By Staff Writer

On 9th June 2020 aka Heroes Day, Uganda will reward one man that holds a special place in the lives of many people.

That man is none other than Timo of Ntinda Rolex. If you have lived a life worth a tale, then you should be familiar with the Rolex guy at the Naalya-Kiwatule stage in Ntinda next to Stanbic bank.

And I repeat, if your life has not been merely about waking up, force-feeding, going to work, and returning home in the evening, then you must agree that Timo should be one of the award recipients on this year’s heroes day.

If not for Timo, many would have been declared dead because of starvation. Yet, he made it a point to feed the lost and hungry of Kisasi, Kiwatule, Naalya, Namugongo, Ntinda, name them all. It is here that you will meet all Uganda’s celebs from their night travels. Here you will meet Uganda’s music Artistes, the socialites, the slayqueens, all United by one thing, Timo’s Rolex.

And if you do not know Timo then you have lived a half-baked life. I am not sure you’re even alive.

So allow me on behalf of everyone to say; “thank you Timo…” It is people like you that keep the magic within Uganda… You move the wheels of our nightlife…

You can protect yourself and help prevent spreading the virus to others if you:

Wash your hands regularly for 20 seconds, with soap and water or alcohol-based hand rub

Cover your nose and mouth with a disposable tissue or flexed elbow when you cough or sneeze

Avoid close contact (1 meter or 3 feet) with people who are unwell

Stay home and self-isolate from others in the household if you feel unwell

By Staff Writer

Two weeks after President Museveni ordered the shutting of schools due to the deadly novel coronavirus, some parents are yet to find their footing as far as keeping their children productively engaged at home is concerned.

The school term had barely started when bang!! COVID 19 strikes and children had to go back home. But in this era of online studying, education doesn’t have to stop because schools are closed. With affordable and reliable internet, children can still go on with their studies at home. 

And so online learning which has been around for long and yet has hitherto been taken for granted now becomes the go to place. As such, many parents are seeking out affordable online resources, apps and games to keep their kids’ minds engaged at home.

And there are very many of these if one dared to search. However, if you are an MTN data customer, your child can access select educational websites for free.

Like with many other areas, some organizations chose to use their resources to help out the distressed citizens during this difficult period, and we must commend such organizations for looking out for the people.

MTN Uganda, one of these organizations chose to zero-rate several learners’ websites to complement efforts to educate and keep children engaged during the quarantine period. This means MTN data customers don’t need MBs to access the sites. It’s absolutely free. 

By offering free access to select educational websites to enable parents to home school their children, MTN believes that Ugandans will be able to stay safe at home and learn while at it.

Richard Musoke, a father of three school going children notes that this move by MTN is most likely one of the best steps taken by company in the battle to fight corona virus, its sincere and its useful for concerned parents with school-going children.

Amidst the uncertainties of the ongoing pandemic, Musoke’s biggest concern was keeping his children constructively engaged and happy. 

“When a colleague forwarded me that banner with free educational sites on MTN’s website, I thought it was a joke but I tried it out and here we are!” says Musoke whose children are active user of the sites.

“MTN’s waiver on data of some of these interesting kids Educational websites really helps me a lot to keep my kids engaged, happy yet up to date on their school curriculum without me having to worry about my wallet,” Musoke says.

Dr. Simon Epetait a resident of Luzira is another parent that was lucky to learn about the sites and has not stopped telling his friends about them. 

“Ordinarily I would have sent them for coaching. I had never considered these online resources. But I am glad that I have now gotten to learn a new way of doing things. These are resources I will continue using even after this period. My advice to parents is to get hold of these resources when they are still zero rated. I also call on other organizations to help make this kind of education more affordable,” Epetait said. 

Whether you’re seeking to support your child’s pre-existing schoolwork or want to simply get creative and learn new, exciting things, there is something for children of all ages on the sites.

Here is a list of zero-rated educational websites that you can use to learn from home or access for your kids to keep tabs on their education. The sites are available at https://www.mtn.co.ug/learnathome/

www.classroommagazines.scholastic.com

www.allinonehomeschool.com

www.starfall.com

www.abcya.com

www.funbrain.com

www.splashlearn.com

www.storylineonline.net

www.pbskids.org

www.highlightkids.com

www.coolmath4kids.com

www.mathgametime.com

www.uniteforliteracy.com

www.literactive.com

www.sciencekids.co.nz

www.switchzoo.com

www.turtlediary.com

www.e-learningforkids.org

By Staff Writer

• MTN Uganda has launched a MoMoPay Red Cross Merchant Account for customers to donate money towards efforts to combat the spread of the coronavirus in the country, and support those most affected by the pandemic.

Customers’ dial *165*3*191919# and donate any amount of their choice. 

Other interventions include;

• MTN Uganda has provisioned a Toll-Free number 919 for the public to call Ministry of Health teams and get assistance related to covid19. This is in addition to the existing 0800203033 and 0800100066 toll free lines, that the public is calling to get help.

• MTN Uganda has zero-rated several learners’ websites to complement efforts to educate and keep children engaged during the quarantine period. This means MTN data customers don’t need MBs to access the sites available at www.mtn.co.ug/learnathome

• For 30-days, customers can send any amount of Mobile Money every day to other MTN MoMo customers free of charge.   

• The offers come alongside a day-time data bundle that is enabling Ugandans stay on-line and work from home. Customers get 1GB of data at just Ushs 2,000 valid between 9am and 5pm.

• These propositions are designed to reduce the risk of transmission of covid19, by avoiding the physical exchange of currency notes. 

• MTN is also supporting government’s sensitization drive by availing UGX 500 million. Ushs 297 million of that money has been disbursed to the Uganda Red Cross, to support with community sensitization and surveillance, ambulance services, psychological support, case tracing and handling referrals among other interventions.

• To facilitate the flow of information, MTN Uganda has zero rated Ministry of Health and World Health Organization (WHO) websites, so the public can access information about the virus at no charge. They include; www.who.int , www.health.go.ug and www.covid19.gou.go.ug

MTN Uganda has today launched a MoMoPay Merchant Code 191919 through which customers can donate funds to support the relief effort, especially for those most affected by the economic and social devastation brought on by coronavirus. MTN customers need to dial *165*3# then enter the code 191919 and donate any amount of money they wish to.

Proceeds from this intervention are meant to help fund efforts of the Uganda Red Cross as it works to help combat further spread of the virus and support those who are finding it hard to fend for themselves.

Speaking at a news conference hosted on www.facebook.com/mtnug, MTN Uganda CEO – Wim Vanhelleputte, reiterated the company’s commitment to stand together with Ugandans by doing everything it can to reduce the impact that covid19 is having on their lives.  He committed that, “MTN Uganda will continue to look at ways of supporting our communities and government, to ensure that together, we do everything feasible to get through this difficult time.” 

Speaking at the news conference, Uganda Red Cross Society Secretary General, Mr. Robert Kwesiga appreciated MTN’s gesture and reiterated the society’s commitment to alleviate the human suffering that is increasingly being experienced by communities especially the most vulnerable people in society.

Recently MTN Uganda scrapped all charges to send any amount of money using MTN Mobile Money, in a move to minimize the physical exchange of paper money.

The offer is meant to reduce the risk of transmission of covid-19 that has paralysed daily life across the world.

Alongside this offer, the company also launched a data bundle that is enabling customers to work from home. Dubbed ‘Work from home’, the data bundle is meant to promote the concept of ‘social distancing’ while reducing the anticipated negative impact that limited movement and contact between people, may have on both the economic and social fabric of our society.

The ‘work from home’ data bundle can be accessed through Mobile Money by dialing *165*19# or through the MyMTN app. 

“MTN is committed to continue working with the government, and other partners to reduce the impact and disruption that this pandemic is having on the lives of Ugandans. Working closely with the Ministry of Health, MTN Uganda has committed its media assets including radio, SMS, social media, call centre and continues to implement various precautionary measures to drive awareness among the public to protect themselves,” Wim further commented.

MTN Uganda also made Ushs 500 million available, to facilitate efforts to prevent, manage and curb the spread of covid 19 in Uganda. Ushs 297 million of that money has already been disbursed to the Uganda Red Cross, who are using the funds for their execution plan that includes community sensitization and surveillance, ambulance services, psychological support, case tracing and handling referrals among other interventions.

It’s also now free to check for covid 19 updates at www.who.int , www.health.go.ug and www.covid19.gou.go.ug. Customers will not be charged for browsing these sites.

By Staff Writer

It is becoming an ever-current affair that the CBD oil industry is taking over the mainstream natural products industry.  this can be attributed to a vast array of products that are being produced by manufacturers to cater to a mixture of consumer requests and needs.  as such consumers are finding it ever more difficult to identify the correct product for themselves and therefore are being disenfranchised and disheartened when trying to purchase a CBD oil-based product.  Therefore when trying to identify CBD oil for sale this article will help in identifying a few key factors to consider when I operating towards purchasing CBD based products

Prices and ever-present factor amongst online stores

Due to the volatile nature of the industry and the competition that comes with it this has meant that consumers need to be so wary of the fact that prices do fluctuate on a daily if the not hourly occurrence. Therefore utilizing price comparison websites and insider knowledge from forums this can help consumers find an easier and more satisfying way of purchasing products and knowing that they have not been ripped off by the CBD oil suppliers.  highly suggest that you speak to someone who is knowledgeable about the industry first before purchasing any products as it will be best to advise you on what is good value for money and what is not. 

The quality of the product  and how to differentiate

In a market where competition is fierce it can be troubling to choose between products which tend to be so similar in terms of the actual product and also the branding.  therefore the only thing to separate the CBD products are either the niche market they are in or perhaps the manufacturing processes that they have taken place. Therefore, I would tend to recommend going for organic CBD products as you know that no pesticides have been used to speed up the growth process of the plants and that all the chemicals contained within the products are naturally occurring.  Although organic CBD all products tend to cost slightly more than regular CBD oil or other CBD products this definitely worth the value for money in terms of knowing exactly what is in the product and that it is safe from contaminants. 

 Gaining knowledge from others

 In an industry which is right with myths and legends it is important to make sure that you’re up to date and knowledgeable about the industry and the products that you’re consuming, therefore, CBD oil-based forums are great place to find more knowledge about products that you wish to try and any upcoming innovative ideas that are being put forward by a manufacturer’s. This ensures that you are not consuming a product that is inferior to another and also can be a great place to ensure that you receive the value for money in terms of the product you are purchasing.  if I was wanting to learn out more about the CBD oil industry this is exactly the place to start as many forums have introductory pages for those who are unsure about the industry