The National Social Security Fund (NSSF) has now embarked on encouraging University Students to join the fund scheme. In the campaign dubbed ‘NSSF Career expo’ where NSSF has been moving on different campuses in Uganda, NSSF has embarked on sensitizing students about the advantages of becoming a member of NSSF while still at the university.
In an interview during the Expo at IUIU main campus in Mbale on Friday 15th March, Lillian Mutungi the NSSF brand and Marketing officer explained the purpose of the expo to the students. “The major purpose of this career expo is to reach out to students as they prepare to face the world, it’s also aimed at teaching and creating awareness about different works of NSSF” she said
She added that this edition has been the best ever because it has not been associated with any challenge. “Students, lectures and rectors from different universities have been corporative, ever since we began in 2011 with only Kampala universities, we have been expanding from six to nine and now eleven, and next year we plan to increase the number according to the demand we normally get from universities. “ she added.
Mwebaza Laurence the NSSF manager Mbale branch called upon students to embrace the culture of saving with NSSF and create jobs depending on different skills they have than seeking for jobs. “Saving is very important because it helps at old age when one cannot do any kind of work, it’s also vital to always create something unique that will earn you a living than seeking for jobs from the government, students who are soon living the University to face the world should always do any task given to them with all their passion and this will create a brand for his future career”. Laurence said
“We assume it is at the age of 55 where most people retire and it’s at the same age were most people are always old to find any other job they can do, but we working upon that because we soon amending the NSSF constitution were age has been one of the issues tabled “ he added.
Naminya Ssali the chief executive officer of Caser lodges in Mbale also encouraged students to begin saving for future capital. He also proved to students out of his experience that Uganda is one of the richest countries with a lot of tourist attractions that only need a creative mind to build the nation
“Young people like you should save because most of you will cry out for capital to set up small business, one should also appreciate that our country is very rich and it only takes a great mind to discover the good sceneries, soils, and climate and how they can be product to Ugandans”. He Said
Mr. Ronald Mayanja the chief executive officer of Ability Explore who championed the mobilization said that so far in the Universities they have joined, students have turned up in good numbers. “In Kyambogo we got 930, 330 in Makerere, around 400 in MUBS and nearly 500 students in IUIU” he said.
“It has been my first time to participate in the expo, it has been so good that students were very reactive to it, we have very many plans to reach many other students, and next year we plan to have a far better expo than ever” Ronald added.
According Lillian, the NSSF Expo was started in 2011 with only six universities in Kampala only with a main objective of teaching students to understand the roles of NSSF.
Lillian adds that in 2012 they added three universities to make twelve until this current edition where there are eleven universities participated.
This year, eleven universities of IUIU, Makerere, Gulu, Kyambogo, MUBS and Ndejje, Kampala international university, Kampala University, Nkumba and Mbarara university.
