This year’s Makerere Run to raise funds to support students with disability

The Makerere University Endowment Fund, the organisers of the annual Makerere Run have announced that this year’s edition will be used to raise funds to support students living with disabilities and promoting inclusivity within the university community.

This year’s event, scheduled for August 18th, 2024, will be held under the theme “Run for Students with Disabilities” and will raise funds for the construction of a state-of-the-art Students’ Centre and Disability Support Unit at Makerere University.

Speaking during the launch State Minister for Youth, Balaam Barugahara hailed Makerere for its steadfast dedication to providing top-quality education, convalescing visions in Uganda and across Africa.

“Let us demonstrate our solidarity with students living with disabilities by purchasing kits and contributing to their well-being and academic success. This is not only a healthy initiative but also a timely response to the recent call by the Minister of Public Service and Health to promote a culture of regular exercise among public servants.”

“This is not only a healthy initiative but also a timely response to the recent call by the Minister of Public Service and Health to promote a culture of regular exercise among public servants. Let us demonstrate our solidarity with students living with disabilities by purchasing kits and contributing to their well-being and academic success.”

Makerere University Vice Chancellor, Prof. Barnabas Nawangwe said the Makerere Run has for many years contributed to the university’ strategy of creating a conducive learning environment for our students.

“The idea of a student center and Disability Support Unit is clearly mentioned in the university’s strategic plan. However, we have been held back by resource constraints. The quality of an organization is now measured by the care it takes for people with disabilities. The number of students with disabilities is set to rise when we begin implementing phase two of the MasterCard Foundation, as 20% of the recipients are supposed to be persons with disabilities,” Prof. Nawangwe said.

He noted that a good number of students has benefitted from the disability support unit of the university, but said the unit still needs a lot of support.

John Nimunsiima, the chairperson of the organizing committee said this year’s run will be held on August 18 under the theme, “Run for students with disabilities.”

“The proceeds from this year’s run will go towards the construction of a state-of-the-art students’ centre and disability support unit at Makerere University. The students centre will feature essential facilities such as a business hub, innovation center, dining area, and a dedicated disability support unit, ensuring that students with disabilities have access to the resources they need to excel in their studies,” Nimunsiima said.