KIU, Western Campus – Shamusi Kyeyune, a student pursuing a Diploma in Clinical Medicine at KIU Western Campus in Ishaka has advised fellow students to always have a plan B in whatever they do in their lives.

Kyeyune, an enrolled nurse with the Uganda Nurses and Midwives Council, says it is not healthy to always rely on parents for everything, as things can sometimes go wrong like in the current COVID-19 lockdown.

“ We should always have a plan B. If one thing fails, then you try another,” Kyeyune says.

“If you have the ability or ways to earn a living, please do that. We should try to lighten the burden on our parents because they have also been hit hard by the pandemic,” he adds.

He says he already had this in mind before the lockdown and he opened up a popcorn business in Kiwempe, Kansanga as well as working in clinics to earn some money for paying his own tuition and survival.

Kyeyune also goes by the stage name MC Shamo, which comes from hosting events and shows like the Miss Faculty beauty pageants and other social events around Ishaka and other towns.

But with events and gatherings not allowed because of the lockdown restrictions, Kyeyune now depends on his popcorn business and nursing work at Nakaggwa Community Center in Bulenga, Wakiso district for survival.

Kyeyune joined KIU in 2015 to pursue a Certificate in Nursing, which he attained in 2018 before rejoining to do a Diploma in Clinical Medicine in 2019.

He says he and other students feel let down by the pandemic because it has stalled all their plans, ambitions and dreams.

“We as students dream big and we have plans and ambitions to fulfill but COVID-19 has slowed down our expectations,” he says.

“What hurts us the most is that our education has stalled but our age continues on increasing, something that is very frustrating because we don’t know when the pandemic will end,” he adds.

He is however hopeful that the current situation will improve so that students can once again have the opportunity to complete their studies and get the opportunities they need to forge ahead in this world.

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