KIU, Western Campus – Edward Twesigye, the Chairman of the outgoing interim Guild Committee is not only an aspiring medical doctor but also a mental health advocate, who aspires for a mentally healthy society.

Twesigye, a second-year medical student, says he has been at the forefront of creating mental health programs, which have helped students overcome their mental health challenges.

“As the Guild President KIU Western Campus, I have been able to continuously represent my university at international level and also maintain students’ mental stability by creating and supporting mental health awareness programs in the university,” Twesigye says.

As one way of helping students overcome the triggers to their mental health problems, Twesigye helped many of them with their school fees challenges – one of the factors that contribute to their mental instability.

“As the Guild President, I was able to help in the running of fundraising programs to collect school fees for students who were financially unstable,” he reveals.

“One of my most memorable moments as a leader was when one student didn’t have tuition and it was only 3 hours to the exam. As a team, we quickly mobilized around 500,000 shillings for the student, who later managed to do the exam,” he explains.

“I can’t forget the tears of joy that ran down the eyes of that student thanks to the students’ fraternity at KIU Western Campus,” he adds.

Such is the selfless spirit that Twesigye has exhibited during his time as interim Guild President that he went out of his way to ensure that he fights for the mental health of his colleagues.

And his appointment as interim Guild President was not a flash in the pan when it comes to leadership.

He has been the Chairperson of the Organizing Committee for the 19th Federation of Uganda Medical Students Associations (FUMSA) General Assembly, which was hosted by KIU from October 7-10, 2022.

He was also the President of the East African Youth Entrepreneurs (EAYE), where he chaired the General Assembly of KIU Western Campus in which a roadmap was established on how East African youth can achieve a stable income status by 2035.

Twesigye says once he completes school, he wants to focus more on sensitization for good health as a priority, through organizing medical camps, especially in hard-to-reach communities.

He advises fellow students to work hard and always keep God at the forefront of their lives in everything they do.

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