By Reporter
Nile Breweries Limited (NBL) has unveiled the top 15 participants in the Inter-University Smart Drinking Challenge on their social media platforms.
The Top 15 students whose ideas were selected today emerged out of the top 40 contestants who were announced in October 2021.
“It is really an honour to see how far we have come with this campaign. I have personally seen some of these students grow and mould their ideas into the top 15 that we have announced today,” said Clare Asiimwe, the Sustainability Manager at NBL and project manager of the campaign.
The top 15 students whose ideas made it were from Makerere University, Mbarara University of Science & Technology (MUST), Kampala University, Soroti University & Kyambogo University.
“I thought that I was dreaming when my friend told me that my idea was among the top 15 that had been announced. I now have hope that I can make it to the finals,” an excited Bruce from Kampala International University noted upon being informed that he had made it to the top 15.
Nancy Ayot from Makerere University shared a similar sentiment with Tumwesigye as she would also not believe that the she had made it thus far to top 15.
“I spent a lot of time reworking my idea after the webinar but I still couldn’t believe it when I found out that I was in the top 15,” Nancy exclaimed.
The Inter-University smart drinking campaign was launched on 1st September 2021 and has since seen students from Five (5) participating universities battle it out throughout the campaign to make it to the top 100, then top 40 and now top 15.
The Top 15 finalists unveiled will proceed into a final judging process that will require them to present and defend their ideas.
“I look forward to listening in to the ideas that were submitted seek to address and change harmful social norms/behaviour around binge drinking, drunk driving, underage drinking, pregnant girls drinking, gender-based violence and promoting moderate drinking,” said Zandile Nqoko, the Reputation and Smart Drinking Manager at AB InBev .
Zandile Nqoko is one of the five selected judges who will be judging the top 15 student ideas in the grand finale slated for 30th November, 2021.
Nile Breweries Limited believes that harmful use of alcohol is bad not only for its consumers, colleagues, families and communities, but also for their business. This is why it aims to lead the industry in contributing to the reduction of the harmful use of alcohol.
NBL has always set ambitious Global Smart Drinking Goals for ourselves and initiatives such the Inter-University Smart drinking challenge as to support them. The top 15 will have a session to prepare them for the next steps of the competition as they pitch their ideas to the Judges on 30th November, 2021 in the grand finale event.
The winner of the Inter-University Smart drinking challenge will walk away with UGX 3 million. The 1st and 2nd runner up will take home UGX 2m and UGX 1m, respectively.
