KIU, Western Campus – Joel Isabirye, the deputy Education Minister for KIU Western Campus is a person who is not shy to take on leadership positions.

The second-year Medicine student holds posts in almost every student organization he subscribes to. Apart from serving in the guild union, he is also the class president for second-year medicine students, a member of the executive committee of Basoga Nseete- the KIU Basoga students’ cultural association, Member of Parliament for Faculty of Biomedicals and an executive committee member on Timeless Mission, a student based debate organization.

Isabirye, however, prides himself more in being able to serve as the link between fellow students and the university lecturers, especially during the lockdown period.

“I have always made sure that I perform my role as an MP of a full faculty and a minister of education,” Isabirye, who is self-isolating at his parents’ home in Bulenga, Wakiso district, says.

“I have bridged the gap that was created by this serious pandemic through providing the required information from the administration like student usernames and passwords, to the students through their class representatives,” he adds.

Isabirye further states that he organizes regular online meetings with class representatives on behalf of the guild education ministry, to emphasize consistent distribution of learning material.

Personally, he uses videos, audio discussions with classmates and sample questions from different textbooks in addition to course material from lecturers, to study.

He established discussion groups on WhatsApp with some of his classmates, where they share questions and test themselves to monitor their progress.

“It is challenging to study from home because of distractions from other family members. So, I usually read at night, when the others are asleep,” Isabirye says.

Apart from his academic and student leadership work, he also helps out with chores like grazing cattle, cleaning the poultry house and cooking, sometimes.

Isabirye has spared some time to learn a few skills like baking, art and craft skills and decoration and advised his fellow students to live responsibly in this period, while following the guidelines from the Ministry of Health in order to prevent the spread of COVID-19.

Photo Credit: Joel Isabirye