The story of Henry Ssuubi Kiyimba, who has been a victim of cyberbullying for carrying a metallic suitcase to University as a first-year student offering Bachelor of Science in education and economics at Makerere University Kampala, is an interesting one.
What started as scorn when a one Emmanuel Aupal, posted a picture of Ssuubi on twitter, mocking him for deceptively carrying what he described as a high school box, has continued to open doors for him.
Recently, Ssuubi, who hails from Kamengo in Mpigi district, reported for his year one first semester at Makerere University, carrying what Aupal described as a blue metal suitcase in one hand and the legendary ‘Ousofia’ bag in another.
It could have been a mockery for Aupal, but Ssuubi is immensely benefiting, from the social media attack. Ugandans on twitter led by BBC’s journalist Alan Kasujja and UBC’s Cederic Babu particularly put up a frantic campaign to help Ssuubi meet his living expenses at the University.
On Saturday, Joy Ruth Acheng, Uganda’s high commissioner to Canada, paid a courtesy visit to Ssuubi at Makerere University and donated to him a brand new HP laptop computer, to help him do his course work.
As a parent, Acheng advised Ssuubi whose name means hope, to be hardworking, honest and humble in order to be successful in life.
She also implored Ssuubi, to stick to academics and avoid non –academic pleasures that might destruct his education dream.
Now, speaking to our reporter, Aminah Nalule, who paid him a visit today at the university, Ssubi vowed to stay clear of any destruction, including slay queens in and around the university who are targeting his hard-earned dimes.
He further advised students to always focus on their studies instead of getting wasted and running around in bonking relationships;
Ssubi also promised to, after completing his studies, help his mum clear loans she has since accumulated while sweating to enable him and his siblings attain education.
The visibly disciplined, humble and honest Ssuubi narrated to our reporter how life for the third born in the family of eight children has not been an easy one, having been raised by a single mother.
Unlike his siblings, Ssuubi is the first child in the family to join University after he won a government scholarship on national merit. He hopes to teach for a short time after completing his education degree and study civil engineering which is his dream course.
