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news Friday, JUly 29, 2022 EbEnEzEr 13 Despite finesse in many fields, gypsum walls seem to be Nasasira’s calling School of Education By Emmanuel Kizaale (This article was edited from the August 2021 published version) Kareem Nasasira’s ability to work beautifully with granite, paint, wood, marble and board is striking. He does not just throw his energy willy-nilly. The level of concentration he puts in the art he is developing is seen in the quality of work he puts out. Perhaps, that explains his choice to concentrate on interior art. Despite his finesse in many fields, gypsum walls and ceilings seem to be his calling. And he creates them with so much ease, giving out exquisite results. “I have loved art since I was a child,” he said. “Even when I am on a break, I just love to sit down and draw sketches of things, just anything.” The idea of venturing into interior design has been in Nasasira’s mind since secondary school at Namirembe Hillside High School in Kampala. His gratification comes from the smiles on people’s faces. Little wonder that in 2017, he chose to pursue the Bachelor of Industrial and Fine Art at Uganda Christian University (UCU). He felt it was the only way to give his God-given talent a professional training. “When I was still at UCU, we used to go to other universities to attend exhibitions, and I discovered that the kind of art that was being taught in many universities was limited in scope,” Nasasira says. “UCU gives you a variety and it is up to you to choose where your passion lies.” According to Nasasira, UCU offered choices in ceramics, sculpture, pottery, fabric and several others to give students an “avenue to explore and understand” strengths. Now that he had chosen interior design, how would he launch himself into the self-employment world without any startup capital? Nasasira was battling with finding answers to that question. It kept him awake at night. One particular sleepless night his second year of studies, in he determined to save some of his money he had to live on as a student. Since he had limited time, as well as money to save, Nasasira made a drastic decision to spend only 20% of the pocket money he was given. The rest went into the bank. When he completed his course, Nasasira had his work cut out. He had to buy the essential equipment he needed for the kind of artwork he felt he was industrially ready for. That is how Nas Interiors company, the brainchild of Nasasira, was born. The company employs four other youth who work as electrician, painter, carpenter and fixer. He, however, dreams of employing more, when his business portfolio grows. Nasasira was never afraid to jump in at the deep end as he launched his business. It was around the time when the whole Nasasira at one of the sites world was shutting down to limit the effects of the Covid-19 virus. And businesses were folding as a result of the lockdowns. But he is grateful to the friends he made as a student. It is through their referrals that he has been able to keep in business. “You come to UCU as strangers at the beginning of the course but, at the end, you leave as a family,” he said, as he enumerated the many people who have helped him to advertise his business. Many gypsum ceilings are imported when ready to install. To fix the boards, the technician screws them on to a metal. In most cases the metal frame is attached to the ceiling. Many of the gypsum boards are smooth surface, making the installation process less cumbersome for the technicians. One of the advantages of gypsum board ceilings is its ability to insulate the room from outside noise, a suitable option for people who love comfort and peace. The other advantage that experts take pride in is gypsum’s ability to resist heat, hence protection from fire. One of the materials used for making the boards is mixed with calcium sulphate, with the intention of providing a product that does not embrace high temperature. Facts about gypsum ceilings A room designed by Kareem Nasasira's interior design company, Nas Interiors Academics study health benefits of local vegetables Faculty of Agricultural Sciences By Vanessa Kyalimpa (This article was edited from the June 2022 published version) Uganda Christian University (UCU) academics went into the trenches to establish how the elderly can consume food as medicine to take advantage of the full potential of the health benefits of African indigenous vegetables. While touted as one of the “magic bullets” to addressing malnutrition and some medical challenges, African indigenous vegetables have been increasingly absent from the table, leading to “hidden hunger” and poorer health. So, how can such a challenge be addressed? Researchers at UCU embarked on a year-long study among the elderly in Mukono district in central Uganda, hoping to come up with answers. The research project, Exploring the Potential of African Indigenous Vegetables for Human Health in Uganda, is intended to be used to unpack the health benefits of African indigenous vegetables. Assoc. Prof. Elizabeth Balyejusa using interior art to put a smile on faces Kizito, the principal investigator of the research, said the main objective of the study is to conduct a human nutritional survey on the effects of consuming fresh African indigenous vegetables in the diets of elderly people in Mukono. Among these vegetables in Uganda are Amaranthus dubius (Doodo); Solanum aethiopicum (Nakati), Solanum nigrum (Ensuga); Manihotesculenta (cassava leaves); Solanum indicum subsp (Katunkuma), and eggplant. “Through the research, we shall be able to find out the biochemical profile of the African indigenous vegetables,” said Prof. Kizito, the Director of Research, Partnership and Innovations at UCU. also be able to know how much vegetables someone needs to eat for a healthy living.” The study, launched in February 2022, is being conducted by UCU’s Faculty of Agricultural Sciences and the institution’s School of Medicine, in collaboration with Mukono Municipality. The researchers plan to find a sample of people willing to take part in the study, provide them with African indigenous vegetables for the duration of the study, and take their blood samples before and after consumption of the vegetables, which they will compare and note differences. Dr. Gerald Tumusiime, the Dean of the UCU School of Medicine who also is the co-principal investigator of the research, said the study is additionally intended to be used as a platform to teach people how to handle and prepare the African indigenous vegetables. “The older persons who take part in this study are expected to have improved gut, kidney, liver, and cardiovascular health by the end of the study,” Dr. Tumusiime said. African indigenous vegetables have for a long time been believed to have medicinal benefits, including lowering blood pressure, reducing the risk of heart disease and stroke, reducing chances of contracting some types of cancer and lowering the risk of eye and digestive problems. Dr. Anthony Konde, the medical officer of Mukono Municipality, said that they are willing to work with the researchers to make the study a success. “We shall

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