Scholarship / NETWORKING HAS FUELED MY CAREER. Chevening scholarship on networking skills essay. [2]

strong network between i.a. uganda and uk

My networking skills started far when I contested for a national political office of the students' president of Uganda National Students' Association in 2014/15 where most of my networking was linked. Since my voters were students' leaders across all universities and tertiary institutions in Uganda, I connected and created rapport with all of them, coming from a poor family I couldn't manage to finance my rallies and campaigns fortunately one of my voters named Emmanuel Ekima a students' leader from Makerere University connected me to some government agencies and the ruling party of National Resistance Movement secretariat for financial support. However, this connection didn't stop at funding my campaigns but also I used it to get an internship placement in the ministry of finance, planning and economic development to enhance on my professional skills.

The network I built in the ministry of finance has helped me up to now to build my professional career because even up to now I still receive invitations for crucial workshops on economic policies conducted by the ministry refer to the Mr. Ishimwe Collins Herbert a senior economist in the development assistance and regional cooperation department. This helped me to get my first job in the ministry however I turned the offer down because my former institution (Bishop Stuart University) had also invited me for one.

Networking has been focal in achieving my overall tasks in my dairy life, for example the job I have at my workplace is because of the network I made when I was still a student from 2012-2015.

I got a job because of the network I made with the Dean of students who was the patron to our guild government, the university vice chancellor whom I knew because of students' issues and being a leader she tested and approved my abilities and the university finance office together with the senior accountant that were once my lecturers and because I had made a good relationship with them, they accepted accommodating me in their department.

Being an accounts assistant in August 2017, I enrolled for CPA a professional course for accountants at PACTUS institute and my senior accountant introduced me to and made me join the forum of CPA (certified public accountants of Uganda major aim is to connect accountants to the available jobs and helping junior accountants to solve crucial accounting problems at their workplaces. Whenever I have a challenge with an accounting technique or solving some accounting problems, I approach such kind of forum that guides me on how to overcome such hence adding value and experience to my profession. Through such forum, new available accountancy jobs are posted every day and this will help me get a better job as soon as possible since am part of such a great network.

Currently am looking forward to strengthening and broadening my network with the chevening alumni most especially those of my profession which will help me so much to repatriate their financial skills through the fora we ought to start basically to discuss financial challenges in financial institutions and other government agencies for developing countries like Uganda. In addition, the strong and broad network we ought to build will help common wealth countries UK inclusive to achieve similar objectives and targets.

Scholarship / A LIFE TIME LEADER AND AN INFLUENCER IN ME. For Chevening scholarship [2]

A LIFE TIME LEADER AND AN INFLUENCER IN ME

My first leadership experience came from Being a former students' leader and an accounts assistant at my workplace (Bishop Stuart university), I was versed with the leadership responsibility of being the financial advisor (advise and guide on managing finance for useful investments) to the registered students' organizations in the university. The university had a very unique problem of separating students' subscription fee from the general tuition and other fees paid by students and usually the students' subscription fee was used to run university programs and cater for general expenses of which it would be paid for students' unions projects though they would remain un/under developed due to lack of sufficient funding. I remember it was on 3rd August 2017 when this issue almost made students (almost 35,000) strike because they couldn't withstand the fact that their subscription fee was of no use to their projects as students' unions, being their former guild leader, students still believed in me and I used my leadership skills to convince them to cub down the chaos and strike that was almost happening through giving them hope that the management and I (their financial advisor) would jointly fix their issue. On 23rd August 2017, I initiated and designed financial policies and guidelines for campus life programs to guide students' unions on how to manage their funds using my financial management skills and I presented them to the finance management committee and the senior management committee of Bishop Stuart university so that students unions' funds would be separately and solely controlled by and for students' interests. These financial policies and guidelines were adapted by the university authorities and students' unions at large because I had persuaded them and up to now those policies are straightly working for students. These financial policies and guidelines included;

All use of student group funds shall be in accordance with the group's constitution. Student groups may pay its officers and employee's salaries, wages, stipends, or other lawful incentives for services rendered. Student groups may also make financial awards/prizes to individuals, including officers or members, as a result of individual participation in a student group activity. Other payments, including gifts, distribution of residual assets or profits, dividends, and so on, to officers, members, or other individuals are prohibited. Where appropriate, organizations that qualify as charitable, educational, social, or benevolent organizations may make payments to other affiliated organizations outside the University.

Registered Students unions shall maintain independent financial accounts (including checkbooks) outside of the University. Registered Students Unions shall not operate their finances via the University's financial system.

Registered Students Unions do not have access to the University's tax-exempt status and may not use the University tax identification number.
Although Bishop Stuart university asks all Registered Students Unions to operate as nonprofit entities, these groups do not have nonprofit status with the Ugandan government.

Registered Students Unions are encouraged to apply for a Tax identification number to be used for any financial accounts on the group's behalf from the Uganda Revenue Authority.

These policies and guidelines have been helpful to students in that;
Students unions now have a right on their budget and budgetary control, investments for example today Bishop Stuart students' guild owns a stored building fully funded by its subscription fee, it owns residential houses for tenants that generate income to the union and other assets registered in their unions' names.

It has given the students a sense of ownership which has boosted their projects performance thus development. Students unions put in much efforts to make sure their projects are operated in the right way because they are of their own.

My next leadership experience came from working as founder and CEO of waste management company which is named, "trash bin services ltd" the company that I established in 2017. Even though it was my first experience of establishing a business, I was sure that I can do it because of successful missions that I had worked. The aim of the company is to provide private refuse collection services to inhabitants of Mbarara district. This covers residential, office and business premises. Trash bin Services Ltd is a fully integrated, specialized company and business entity for one year. Through various strategic acquisitions, we are the most experienced waste management company in the environmental services industry in western region of Uganda. we revolutionize waste management, by transforming what was once a bleak and dated industry into a professional, efficient and hygienic solution to remove unwanted waste.

At first I assigned the responsibilities of each employee of the company. As the next step toward continuing my business I influenced responsible stakeholders and authorities to pattern with my business by developing a waste management project proposal and successfully presented it in the city development strategies (CDS) of Mbarara and regional environmental conservation summit that took place on 8th December 2017 at lake view hotel in Mbarara municipality. This helped me to influence decision makers who became both my customers in their households and helped me to lobby for my company a business tender from the municipal council.

I employ and manage skilled and semi-skilled workers to convince the customers and increase sales such that we can increase our customer base and market by motivating them with incentives and recognitions by the company. On 7th February 2018, Trash bin services ltd won a tender/contract with the municipal council of Mbarara to be a sole waste management company in Mbarara district and achieved partial funding from Mbarara municipal council on private-government pattern ship program to collect, manage and recycle wastes in the city. As of now, Trash bin services ltd is the leading waste collection and management service company in western Uganda and I can't take that for granted. As a leader and founder I could experience one of my best leadership and influence skills in life.

I have always tried to bring visible positive impact to the communities I live in, given this great opportunity to become a chevening scholar, I will be part of a lifelong relationship which will bring mutual benefits like sharing developmental ideas with outstanding great future leaders and influencers around the globe which will boost my leadership and influence skills to add value not only to Uganda but also to the chevening community, United Kingdom and the globe at large.

This will also help me strengthen the relationship between Uganda and the United Kingdom.