FINANCIAL LITERACY & PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT

 A certain student failed to sit national exams after seven years of toiling because the parents failed to raise 50,000/= for registration. Many dreams have stalled due to lack of funds. According to the Uganda Retirement Benefits Authority report of 2016, over 90% of Ugandans are without any formal old age social security or retirement benefit arrangements. This increases vulnerability yet life expectancy is increasing. These statistics reflect the importance of saving amidst financial challenges and a tough economy.  It is true that saving is tough especially in an environment where a number of youths lack access to dignified employment opportunities. However it is a discipline that cab be cultivated and is a critical base for growing an economy. The reason why our economy is so vulnerable is because of a weak savings culture that is prevalent in the society. The youths struggle to save and prioritize spending over saving. We can not talk of investment when the saving culture is stil

 As personal finance coach one of the most common questions that Iam asked is, how can one improve their finances? I should attest that I do not have all answers to this question. It is a noble question. As a nation we are grappling with means of survival. It is tough to survive but then there must be a solution to this dilemma. During the lock down there were two cases of young men who killed themselves because they could not cope up with life. Financial struggles have contributed to crime and mental health. Today Uganda is not a safe place simply because young people are looking for ways of survival. I have witnessed market vendors who do not earn a lot and have been able to build houses and pay school fees with their meagre income. On the contrary we have witnessed international celebrities who had a lot of money and become bankrupt. What is the missing link? I think it is related to vision. Without a clear vision for our finances we are likely to become broke in the long run. Toda

 I once asked a certain youth whether he had an account in the bank. The look on his face revealed to me that he was not interested in giving me an answer. I have observed that among the least talked about topics is money. For most groups I have interacted with the most common topics include football and politics. In fact some time  deaths have been caused by money issues. Money deficits have caused depression, land wrangles and even students have missed exams due to money. So the topic of money management can not be kept under the carpet. No one can be happy without adequate money. We have witnessed gangs beating up people to the extent of killing them in pursuit of money .In  an economy where jobs are fewer than the population the demand for money is very high. From government to Church, money is a currency of life. people have lost lives because of lack of funds. So the question is, despite the importance of money why is it that this is a topic that is given less attention in our

A certain student fell sick when the lecturer pointed out that he was to give the class a test. I have heard a number of students stopping their colleagues from reading certain topics because they will not be "examined". This is equivalent to "gambling". A number of students "burn" their books after graduation . The exams based education system has been in Uganda for a long time and it will take some time to erase its effects on society. This is not to say that examining students to pass is bad. However the examination based system encourages students to cram concepts and pass. This means that a person's potential is based on the marks got from the exam. What if the teacher who marked that exam was sick or not in the right mood? Many students have missed out on their careers simply because they failed to acquire the required pass mark. If passing was the only route towards "success", how come most of the shops in Kikuubo (Kampala's Centra