Bbosa has since childhood loved farming as an activity and she was just lucky to work with a number of agriculture institutions. “I served in a number of regions of this country. I worked with Mityana Agro Vet Institute as a Principal. These are the institutions that helped me mobilize my NSSF Friends With Benefits.” Said, Faheera Bbosa – NSSF Friends with benefits candidate.
But having joined the Public service in October 2016 as a teacher, Bbosa applied for NSSF savings and shillings 65 million was wired on her account. She invested part of her money in the construction of a technical institute the International Agricultural Sciences Center located in Kawanda, Nabweru division. The school has a total of 84 students who are pursuing diplomas and certificate courses. “And after getting the appointment, I opted to go to NSSF to pick my benefits. When I got the benefits, I had had a vision of constructing a technical institute purposely to help those who drop out of school at all levels.”
But for her technical institute to stand for the values and objectives, she had to start a farm where she grows bananas, cassava, maize, tomatoes, and beans to feed students. “I received my benefits from NSSF, I bought a piece of land to expand the institute because we had had a small portion of land that wasn’t adequate for the school. We purchased a piece of land adjacent to ours and we expanded. Then as a vocational school, dealing specifically in agricultural courses we needed land for the farm and here where we are now, it is this land which we acquired for the school farm.” Besides using this farm to train students, Bbosa sells off the produce which boosts her income. This has helped her reduce expenditures on feeding. Every term she earns a net profit of 16 million shillings. “In the previous season, we planted maize on an acre, we expect like 13 - 15 bags of maize meaning we are not going to buy food next term.” With many people planning to start on businesses, Bbosa cautions against investing millions in businesses that they do not understand. “Why did I opt to start a technical institute because it is an area that I understand most. I understand the education sector both technical education, I understand agriculture because I am an agricultural scientist. So I am doing something that I understand, I am doing something that I love. Do something that you understand better however small it is, if you get 100 million and the business you understand better needs only 5 million, please go into the 5 million business.”
Bbosa is hoping to acquire modernized technologies for her farm to be in the position to offer relevant training to students at her institute. “You can’t develop a skill unless you touch that skill. The major objective is to have the students learn as they touch what they learn.” Her love to create a difference in the lives of the youth is however frustrated by parents who don’t want to pay tuition for their children. Bbosa feels the time is now for Ugandans to get back to agriculture and tap into the readily available market. “People will run away from other businesses and go agro, why? Because when you are still living, you have to eat.” Faheera Bbosa is among the 16 contesting for the NSSF Friends with benefit Award.
