Janet Museveni, Minister of Education and Sports, has launched the Emerging Leaders Program at Makerere University. The program is aimed at promoting positive behaviour change among youth in higher education institutions.
The program, which the minister initiated last year, targets issues such as corruption, substance abuse, gambling, and the risks of HIV/AIDS. These, according to the Minister, not only jeopardize students’ health and academic performance but also diminish the quality of graduates entering the workforce.
Developed in collaboration with Makerere University, Life Ministry Uganda, and the Global Leadership Summit, the program is being piloted at Makerere under the banner “The Safe Campaign.” It seeks to build capacity and influence behavior, starting with students in tertiary institutions.
Barbra Kaija, the Co-Chairperson of the program said that the program focused on Universities because university students are the most productive and must ensure their safety.
“University students are at the most productive age, and the workforce that is building our country, so we must make sure that they are safe. The emerging leaders will help them in character development. While our youth graduate with academic degrees, they need the right set of values and character to succeed in life,” she said.
Before initiating the program, Kaija noted that they conducted sample research to know the extent of the problems at the University where they targeted 473 fresh students and 1,041 continuing students.
The research revealed that 7.7% of continuing students are using drugs, a challenge affecting both male and female students. Additionally, 1.9% of students admitted to losing money through betting.
Makerere University Vice-Chancellor Professor Barnabas Nawangwe echoed this concern earlier this year, stating that nearly 1,000 students drop out annually due to losses from sports betting.
Regarding sexual health, the study revealed troubling trends, with 46.3% of first-year students and 53.3% of continuing students reporting having made risky sexual decisions. A concerning 13.5% admitted to having unprotected sex with HIV-positive individuals, primarily driven by peer pressure.
Moreover, 27% of new students had more than five sexual partners in one year, while 32% of continuing students had the same, with 11% and 12%, respectively, admitting to having ten or more partners within a year.
Speaking at the launch, the minister said young people have been grappling with many challenges, some of which have been imposed on them because of peer pressure. But, she believes that the program has the potential to nurture the young generation into impactful people by instilling value into them and improving their health.
She added that the program may not be about imparting leadership skills, but will prepare youth to make the right choices that will help in their general lives.
Lorna Magara, the chairperson of Makerere University Council said the program is timely because the country and the continent’s development relies on the quality of its leaders.
“The development of Uganda and indeed Africa hinges on the quality of its people, therefore the Emerging Leaders Program is a strategic tool to this cause with a fully-fledged behaviour change program, curriculum, and messaging campaigns,” She said.
