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Mbarara businessman tips students
Dr Nathan Karema, the proprietor of Evelyn School of Nursing and Midwifery (right), addresses students of Bishop Stuart University Mbarara on Friday. photo BY stephen otage
Kampala- This year’s annual universities career expo ended at the Bishop Stuart University in Mbarara District on Friday with a local businessman telling students how he beat odds to become wealthy.
Dr Nathan Karema said values such as hard work, patience, focus, honesty, time keeping, respect for work and superiors helped him establish Evelyn School of Nursing and Midwifery, Mbarara Community Hospital and Agro Health Products Uganda Ltd.
“I grew up like an orphan despite having both parents. I cleaned toilets to pay for my tuition. I also slashed the compounds of teachers to pay tuition for my siblings because my parents did not value education,” he said.
Dr Karema said he could not afford a pair of shoes and socks when he was admitted to King’s College Budo, but later went to Mbarara High School after a friend gave him shoes.
The businessman said he got his first job in 1969 as a Primary Seven teacher in Mbarara District.
All the students that year excelled and their parents rewarded him with his first suit.
“I was appointed assistant community development officer in 1973 and in mid-1983, I was appointed full commissioner and posted to Luweero District where Mr Museveni waged the [Bush] War against government,” Dr Karema said.
He said the war forced him into exile in the United Kingdom where he got a job as a students’ counsellor, which enabled him earn some capital that he used to establish businesses in Mbarara.
About career expo
Now in its eighth year, the annual expo is an initiative between the Nation Media Group Uganda and the National Social Security fund to groom university students into entrepreneurs or employees.
The expo has also reached out to Islamic University in Uganda in Mbale, Gulu University and Makerere University Business School. Industry experts speak to the students about life in the employment world and other available employment options outside the traditional white collar jobs.
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