By Our Reporter
It was another day of an insightful and inspiring discussion as the NSSF Career Expo returned for day two on Thursday. The day featured panelists who have knowledge and experience in entrepreneurship and technology, having harnessed the power of the internet and technology to build their own successful businesses, who opened students to opportunities presented by the internet and technology.
These included Brian Namaya, the Co-Founder of Tubayo, which is an online travel marketplace for users to easily discover, book fun trips and homes for short stays around Africa; Vaolah Amumpaire, the CEO Wena, an online hardware store that enables users to buy construction materials remotely; and Vincent Tumwijuke, the CEO Future Link Technologies, a digital marketplace for affordable financial services. To complete the panel was Herbert Olowo, the Head of Operations and IT at Absa Bank.
Speaking at the expo, Brian Namanya encouraged attendants to embrace the internet as it presents a great opportunity for them to earn big even with their limited resources which will enable them to live their dreams.
“Many young people have a lot of exciting dreams,” Brian Namanya stated. “But you can only achieve these dreams through earning a lot of money and technopreneurship gives that opportunity. The internet is that opportunity that the youth have to tap into.”
This was also reiterated by Vaolah Amumpaire who noted the internet gives you the freedom to choose what you want to be while also providing access to a trove of knowledge and information that you can use to be better.
“Internet gives you the information you need but also challenges you to better. You will find people who are already doing what you are doing and if you are intentional you get better with the knowledge you find on the internet.” She said.
However, Vicent Tumwijukye cautioned that to benefit from the opportunities that the internet presents you have to interpret technology in the context of people and their needs, adding that those who shape the future are often motivated by their personal experiences.
Sharing an anecdote from his life in which he revealed that seeing his parents struggle to pay his school fees after selling their assets and emptying their saves, in his later years, inspired him to start a company aimed at building financial resilience for low and middle-income earners.
“You can’t become an authority in everything but the world is so interconnected and that means you only need to figure out what role you are playing. The defining moment is when you find an area where you alone can be best at, then you can use technology to accelerate the impact.” Vicent Tumwijukye added.
On his part, Herbert Olowo noted that one of the ways that the bank is putting technoprenuership into practice is through their ongoing “Ready To Work” program in which university students are trained online to prepare them for life after university by offering them the practical skills required in the job market.
Now in its 12th edition, the expo will conclude on Friday, 29th April 2022. This year’s edition which is being held under the theme, “Technoprenuership: the Future of Work”, is aimed at equipping university students with knowledge and skills that will enable them explore opportunities in technology for business and career development.
