Do the Math...

I got this email today.

Dear Almni,

As a Ugandan, am getting ashamed to say I am!!!, becoz this takes away a healthy chunk of that guilt.

I am utterly buffled, dismayed and disturbed at the lax with which people in "authority" use power in backward regions of the Earth. You would expect a "learned" man like Ekudu to fathom that Nutriton, Relaxation and Income are key factors that influence learning.
Tons of students at Makerere earn money doing secretarial work in the dorms, store their fruits and vegetables in those fridges and avoid all wrong intention...arround the Uni (due to idle minds)...by watching t.v to cool off the hard day's work.

The ban on T.Vs, Fridges and Computers in residence halls is not only ignorant, it's devoid of reason and empathy. While Ekudu, and probably most of his decision-making posse might have grown up in the pot, radio and typewriter era, times have changed and they need to realize that too.

So umeme wants sh 58million for electricity, are you telling me the Ugandan government (small "g") can't come up with that amount, yet it can splash over Sh 20 million on Landcruisers for Ministers and members of parliament (small "p")? And what happened to all that money from the timber snatched from Congo?

While the western world is making all universities wireless, Uganda is making it a crime to own a computer? Psssst!

Murphy

Fight Ignorance, please pass this on.



Makerere bans TVs, fridges
ALEX NSUBUGA & RICHARD WANAMBWA
KAMPALA

MAKERERE University has banned the use of fridges, television sets and computers in all students' halls of residence. The move, it has emerged is meant to cut down on the huge power bills Makerere is facing.
The Dean of Students, Mr John Ekudu, wrote to all university hall wardens on September 12 instructing them to effect the ban. The students are back at the university but it's not clear whether the university authorities are going to force them to return the TVs and computers home.
The university has had a blackout for the last three weeks after Umeme disconnected the power due to non payment of Shs 58 million. When contacted yesterday, Mr Ekudu bluntly said electronic equipment are not allowed at the university. "Whoever has been to Makerere knows the rules, so we are trying to implement those rules," he said by telephone.
He said the decision originated from the university council. He said the council was concerned that the university was spending most of its budget on electricity. "The expenditure on power is high that's why I was told to inform the wardens to implement the rules," he said adding that the university authorities will meet and see how best to enforce the directive. The directive has however attracted an outcry from students who say the university authorities are attempting to deny them their fundamental rights.

Propaganda but good.

September 11. Hmmmm...u know, i was wondering why everyone was going september 11th speaking about. Had almost forgotten why this day was so "important".

Where as i sympathise with the families affected by september 11th, on some other level i think its pure propaganda that i dont know if i want to associate with.

Everyother day no, make that every single day, some African is dying as a result of war or disease or famine. More than one African, Asian or watever. Does it get as much air time? No..reason? it aint "terrorism" and it didnt happen in the US of A.

We all know HIV/AIDS is a serious issue but we usually hear about it around December 1st (thats world AIDS day, just incase u didnt know). Other issues like the Environment or blood donation or those associated ailments like TB and malaria we hear about in passing...u know why? they arent "that important". Most people take these things as "9-5 jobs" once i step out of PSI, Mulago, Y.E.A. H, UNASO, TASO or what ever, it doesnt matter any more.

I think it "doesnt matter anymore" because in the first place, our societies are structured in such a way that we do not think about the bigger picture which is why i think Behavour Change Communication Strategies have not been as effective as people/statistics would have us believe.

I mean, when u attend these "rallies" what do people see? Bebe cool jumping all over the place, Bobi wine declaring faithfullness to his wife and watever.Bebe Cool and Bobi wine are great crowd pullers but what message does the audience pick up?

Bebe cool and bobi wine are cool with blingage and women!!

An african believes he has made it when it he has land, some money for malwa and a load of women and not neccessarily at the same time. Now if our muscians in trying to be "international" pick up and promote things like "promiscuity" in the guise of "entertainment", really, why would a man in kabarole listen to you talk abt ABC?

Had these things been happening inthe USA or Europe, gosh we wld never hear the last of them. I mean, who actually knows just how bad HIV/AIDS is in America or Europe??? Usually these things read like " Action Aid, with the help of the American Association of Africanhelpers visited Uganda, acountry ravished by Aids. This coutry has a pervalance of ... and has suffered for over 20 yrs"...

Sometimes its almost like colonailism all over again.. U know kinda like how the English went over to help the "Savages" in America..u know, "lets help those less fortunate"...

And dont even get me started on stereotyping. Its a tie in to decide which race is worse to be (my gramma is a bit warped, forgive me). i actually saw this in an airport..

Walking through security check points, passengers were asked to remove laptops, place bags at security entry points before walking through the secuirty "door",(no idea what its actually called). This man, possibly of arabian decent (u cant tell the talibans from non-talibans,can ya?) walks through, removes his laptop, empties his pants, removes his shoes,runs his hands threw his hair (ok, last part is embelishment,but sure u see the point) and walks through, looking like he was awaiting an ambush anytime simply because of his skin colour.

I mean really, the poor African starts questioning if they too should do that? But u know, as Dave Chappelle says, we r kinda safe. We wldnt make good hostages, no one wants to save the blackie unless it looks good for "world peace"

im rumbling...lost my point somewhere, so me beg to leave now.