Lira University students win Shs 1.127bln to implement their innovations
LIRA– Two students of Lira University have won Shs 1.127 billion in grants from the Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation following the success of their innovations expected to help the communities.
Emmanuel Ikwara Asher, a third-year student of Bachelor of Science in Public Health, and Kakooza Steven, a student of Computer Science won Shs 1.052bln and Shs 75mln respectively.
Ikwara’s, grant goes for cassava value addition, and pesticide development while Kakooza’s grant is for boosting the use of a smart card that helps in money transfers.
Two months ago the Minister of Science, Technology, and Innovation, Dr. Monica Musenero visited the public university and advised students and staff to embrace innovations with aim of transforming the communities around them.
This was after inspecting different stalls of innovations displayed by the students.
Ikawara exhibited skills in producing pesticides using a mixture of chili and gallic to boost farming while Kakooza showcased a smart card that parents or guardians can use to send money to their children.
“It was tested when locusts last hit Eastern part of Uganda and the pesticide was sprayed on the maize plants to repel off Locusts, it worked,” said Ikwara who hails from Tororo district.
Ikwara said he would use part of the money to procure machinery and build a bakery for cassava bread and cake in his home district of Tororo.
He praised the university management and teaching staff for offering and teaching course units that easily give students practical skills through research and innovation.
The Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Dr. Jasper Ogwal Okeng encouraged students to seriously engage in research and innovations.
Ikwara won two grants, cassava value addition [Shs 852Million], and pesticide production [Shs 200mln] while Kakooza a smart card innovator scooped Shs 75mln for his smart card innovation.
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