t I need extra data to watch?

We have launched the channel with a promotional price of shs1000 for a movie. Your subscription to a movie comes with data already embedded so you won’t require any additional data to watch the movie. That’s how affordable this is. Also, when you pay that money, the movie you select to watch is available to you for 24 hours before the subscription expires.

But is there enough content on Kibanda Xpress to attract people to watch?

Kibanda Xpress already features over 150 Ugandan movies and will live stream premiers of new movies as well other local entertainment content providing customers with entertainment conveniently and affordably anywhere and everywhere. And every month, at least four new movies will be added onto the channel. So there is really already so much content and much more will be added on.

So how can I access these movies?

As explained earlier, Kibanda Xpress is available on the YoTV app. All you have to do is follow these steps;

Step1: Download and install the YoTV app from Play store and Appstore.
Step2: Subscribe and Login to the YoTV app, Select VOD.
Step3: Browse and select the Movie of your choice then follow prompts to complete payment.

The post All you need to know about “Kibanda Xpress” appeared first on BigEye.UG.

By Our Reporter

Prior to 2010, it was survival for the fittest to access water from a borehole in Kiryandongo district where over 2000 people relied on only 2 functional boreholes.

Kiryandongo district which houses survivors of the Bududa landslides in Mbale is also the host community for refugees in the refugee resettlement camp.

As Julius Weleka, the chairman LC 1, Panyadoli A village as well as chairman of the Bududa community narrates, the water situation was so bad that it led to fights between themselves and refugees.

“The relationship between us and the refugees was very bad because people were fighting for water. Sanitation was also very bad because people did not have water. The number of people getting sick was also high,” he recounts.

There was a sudden twist of events when MTN set up 10 boreholes in the area which has since let out a sigh of relief having attained significant accessibility to water.

The boreholes which were an initiative of the MTN Kampala marathon stemming from the proceeds in 2010 have led to increased hygiene in the region especially amongst the children and youth.

“When MTN came in and gave us those boreholes, life changed. Up to today, we don’t have a big problem of water. The boreholes have come to the rescue of more than 4000 people including the refugees who are bordering the village. Now people can cook and bathe which has greatly improved our sanitation,” the 47-year old Weleka says.

Bududa is a disaster prone area with many people affected by the perpetual landslides.

Multiple efforts not only from government but also private sector have gone towards ensuring those affected in Bududa have a second take at a better life.

Wim Vanhelleputte, the MTN chief executive officer, recognizes that the role that the private sector must play in the country’s socio-economic development.

He says that MTN Uganda is greatly proud to have contributed to the restoration of livelihood in the community that was plagued by unprecedented natural disasters.

“The rationale behind directing the proceeds towards Bududa landslide survivors was to ensure that those that had survived enjoyed safe water services and are safeguarded from diseases,” he says.

One of the pillars of the marathon is to enable disadvantaged communities have access to and benefit from social services ensuring that no one is left behind.

In the spirit of togetherness and leaving no one behind, MTN has for the past 16 years undertaken initiatives with the aid of close to UGX4billion collected in proceeds.

MTN Kampala marathon proceeds include all

Born in 2004, MTN Kampala marathon has dedicated millions of shillings of the proceeds to providing mama kits to expectant mothers in internally displaced people’s camps.

MTN Uganda and partners have also used the proceeds to renovate and equip maternity wards at Health Centre IVs in various parts of the country.

Between 2015 and 2016, MTN installed state of the art toilets embedded with biogas digesters for clean energy in 10 public schools around Kampala city including Kitante primary school among others.

The marathon proceeds have also drawn water into various districts of northern Uganda including Amuria and Nakapiripirit to mention but a few through the setup of multiple boreholes.

“The boreholes enable us to get clean water and also the distance is not far. Prior to the setup of boreholes, we used to fetch water from water ponds, rivers and the bush which was very dangerous for us since sometimes it would be late in the evening,” a beneficiary from Kotido where one of the boreholes was set up says.

Cognizant of the importance of water in life, MTN prioritized provision of clean water services to disadvantaged communities to mitigate spread of disease and dehydration.

Crowdfunding

MTN Kampala marathon in which the telecom partners with Stanbic Bank Uganda, Huawei, Vision Group and Rwenzori Mineral Water is the epitome of a successful crowdfunding vehicle.

For the 16 years, the marathon has realized a collection of UGX4billion from runners around Kampala, all of whom indulge for various reasons.

The turnout has also registered tremendous increase as more than 20,000 people took part in the run in 2019.

What runners are saying

Over the years, Ugandans from different area codes have got together clad in shimmering yellow shirts, sharp and shooting for the number one position at the MTN Kampala Marathon.

The run has brought together vast numbers of people from different corners of the country, background, cultural, spiritual and religious affiliation for a just cause.

Wilfred Agaba from one of the media publications runs and visits the gym periodically prior to the run.

The lean gentleman along with his friends practice ahead of time in anticipation of a competitive run come November during the MTN Kampala marathon.

“In 2019, I ran and even received a medal for participation meaning I really came close to winning. I defeated all my friends this year. I feel good because I know I earned it,” he says.

He also admits that the element of charity empowers him to take part in the run.

“Not all of us are privileged to have what we need, so I pay to run because at the end of the day, I know that I am helping someone else,” Agaba explains.

Like Agaba, other participants view the marathon as an opportunity to get together for a similar cause, be it competing, exercise or charity.

Athletes on the other hand attribute part of their career success to the run saying it has been pivotal in their path towards attaining international recognition as Olympic winners.

“I am excited to return to the MTN marathon where I last ran in 2010. I would like to thank MTN for bringing up new comer runners and others can get sponsors from here,” Jacob Kiplimo, half marathon world champion says.

“MTN marathon built me to become an Olympic champion,” Stephen Kiprotich, Olympic gold medalist says.

The post How MTN marathon proceeds have improved life for Bududa landslide survivors appeared first on BigEye.UG.

By Staff Writer

Premium smartphone brand TECNO today announced the renewal of its partnership with UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, to support UNHCR’s global program in primary education, Educate A Child (EAC). The partnership aims to support the improvement of refugee children’s education in Africa, ensuring refugee children’s right to education and ultimately contribute to equal access to education for all.

Vivian Tan, UNHCR Representative ad interim in China (left © UNHCR) and Stephen Ha, General Manager of TECNO (right © TECNO), signed the partnership agreement.

In 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic devastated the learning conditions of refugee children, causing school closures in Africa over the school year. By contributing financially to the EAC program, TECNO’s support has benefited children in Kenya’s Dadaab camp by providing them with textbooks and school kits. In addition, TECNO donated tablets to support continued learning of refugee children during school closure, as well as 50,000 medical face masks for UNHCR Kenya to support its COVID-19 response.

In 2021, TECNO and UNHCR will continue the partnership to benefit a total of 10,670 refugee children in Uganda and Kenya. TECNO’s financial contribution to the EAC program will contribute to the holistic intervention in these locations including improvement of school infrastructure, material assistance to students, training for teachers, and support for refugee students with special needs.

Uganda and Kenya are amongst the world’s top host countries for refugees. Uganda is the largest one in Africa. Over half of the refugees in the two countries are below 18 years old (58% in Uganda and 53% in Kenya). While some refugees may have the access to study in public educational institutions, the shortage of learning resources has put many refugee children at risk of dropping out of school. In the context of the COVID-19 pandemic in Africa, continuous commitment from TECNO is important to support a safe school reopening and better access for refugee children to continue their primary education, laying the foundation for them to pursue higher education in the future.

Vivian Tan, UNHCR Representative ad interim in China, expressed appreciation for the continued support from TECNO. “UNHCR welcomes this renewed partnership,” she said. “COVID-19 has interrupted learning in many countries, and refugee children are no exception. Support from our private sector partners like TECNO is critical for UNHCR to continue and strengthen our efforts to support refugee learners and students to continue their education in this difficult time, and in the post-COVID time. The Chinese private sector can play an important role in addressing the gaps in refugee education globally, including providing financial contribution, technology and innovative solutions. We hope more Chinese private sector actors will be inspired by the partnership between TECNO and UNHCR.”

Stephen Ha, General Manager of TECNO said, “With the renewed partnership with UNHCR, we hope to continue our support in improving the learning conditions of refugee children. As part of our Corporate Social Responsibility, TECNO is committed to giving back to the community where we are present. In the post-COVID time, we will amplify our efforts, especially using digital solutions to increase educational opportunity and enhance education quality for children in Africa so that they could receive better education and be better connected with the world.”

Inclusive and equitable quality education is Goal 4 of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and is also a long-term goal for UNHCR. Since 2020, UNHCR has been working with different partners to implement the EAC program that aims to provide 365,000 out-of-school children with primary education in 14 operations by 2022. Out of the 14 countries, Kenya and Uganda are two key operations. Despite the huge impact of COVID-19, UNHCR remains committed to advancing inclusive and equitable quality education for refugee children.

By the end of 2020, an estimated 4.2 million children and youth of concern to UNHCR have been affected by the pandemic globally. Once out of school, many refugee children will never return. UNHCR has been making efforts to create more equitable and inclusive educational access for displaced and refugee children so that they could all return to school. UNHCR and TECNO will deepen their partnership, through which they hope to engage more with corporate employees, partners and the wider public audience to strengthen understanding and support for education in Africa.

The post TECNO renews partnership with UNHCR to support primary education in Africa for refugees appeared first on BigEye.UG.

By Reporter

Prince Martin is a fast rising singer on the block at the moment. He started his music journey five years back and is his music is currently ruling the airwaves. We spoke to him about, music, love and life.

First things first, that stage name Prince Martin! Among all names why did you choose that? Are you a real Prince?

Well. I am not a prince. I have no relations with any Kingdom leaders in Uganda but I have been a prince ever since I was born in my family. My family members have always called me a prince. That is how the name Prince Martin came about.

Tell us how and where did your music journey start from?

My music journey started all the way from high school. That is 5 years back. I was part of the school choir from S1 to S6.All the way I met some people that encouraged me to do the music and gave me the hope that one day I will be a music star. When I relocated from Uganda to the UK, I started doing my own music. I have recorded so many songs ever since. That is briefly my music journey.

When was your first  day in studio recording  your first song?

My first day in a studio was way back in 2018 around Rubaga. I recall the very first day it was just horrible for me. Holding the mic for the first time infront of music producers made me so nerveous. But as time went on, I started getting on well with everything and later mastered the art.

And what was that hit song that made your break through?

WOW. My first hit song called Pause came out last year. The song made me go so many places. People started recorganising me and I felt good.

When you heard the song  played on air for the first time, did you feel you’ve finally arrived to your ultimate dream? How was the feeling?

Hahah. Actually when my first song play on air, I breathed in and out. I told myself that yeah, this just the beginning. I need not to be excited. I controlled my excitement because when you allow excitement take over you in the beginning, you may lose it. But all in all I felt so good.

Most of your songs are in English, don’t you think you limit your non speaking English fans, like your local language back here in Kampala?

Actually not all my songs are in English. I mix all langauges. I do alittle of Kinyarwanda, Luganda and English. Everyone is really catered for. I give an example Omukururo gunsintuula. This song is in Luganda and people love it. So I mix all the languages.

Today you’re slowly climbing to the table of men musically, how are you handling the fame?

To me fame is the easiest thing to handle. I have a calm personality. I am too humble for life and I use my fame so well and accordingly. I can actually be moving on Kampala streets as I socialize with people. So with fame, I am so okay.

Who can you attribute your music success to so far?

For now, I can attribute my music success to just two people. That is Atkison, Larry Charly, Brother Mukasa Robert and the other person is John Mary. These people have pushed me to where I am now.

Who has been financing your music career?

Right now , no one is financing my music. I do all myself. I pay for all necessary expenses to bring the music out myself. It is really hard to find someone to finance one’s music before your own.

Lots of upcoming artists are just producing bubble gum music, how different is your music?

Well, everyone has what they love what to do. Personally I love talking to the soul. I do soul love music. Also I am this kind of a guy who does RnB, Raggea music and some afrobeat. So I mix something that makes me different.

What has been your weakest  point in your career so far?

My weakest point in this career is putting my music out. I kept prosticanting.

Let’s talk about life, Apart from music, what do you do in the UK?

Life in the UK is good. In the UK,my first job was I wanted to join the army. I trained and all. But later I made a U turn. I thought twice about my music career. I went to school and decided to go to studio. I work like any other person in the UK to earn a living.

Don’t you think venturing into music is  waste of time?

No, it is not a waste of time. Thought that how people think. So many youngstars have made billions in music. The most trending talent is music. One can successfully do music and earn a big living. Atleast we have living examples in Uganda.

How are you promoting your music while in the UK?

First in the UK, you can only find my music on audiomark, Spotify,Apple Music, Soundfy and other channels but in Uganda, I pay some one to move my music on radio stations and TV. Which is less costly. That is how I operate.

You can’t seperate musicians and girls, how do you handle them.  You look young , handsome and ambitious, what is your take on UG women?

Yes, I know you cant separate the two. But it is all about the mindset. I cant deny Uganda has the most beautiful girls I have ever seen. Personally I am now putting my energy on my career. But when it comes to that time for girls, we shall see.

Which Ugandan singer would give it all to have her in your bed? Would you marry a fellow musician? Or Celebrity?

I am going to be honest I like people but when it comes Lydia Jazmine and Winnie Nwagi, I like them so much. But I don’t wish to be in bed with them. I only wish I can have a collabo with them. I have respect for my fellow musicians.

Today we have many broken celebrity marriage in Uganda, the likes of Daddy Andre and Nina Roz, what is your take on this?

All I can say about this is usually it is very hard to make it in marriage when both of you are celebrities. There is always a battle for supremacy at home. That contributes to marriage break down.

Since you’ve a variety of them on your side, what qualities of a woman would sweep off you?

I want some one who is really calm. It doesn’t matter where she comes from. I want a brainy girl, respect and love.

Do you have plans of settling down  and make a family?

Oh yes. I have that dream of settling down and make a good family. If all goes well, I will do that soon.

How has internet impacted the music industry?

Really internet has done so much. Today our music fans get to know us before even we get to sing. So many online outlets are paying musicians. It is a big impact.

In a few last words, how Do you see the ug music industry in the next five years?

The Music industry has blossomed so well. Very many artists have come out and the future is bright. When we continue like this, we shall be far away.

The post UG has the most sexiest babes – Singer Prince Martin appeared first on BigEye.UG.

By Our Reporter

“An expectant mother in Buvuma hoped for a normal and safe delivery just like any other woman on earth. But for women in Buvuma, it was a matter of life or death. The health centre three on the island surrounded by water can only handle ordinary deliveries. In case of C-sections, the expectant mother would need to be ferried to Kiyindi town council, where she can be operated on. But the only ferry available rides on a schedule; three times a day,” former mayor Kiyindi town council Dickson Kasujja Kabuye reminisces.

The Kiyindi-Buvuma route currently has one ferry that carries 120 passengers and 8 cars, making three trips each day between Kiyindi landing site in Buikwe district and Kirongo landing site in Buvuma district.

Essentially, there was no emergency medical relief for an expectant mother in need of operation on Buvuma Island.

It all changed in June last year when MTN donated an emergency ambulance water boat to Kiyindi.

The 15 Seater state-of-the-art water rescue vessel would be used to respond to water transport and health emergencies in Buvuma and Buikwe districts among other areas served by the Kiyindi landing site.

The modern water emergency rescue vessel made by Fisheries Training Institute, Entebbe and licensed by Ministry of Works and Transport was worth Ush 52 Million made of fibre glass, enveloped by a waterproof canopy and cushion seats.

It has a Yamaha outboard engine DT 40, anchor, 2 oars, fire extinguisher, 5 lifeguards, first aid box and patient stretcher.

According to Kabuye, the boat has been very useful in transporting patients from Buvuma to access medical services from Buikwe district.

“Almost 50 per cent of the people living in Buvuma are from Buikwe district so the boat helps us to transport them from Buvuma to the main island of Buikwe so it is very useful to us,” he says.

He goes on to narrate; “Previously, there was no way you could transport an expectant mother to Buikwe district because you had to wait for a ferry which moves in shifts. Now it is very easy to transport because this boat runs so fast.”

The boat, Kabuye says takes about 30 minutes to move from Buvuma district to Buikwe mainland in Kiyindi for medical care.

The boat was also very essential during the days of lockdown during which covid-19 patients were transported from Buvuma to Buikwe for medical health care.

“We got about 3-5 COVID-19 patients from Buvuma so it would go and pick them and finds the motor ambulance stationed in Kiyindi,” he says.

Fishermen deaths mitigated

The tales were not unique to the town council. Fishermen live to hail the ambulance which has saved lives of many on the lake.

Paul Jumba, leader of fishermen in Kiyindi mans the emergency boat along with 2 others. He narrates that on his many rides called upon by the town folk, he has saved many people from drowning.

“I have saved some people we have found drowning using our first aid kit,” he says.

But the commonest occurrence is the exhaustion of fuel in water boats on the lake.

“Since there is no petrol station on the lake, we run to the rescue of the fishermen on the lake,” he says.

Jumba also reveals that the boat has transported district officials around the islands to sensitise different members of the public on how to maintain standards of operation such as wearing masks and washing hands.

The donation of the emergency boat followed a request from the fishing community last year when MTN Uganda staff visited Kiyindi landing site to launch their annual staff voluntary program dubbed “21 days of y’ello care”.

Mr Patrick Tusiime, the regional commercial head said MTN is proud to have contributed to the safeguarding of lives around the islands only accessible through water.

“We appreciate the work accomplished by the team manning the boat. MTN prioritizes lives of the people we serve and we are glad that the boat is saving and helping many people in the region,” he also noted.

The post How MTN water ambulance is saving lives in Kiyindi appeared first on BigEye.UG.

By Our Reporter 

The growth of bitcoin has exponentially increased over the past couple of months so that more people around the world including here in Uganda have turned to bitcoin to ease their financial transactions within and outside the country.

Leading to make buying bitcoin in Uganda fast, safe and smooth is Yellow Card. By ensuring that on the platform you can buy bitcoin instantly with ugx has helped ease the process for many. Now, to further improve the process, Yellow Card has added mobile money option to its platform.

With mobile money providing a faster way to access ugx, the addition of the mobile money option on Yellow Card allows users to fund their wallet and buy bitcoin on their mobile devices without stress. Furthermore, withdrawing bitcoin to mobile money will also be as easy. So sending bitcoin from an external wallet to a Yellow Card account will enable instant cash out to mobile money.

Here’s how to fund your Yellow Card wallet and buy bitcoin with mobile money:

To buy bitcoin with mobile money, you must have a Yellow Card account and it is very easy to create one. Simply sign up here. Once you have created your account, your UGX and bitcoin wallets will be activated. The next step is to fund your UGX wallet. To do this:

1. Sign in to your Yellow Card account
2. From your dashboard select deposit
3. Choose the Mobile Money option
4. Enter the amount you want to deposit
5. Enter your mobile number and select your mobile money provider ( MTN or Airtel)
6. Confirm the deposit information and authorise the transaction on your mobile device.
7. Your account will be credited instantly with the deposited amount.

Now that you have deposited ugx into your account, go to your dashboard and select Bitcoin.

Enter the amount you want to buy and confirm the details. Your bitcoin wallet will be added to your wallet immediately.

How to withdraw bitcoin with Mobile Money in Uganda

You can also sell bitcoin on Yellow Card and withdraw your money directly to Mobile Money. This may be bitcoin you already have in your Yellow Card wallet or you can also send from other external wallets to your YC wallet and sell.

First, from your dashboard go to your bitcoin wallet and sell the amount of bitcoin you want. Then to withdraw the money:

1. From your dashboard, select withdraw
2. Select Mobile Money
3. Enter the amount you want to withdraw
4. Enter your mobile phone number and Mobile Money provider
5. Confirm the withdrawal details and input your 4-digit PIN
6. Your money will be instantly sent to your mobile number.

In addition to the bank transfer option, you can now buy and sell bitcoin instantly in Uganda with the mobile option.

The post A guide to buying Bitcoin using Mobile Money appeared first on BigEye.UG.

By Our Reporter

Uganda is one of the smaller African countries. Located in East-Central Africa, Uganda is home to over 47 million people, as estimated in 2008. Back in 2014, Uganda had a population of over 34 million. The country has several urban cities, including the capital city of Kampala, but its natural wonders are the major attractions. Tourists come to Uganda to witness the Seven Wonders, including the Rwenzori Mountains, Kibale forest, Kazinga Channels, and Mount Elgon Caldera.

When it comes to the country’s economic status, Uganda is one of the COMESA and EAC members. Thanks to numerous natural resources, fertile lands, mineral deposits, and regular rainfall, Uganda’s GDP is led by agriculture that accounts for over 70% of its GDP.

Speaking of GDP, Uganda is on the ninetieth spot with a GDP per capita of USD 916 as estimated in 2020. Besides agriculture, the Ugandan industrial sector led by manufacturing, mining, and construction is quite developed.

Gambling Laws in Uganda

Constant political instabilities have caused this African country to become one of the least developed and poorest in the world. When it comes to the country’s casino gaming industry, it is not as developed as casino industries in several other African countries, including Kenya, Nigeria, and South Africa. In Uganda, both online and land-based casinos can operate legally provided that they have obtained the required licenses.

The main piece of legislation concerning the casino gambling industry in Uganda is the Lotteries and Gaming Bill. Before the Lotteries and Gaming Bill, two other legislations monitored and governed the industry in the country, including the Gaming and Pool Betting Act from 1968 and the National Lotteries Act from 1967. These two were merged and the Lotteries and Gaming Bill become the main piece of legislation.

Today, numerous online casinos operate in Uganda and serve Ugandan players. Many of these are reputable sites with high-quality services and products and are also renowned, international brands that operate in many different jurisdictions, including Uganda. Back to the main piece of legislation, following the introduction of the Lotteries and Gaming Bill, a new regulatory body was also formed, the National Lotteries and Gaming Board.

Established under the main piece of legislation, the Lotteries and Gaming Regulatory Body is supported by a collection of five different regulations. The main regulatory body regulates and licenses all gambling operators in the countries including the operations of sports betting houses, online casinos, and lotteries. The National Lotteries and Gaming Board is also responsible for licensing, supervising, and enforcement of all laws and regulations concerning the Ugandan gambling industry and lotteries such as the popular MTN Kaja Lottery.

Everything on paper looks great, but in reality, there are several contradicting aspects of casino gambling and sports betting. Considering quite low costs to enter this market, Uganda allows numerous casino gaming and sports betting operators to expand their operations here. Even though online casino gaming and sports betting activities in Uganda are regulated, there are still some unregulated sections.

This is also attractive for operators, so there is no wonder how the Uganda government collected massive taxes of over USD 3,1 million from the industry back in 2014.

In addition to the unregulated structure of certain industry aspects, Uganda also struggles with social issues mainly related to underage gambling. In order to gain more control over the Ugandan gambling industry, the National Lotteries Board doubled license fees to over USD 3,500.

The National Lotteries Board also prohibited gambling operators and companies from setting up gaming venues near government offices, markets, and churches. However, not much has changed since 2013, and the Uganda authorities are still looking for ways to strike a balance between the benefits of gambling or taxes and the potential social harms.

Online Casinos in Uganda

Despite these issues, renowned, international online casinos that operate in Uganda are one hundred percent reliable and trustworthy. Every iGaming operator that wants to operate in the country must obtain the required licenses. The Ugandan main regulatory body also performs various checks regarding security and privacy measures taken by these operators. As previously mentioned, numerous regulated, renowned, international iGaming operators serve Ugandan players, and these most certainly fall into
the category of safe and trustworthy online casinos.

Since the internet penetration rate in Uganda is quite low, the majority of sports bets are placed at retail sports betting sites. At the same time, online casinos are becoming more and more popular with major foreign online casino operators entering the Uganda iGaming market. So, what makes online casinos in Uganda trustworthy? They have certain things in common as following.

• They are licensed by the National Lotteries Board
• They offer RNG tested online casino games
• They employ SSL encryption data algorithms
• They offer reliable deposit and withdrawal options
• They provide safe online gaming sessions

Which Online Casinos in Uganda are Trustworthy?

Only Ugandan online casinos that are licensed and regulated by the National Lotteries Board are trustworthy, and fortunately, most online casinos operational here hold licenses issued by the main regulatory body. Trustworthy online casinos always employ the best SSL encryption technology in the form of AES 256-bit encryption. This is the most protective, military-grade technology which makes it impossible for anyone to get ahold of your personal information.

Online casinos in Uganda that deserve your attention always offer RNG tested and audited games. In other words, their gaming libraries feature one hundred percent fair games that deliver fair results at all times. Trustworthy online casinos also guarantee fair play to all registered players no matter which device they use, so mobile games, as well as those who use desktop devices and laptops, enjoy the same, high-quality treatment.

Reliable, secure, and trustworthy online casinos feature excellent banking systems with different deposit and withdrawal options. At these venues, all transactions comply with the strictest security protocols, so everyone’s funds are safe at all times. Secure withdrawals and deposits alongside reliable safety and privacy measures guarantee the most secure online gaming experiences. Trustworthy online casinos do not only employ the best security and safety measures but also offer high-quality customer care departments and generous bonuses.

Those looking for a reliable online casino operational in Uganda with generous bonuses can easily find such a facility, as shown here. Most international online casinos catering to Ugandan players offer welcome bonuses alongside free spins and ongoing promos with clear terms and conditions that everyone can understand. Lastly, trustworthy online casinos in Uganda boast impressive gaming libraries powered by eminent software providers. This means that Ugandan players have hundreds of games, including slots, table games, video poker games, and much more at their disposal.

The post Are Online Casinos in Uganda Trustworthy? appeared first on BigEye.UG.

By Staff Writer

If you want to have a sex chat conversation, the only thing standing between you and your fantasy is asking the right person if they are interested. But often, this is easier said than done. How do you bridge the gap between “how was your day” and “will you take off your clothes and send me a picture?” Let’s talk about the best ways to ease into a sex chat conversation so that you optimize your chances of getting a “yes.” 

Start Friendly

It’s vital not to dive right into the sex. Going too fast can make things awkward for both of you, and worse yet, it can give the impression that you’re desperate. So, take the time to talk about your day first. You don’t have to divulge anything super revealing or talk about your deepest secrets, but some small talk will help, especially if it’s friendly or flirty. You’ll have created a bit of a connection, and it will make the rest of the sex chat a lot less stressful. But don’t force a flirtation—that will seem contrived, too. Let the flirting happen, and if it doesn’t, just have some casual chitchat before you get to the good stuff. 

Setting the Tone

The best thing you can do if you want to have a sex chat is to read the room. Is sex in the air? If so, you’re in a good place. You want to have an atmosphere of sexual tension, which is a lot of fun to be a part of but somewhat complicated to create. Flirting is subjective, and what some people like, other people hate, so tread carefully.

If you don’t know the person you want to have a sex chat with very well, you’ll have to be very in tune with their signals. If they laugh or don’t answer your questions, it’s time to shut it down and talk about something else. 

The first thing to remember is that setting the tone doesn’t mean mentioning sex immediately. It merely means that you’re hinting at your interest in the other person. So, if you’re talking about work, you could mention how sexy you think your sex chat partner would look in business casual. Or ask how they like to unwind on the weekend. Anything that will elevate the conversation from pleasant to suggestive is perfect. 

It’s always a good idea to keep the conversation positive. Many pick-up artist websites recommend “negging,” which is the idea that you can insult someone into dating or having a sex chat with you. This strategy is not very effective unless you’re interested in people with serious issues. When you take the conversation from subtle flirting to outright sexy, it’s essential to give honest compliments—not insults. Be enthusiastic about their physical appearance, and you are likely to receive the same courtesy. Body positivity is an important component of a fun sex chat experience. In fact, this sex chat professional talks about why body positivity is so crucial during virtual sex:

Some Lines to Get You Started

Chatting with someone you don’t know well? It can be especially intimidating to cross the line from friends to friends with benefits. Even people who have been in a relationship for years can feel tongue-tied about what to say to get started sex chatting. The important thing is that you check in with the person you’re chatting with frequently to ensure you’re on the same page before plowing forward. So, below are some ideas to get your creativity flowing.

• I’ve been stuck on one fantasy all day, and it involves you. Want to hear about it?
• When I picture you naked, I wonder how close my fantasy is to reality. 
• I really enjoy our text conversations, but they always make me think about sex. I’ll go into more detail if you’re into it.
• I had a crazy dream about you, and full disclosure: we were having sex. I’d love to tell you about it if you want to hear more. 
• I can’t stop thinking about our conversation the other night, especially when I’m in the shower.
• Sometimes I feel out of control when we’re texting, but I like it. 
• You need to see what you do to me. Ready for an explicit pic? 

Finding Someone to Sex Chat With

Not everyone is into sex chat, so you might prefer to find a sex chat partner online. If you want to meet someone who loves to get as wild as you do, find a site where you feel assured that your privacy is protected.

The post The Perfect Openers For a Sex Chat Conversation appeared first on BigEye.UG.

Flavia Ntambi Lwanga, the Human Resource Director at Airtel Uganda

By Flavia Ntambi Lwanga

In an era of uncertainty and unpredictable lockdown measures instituted to mitigate the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, Management of employee welfare becomes pivotal for Business Continuity Planning.

Following Uganda’s 42-day lockdown, thousands of employees in the formal sector have been confined to their homes and forced to work from home again. It is imperative that Human Resource leaders and administrators revisit HR manuals/guidelines to better manage human resources while addressing continuity of work in the new normal, to ensure the new work place and culture strikes a favorable balance for both employers and employees.

In the past, for many companies, working off site wouldn’t make any sense at all, but COVID-19 has since pushed many employers to redefine the workplace and accelerated the need to embrace working from home as an alternative to the traditional office environment.

Moreover, with the new Presidential guidelines to maintain only 10% of employees at the workplace, HR and managers have had to quickly transition workers from the traditional work setting to their home setting. This transition has obviously come with a number of limitations for both the employees and the employers. How can this transition be made seamless? Here are some tips for consideration.

Device and connectivity support: Sending employees to work from home is relatively easier, but ensuring they have everything they need to smoothly operate can be challenging. As a starting point, ensure that your employees have the basic work needs of the new normal, that is a device like laptop or computer and a wireless internet router like the Airtel 4G Mifi or fixed internet solutions with adequate data bundles.

Digitize office documents: Remote working during lockdowns, for non-essential workers means no access to the office and no physical signing of documents. It also means most of your service processes and documents have to go virtual. Therefore, digitization of office documents becomes very important to ensure better workflow and ease of monitoring work in progress. This should happen both internally and externally with suppliers that are in position to transact remotely.

Work in shifts: For essential service providers like telecoms, medical services providers and banks among others, some employees are required to get back to the workplace because some tasks can’t be completed off site. With the limitation of 10% staff, it necessitates working in shift by the key workers. Therefore, HR and admin managers should put together rotational schedules that allow these employees to work from the office space as well as at home.

Observe the SOPs: Working from the office during the current times exposes staff to the risk of COVID-19, therefore it is important that the work place practices the recommended Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs). Provide items like facemasks, gloves and hand sanitizers to staff at all times.

Additionally, due to transport limitations, make arrangements for transportation of staff from home to office and back to ensure convenience and safety.

Free COVID-19 tests and vaccination: More to that, effecting free vaccination onsite in partnership with the government. This is will not only prevent more staff and their families from getting adversely infected, but also improve morale and productivity as staff do not have to join long queues for vaccination.

Fitness & fun: All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy, therefore if remote working isn’t spiced up with fun, physical or mental activities, it will have a negative impact on the productivity and output of employees as well as their mental health.

Mental wellbeing of staff can be improved spicing work routines up with online fitness, mental therapy or group online fun sessions. This can be done once or twice a week with well selected therapists or trainers. At Airtel, we have set up a two times a week schedule for staff to engage in Virtual fitness sessions. We have partnered with fitness experts to help us seamlessly execute this.

The Covid-19 pandemic has presented us with an opportunity to explore new ways of working. The mandate lies between the employer and employees to reconnoiter the benefits. At the end of the day, for a successful work from home routine, one’s mind set and full adoption of the new ways of working is extremely important on the side of the employee. Your role as the employer is to support the employees to fully immerse into the new phenomena.

This is a revolution, we cannot avoid it, if anything it brings with it some great innovations in digitization, better work life balance, opportunities to learn new things through DIY, greater connectivity across and especially with many Subject Matter Experts sacrificing valuable time to freely share their knowledge, among others.

These are unprecedented times, and we can benefit a lot from them despite the adverse effects of loss of lives, loss of employment, and the like. As a Human Race, we are wired to overcome, and create greatness out of all situations!!!

About author:

Flavia Ntambi Lwanga is the Human Resource Director at Airtel Uganda.

The post Tips on how to be more productive while working from home appeared first on BigEye.UG.

Dorcas Muhwezi, the MTN General Manager Customer Experience.

By Dorcas Muhwezi

We are back to lockdown and just like we saw in the first wave, businesses are now operating online. One thing COVID-19 has taught us, is that the internet is no longer a luxury. The Internet is a necessity. The internet is the place where customers window shop, purchase and air out views on products and services offered by companies.

Make sure you have online presence. Unlike the earlier days where customers sneakily wrote their views on paper and dropped them into suggestion boxes hoping that no one would recognize their handwriting, today, customers take to social media to publicly appreciate and also vent their frustration.

Emergence of technology and social media has made the role of customer experience, even more profound today. Customer experience is the perception that customers have based on their interaction with your business or product. Today, customers are more empowered. They know what they want and will not compromise. In part, it is because they have a plethora of options to choose from when it comes to product and service providers.

To keep your head above water in the sea of businesses, entrepreneurs must embrace strategies such as enhancing customer experience especially via social media as the country strives to mitigate the spread of the virus during lockdown.

Easy accessibility of services is a good place to start. Despite limitation of movement, you need to ensure that there is uninterrupted service delivery especially if you are among the businesses allowed to operate during this period.

Aware of the vitality of easy accessibility of services to customers, using digital tools, MTN created the MyMTN app which among other things houses the telecom’s different services under one roof. One can buy all MTN Products, get access to Mobile Money statements and even get help or log a complaint using the MyMTN App. This reduces the amount of time a customer spends while trying to use MTN’s services.

In addition, understanding how to use the new innovations or products is very critical to improving a customer’s experience. I advise that you create short videos that you can run on social media, showing customers how to use a new product or service. This helps to guide customers to understand and acquaint themselves with the workings of the new product, which will smoothen their experience when they get to use it.

In light of the harsh economic times occasioned by COVID-19, I am alive to the fact that many businesses are financially constrained and might not be able to do the above. But there are also ways of enhancing customers’ experience at a cheap cost to your business.

Personalizing customers’ experience is one of them. Wishing your seasoned customers a happy birthday is a sign that you value them. Make their milestones your milestones, recognize and celebrate with them even if virtually. I am sure you all have received a birthday message from MTN once. This is a way of showing our customers that we care. This is a very key customer experience enhancement tool especially during this period; awash with sad news dampening moods of many.

Once only a chatting vessel, social media has morphed over time to become an official communication channel for businesses which breeds loyalty and efficiency. It is important to engage with customers online by curating content specific to particular audiences. This can draw increased loyalty from them towards your product. This keeps you relevant.

For instance, at MTN, a post about MTN Pulse or ayoba, the MTN version of WhatsApp, will be written in the lingo used by the youth because they are predominantly youth targeted services.

Engaging with customers through liking or commenting on their post is also another way of enhancing customer experience as it strengthens the relationship and builds a strong attachment to the brand.

Arguably the most important aspect of social media is customer feedback. Whether positive or negative, feedback provides an understanding of the customers’ thoughts on the business’ products and services, “the good, the bad and the ugly”. Negative feedback is a contentious subject but at MTN, we believe a complaining customer is an alive customer. Work with them!

Make the best out of bad reviews by addressing them while capitalizing and strengthening your preferred qualities. The world today is fast paced so there is an expectation from customers for an immediate response and handling complaints in under 24 hours. At MTN, we have a team dedicated to social media to provide quick responses to customers and escalate concerns to responsible parties in the company.

It also goes without saying that as a business, ensure you have trained your staff who interface with customers via social media. The way a business responds to customers via social media speaks to the value it attaches to them. Plus, when on social media, assume all eyes are on you because with only a click of a button, a conversation can become an issue of national interest.

Avoid flaring of tempers and strive for professionalism. Remember, customer experience management will save your business money in reduced marketing costs. Make your customers your marketers.

About Author: 

Dorcas Muhwezi is the MTN General Manager Customer Experience.

The post How to use Social Media to enhance Customer Experience during Lockdown appeared first on BigEye.UG.

By EITU ISAIAH
Founder; African Conflict Resolution Initiative
+256752141755
eitu2004@yahoo.co.uk

What is peace? Who has the keys to peace? Where do we find peace? Who is messing up with our peace? These and many more are some of the questions we read or hear every single day. These questions are asked by the young and the old alike, the questions transcend gender orientation leaving men and women alike in the same lock of wonder. The rich like the poor spend sleepless nights pondering their next step to acquisition of peace. The racial and cultural scales have all been balanced out by the same questions. And while the illiterates believe that the elites have the answers to the question of peace, the elites in their intellectual world seem to believe what you don’t know does not steal away your peace thus making it seem like the illiterates are better off. The three years I have spent in active advocacy for peace have given me a great opportunity of interacting with real life experiences of endless quest for peace among different members of our communities.

So what is peace? While every person and organization has their own understanding and academic definition of peace, I like defining and understanding things from a highly practical or call it every day point of view. As such I define peace as an individual holistic feeling of safety regardless of the prevailing circumstances. The holistic feeling of safety, encompasses the Physical, mental and spiritual intrinsic confidence in the natural laws of nature and social realities. Johan Galtung a Norwegian scholar considered the father of peace studies, identified two types of peace; (i) negative peace and (ii) Positive peace. Where negative peace refers to the absence of violence but with gross presence of systemic constrains to one’s ability to achieve their full potential. Positive peace on the other hand refers to a state in which all forms of violence are eliminated and each individual is able to have access to resources, power, and justice and attain their full potential without any impediments (Ogbonna, 2018). I want to divide peace further in to two (i) Intrinsic peace and (ii) extrinsic peace. Intrinsic peace refers to a naturalized holistic state of calm which is independent of environmental factors. People with intrinsic peace remain logical, focused and stand strong even in the face of life most difficult moments. The intrinsic peace is intentionally developed nurtured and mastered to become

an integral character of an individual. Extrinsic Peace on the other hand refers to emotionally driven feelings of safety highly dependent on environmental factors. Any miss alignment in the expectations and opinions creates a disorientation to the extrinsic peace. The restoration and sustainability of the extrinsic peace once lost requires the intervention of third parties.

Does anyone specifically hold the keys to peace? My answer is YES and that person is yourself. Not your parents, employer, religious leaders, armed forces or the head of state can ever hand you the peace platter which you so much need. If they do, it will be an extrinsic peace or alien feeling that only will exist for a limited time and vanish as time passes by. Is peace locked up in a particular place? I think peace is like the air we breathe, it’s with us everywhere we go including in the intensive care units. Peace is everywhere and in abundance at no cost, our biggest challenge is always how to preserve it. Have you ever asked yourself why you wake up every morning and run out of your precious bed, abandon your family the whole day, endure abuses from strangers, go to your place of worship often, and or take life threatening risks? You do all the above in order to feel physically, mentally and spiritually secure. The last question I wish to address in this article today is; who is messing up with our peace? Life is not static, human beings are not solitary but rather relational. Because of the nature of human beings which is diverse, our path are bound to cross. Our interests will collide our priorities will differ, our level of understanding and perceptions will vary and l will drag us in to conflict situations which will mess with our peace. The natural occurrences such as sickness and death which are either induced by human actions or occur naturally, continue hitting all human beings off the weigh scale of peace. The level to which your cup of peace drains is highly dependent on how you have positioned and prepared yourself for the occurrence of worst case scenarios in life and built your intrinsic confidence to handle unavoidable circumstances.

How can one develop and sustain intrinsic peace? There is to clear cut mathematical formula or social principles that every individual must follow in the development of intrinsic peace, but what is pertinent is for us to have a basic understanding of what intrinsic peace is and start practicing it under all circumstances. I will however share with you some basic principles for development of intrinsic peace; (i) Acknowledgement of the inherent laws of nature impact on peace – (what natural occurrences strain your peace off its normal point?) (ii) Determine the band width of your level of accommodation- (what can you accommodate beyond which your peace is weighed off balance?)

(iii) Focus on your strength (what is within your reach that you can maximally use to address the peace stresses?

If conflict is one of the greatest enemies to our individual, social, national and international peace, in my next article I want to dive and unearth the mystery of conflict so that we have a basic but vivid understanding of our everyday conflicts.

Reference

Ogbonna, C. C. (2018). Belligerent Peace. XXXV(1), 63–82.

The post Discovering the real meaning of peace and understanding its source appeared first on BigEye.UG.

Michael Kawesa Sekadde, the General Manager-Human Resources at MTN Uganda.

By Michael Kawesa Sekadde

It is overwhelming how much sad news is flying over different social media platforms, once a home of laughter and comedic memes. The second wave of the virus has taken a toll on everyone forcing the country back to lockdown in a bid to mitigate spread of the virus.

Whereas lockdown might block out the virus, it has affected people mentally. A report by Uganda Bureau of Statistics indicates that 5 per cent of the respondents were clinically depressed. The incidence was found majorly in elderly respondents around 65 years of age and above. A significant number of respondents between the age of 44 and 54 years were also found to be clinically depressed on account of their employment status and negative changes in business incomes.

Centers for disease control and prevention(CDC) has also said that public health measures such as social distancing and lockdown, while necessary to reduce the spread of the virus, have led to isolation and loneliness which cause stress and anxiety.

The pandemic is generally affecting people’s emotional wellbeing, which is described as the ability to successfully handle life’s stresses and adapt to change and difficult times.

Experience has taught me that staff emotional well-being should be of great concern to organisations. It is important to understand the challenges staff are facing. Overwhelming challenges limit the ability of staff to focus and handle their responsibilities and tasks while at the job whether they are working from home or office. Consequently, staff will fail to deliver on their duties or even those who do deliver will submit substandard work which affects productivity of the company or business.

However, working from home puts emotional wellbeing of staff at more risk of being ignored especially if the HR professional is strictly work oriented.

At MTN, the first thing we did to ensure good staff mental health was assure them of their job security. This curb the fear and uncertainty of the staff especially during such a time when economic conditions were harsh and loss of jobs was skyrocketing.

You can also create a mental wellbeing program to insulate staff from covid-19 related mental health conditions. Ensure that the program is personalized to individuals as each person could be facing different challenges of their own. Avoid piling all of them together. It is high time companies realize mental health conditions are a real challenge and create mental health policy, which will house the business’ direction towards mental wealth at the workplace.

At MTN, we opted to include counselling services as part of the medical insurance scheme, which enables staff to get expert advice.

When in apprehension to speak to a professional, we also encourage open communication with family and friends.

Frequent communication between HR and staff is also important in supporting staff mental health and well-being. Make it a point to make a phone call and check in on the state of your staff. During online work meetings, you can take some few minutes to have personal banter to eliminate the feeling of loneliness.

During the second wave, staff are more afraid of contracting the virus, which also causes stress and anxiety. HR professionals need to guarantee a healthy and safe working environment for those staff that continue working from office during lockdown to limit worries of contracting the virus. Strive to have staff buy into the measures and changes in work environment as it plays a key role in unification as a company in the fight against the virus.

Owing to the buy-in, MTN instituted an emergency fund with monies contributed by staff to cater for needs or daily stipend to any employee affected by COVID-19. This eliminates fear of hefty bills in case of contraction of the virus.

While undertaking these measures, it is important to carry out a post-mortem and evaluate their effectiveness. This can be done through quick and periodic surveys with the staff. HR professionals ought to engage the staff on a periodic basis to ascertain their mental health.

Share your experience with the staff which will make you more relatable and they will be more willing to openly reveal their state of mind.

About Author:

Michael Kawesa Sekadde is the General Manager-Human Resources at MTN Uganda.

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By Our Reporter 

Before 2018, Busiu Health Centre IV in Mbale district received about 60 women delivering at the facility every month. The health centre which at the time had very limited beds tried to house the mothers for at least 24 hours for purposes of medical review in vain.

“Initially we would tell the mother to stay around for 24 hours but when there was no room for the mother to sleep, she would go away,” Dr Maumbe Bernard the in-charge Busiu Health Centre IV narrates.

The early departure of the mothers from the health centre was one of the reasons why some of the newly born babies died soon after. About 3 babies were dying in a period of three months.

Today, child mortality at the health centre is near extinguished. According to Dr Maumbe, the health centre now goes three months without recording any deaths. These results are a culmination of combined efforts by the hospital and MTN Uganda.

MTN in the evening of 2018 donated beds and blankets to the health center which have since enabled more pregnant women seek maternity health care services.

The beds have allowed women stay over for a longer period enabling medical review of the mother and baby.

“Before we would have around 60 deliveries and now over a month, an average of 120 mothers are delivering from here but some months peak to 200. Antenatal visits are about 80 to 100,” he explains adding that hospital efforts of availing medicine have also played a key role in this outcome.

The telecom company also renovated the maternity ward which Dr Maumbe says has contributed to encouraging mothers to visit the health centre to seek proper medical antenatal services.

In fact, the impact is far-reaching as Busiu health center IV has now graduated to become a referral station for women in neighboring towns of Butaleja and Manafwa.

Kyenjojo hospital tells the same tale. The hospital received 30 beds and 30 mattresses from MTN which were installed in the general ward. Charles Tusiime, the health officer Kyenjojo district says these beds have been very instrumental in delivering treatment to the people from the western district.

“The impact much as patients may not know, is great. One bed can be used by so many people. In a month you find one bed has served about 5 to 10 people with a bed occupancy of about 3 days,” he said.

As he recounts, the hospital in the past would a times get overwhelmed by the numbers which would force some of the patients to sleep on the floor, a situation they described as floor cases.

Tusiime says the hospital no longer has floor cases in its general ward because of the MTN intervention.

The intervention has also reduced the burden for the hospital allowing it to focus on other aspects in regards to its budget and procurement.

“What we would have been using for procurement of beds has been diverted to construction of 2 emptiable pit latrines which have addressed the costs associated with the hospital’s sewerage system” he says.

MTN under the UGX400m access to health care initiative supported health centres and hospitals through refurbishing of maternity wards and donation of beddings such as blankets, mosquito nets, mattresses and beds.

Similarly, some of the health centres received solar lighting equipment and had their entire water system connected.

A total of 8 health centres and 5 hospitals across the country were supported.

Wim Vanhelleputte, MTN Uganda Chief executive officer lauded the hospitals and health centre staff saying MTN is pleased with the impact they have managed to drive in the community.

“I am very delighted to see the ripple effect of the donation. It makes us at MTN very happy to see lives of many people impacted and for that I would like to thank the medical staff making this happen. As MTN, we shall constantly seek to find ways of transforming lives of Ugandans,” he appreciated.

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Aging singer Chance Nalubega has cried foul today and revealed why she was not so much on stage in her early days when she was at the peak. Despite having her hits, Chance was not so much on stage and she has revealed why. “Promoters found a lady that looke4d like me and trained her to sing my songs. She was cheaper and charged only 30,000ugx so no promoter hired me for 300,000ugx instead.”

Appearing on one TV show, Chance Nalubega also exposed events promoter and music manager Hajj Musa Kavuma, commonly known as KT Promotions for failing to pay her sums after performance.

The singer however has revealed she is back to business. Her latest success is her latest song with Sheebah

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By Our Reporter

Bunambutye resettlement camp in Bulambuli district was as dark as a shadow a few years back. To see during the night, locals used candles which not only provided insufficient light, but also posed a safety threat especially when around children.

Bordering Nakapiripirit District to the north and Kapchorwa District to the east, Bulambuli district is home to resettled landslide survivors from Bududa.

Following the landslides in Bududa, the Office of the Prime Minister through the Ministry of Disaster Preparedness acquired land to construct 900 houses for purposes of resettling the affected families.

Nathan Wilson Wanasolo, the chairman of the resettlement camp says it is home to about 240 households sheltering 3000 families.

Rhoda Buteme, a farmer and mother of 12 in Bulambuli is one of the resettled survivors. She says the area was dark because everyone used candles to see at night. A times, it even hindered her children’s education.

“Candles were very hard to use. Sometimes the children would not read their books or do their homework because the dim light would strain their eyes. They preferred to do it during the day,” she narrates.

Wanasolo also recounts cases of insecurity in the area propagated by petty thieves taking advantage of the darkness. Cattle rustling by the Karamojongs was also very common.

Bulambuli is reflective of Uganda’s budding energy sector characterized by a low grid electricity connection rate around 27 per cent and relatively high and inhibitive tariff for an impoverished community.

In 2019, aware of the circumstances in Bulambuli, MTN hoped it would make a change in the community.

As part of its staff-driven Corporate Social Responsibility dubbed ‘21 Days of Y’ello care’, MTN in 2019 provided solar lighting to all the 110 existing houses in Bulambuli village in its light up a village campaign.

The UGX 157.6million campaign which was in partnership with Fenix international supported the households resettled under phase 1 by providing a solar panel and 4 bulbs each.

Buteme was one of the area beneficiaries. The solar lights have been very instrumental as an affordable yet efficient form of electricity.

Being a mother of 12 and a sole breadwinner of the family, affordability is critical to Buteme.

“The solar light and panel has enabled me have access to light, I can now also watch television and charge my phone. The solar light also comes in handy for the children who read books and do homework at night which was very hard before,” she explains.

The settlement is now also slowly developing with small businesses cropping up on account of a proliferating population and improved security.

Speaking to the impact of the MTN initiative, Wanasolo appreciated the telecom company for its donation saying it has been very critical to the development of the area and mitigating insecurity fostered by cattle rustlers.

“The lights have helped us a lot. We are very happy with MTN. Now we have some businesses; shops, small hotels and even those who sell vegetables. The lights have also helped with our insecurity problem of cattle rustlers. It is very common for them to come and steal our cattle,” he noted.

MTN Uganda Chief Executive Officer Wim Vanhelleputte said MTN is glad to have accomplished its goal which is to improve the lives of the people in the resettlement.

“MTN is proud to have supported government and the people of Uganda in improving life at the settlement camp. That camp is home to a cross section of demographics in the country who play a great role in its development,” he noted.

MTN, he also said will continue supporting the country and people to grow to greater heights because “We are good together”.

21 Days of Y’ello care is a global award-winning voluntary staff program that sees the MTN Uganda staff stepping out of their offices to make a difference in the lives of the communities within which they work every year.

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