By Leilah Bbaale
A 28-year-old private school teacher in Kagadi has embarked on bricklaying business following the closure of schools that resulted from the outbreak of the deadly COVID-19 Pandemic that forced the government to announce nationwide lockdown.
The outbreak of the deadly COVID-19 compelled President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni on March 18, 2021 to temporarily order the closure of schools across the country to help Uganda tame the spread of Covid-19 that was spreading across the world.
Joseph Kyamanywa, a former teacher at Kyenziga Parents Primary school in Kagadi district says life became very difficult for him after the government closed all schools across the country following the outbreak of COVID-19 yet he had no other side income.
Kyamanywa who now resides in his home village of Buhirigi in Bombo Sub County in Hoima district says when he returned home from Kagadi after closure of schools, he was too desperate and stranded since he had nothing to do to earn a living yet he has family members to look after.
According to Kyamanywa, he thought the situation would normalize soon but instead the situation worsened. As a result, he says he embarked on a bricklaying business in August, 2020, a work he has done to date.
He adds that though some people laughed at him while doing the bricklaying job since it is not meant for educated class, he continued since he knew he would earn something out of the business.
According to him, he does not regret the reason as to why he ventured into bricklaying business saying he has benefited a lot from the business.
Kyamanywa who lost both of his parents explains that his first sale of the bricks was in October 2020 where he sold a trip at 300,000 shillings, a thing he says was much more than the salary he was earning at his former school.This situation compelled him to work harder.
Kyamanywa told Spice FM that though the bricklaying work is difficult and tiresome, he has been able to provide for his family adding that he has also managed to construct a two-door commercial house that is situated within Buhirigi trading center in Hoima district, an achievement he did not make when he was still a teacher.
Kyamanywa says he now employs four youths who help him in laying the bricks.
He has rallied his fellow teachers in Private schools who were rendered jobless following the closure of schools due to the outbreak of COVID-19 to be creative and stop asking for financial support from their relatives and other members of the public but rather start up small income generating businesses to earn a living.
