UGANDA MATYRS UNIVERSITY

NAME : NANTONGO VICTORIA

COURSE: BACHELOR OF FASHION AND TEXTILE DESIGN

REGISTRATION NO : 2019-B262-11519

COURSE UNIT: BUSINESS ENGLISH

YEAR: YEAR THREE SEMESTER ONE

LECTURER: PROFFESSOR LAURA OTALA

QN: Uganda has been in lock down for more than 20 months. During this time many things

have happened to many people that have been either a blessing or a challenge. In light of the

lockdown, discuss the skills that you have personally acquired during this time and demonstrate

how you got those skills.

A lockdown is a restriction policy for people or community to stay where they are, usually due

to specific risks to themselves or to others if they can move and interact freely. The term "stay-

at-home” is often used for lockdowns that affect a nation.

On March 21, 2020, Uganda confirmed its first SARS-CoV-2 infection in a Ugandan traveler from

the United Arab Emirates. The World Health Organization declared the outbreak a Public Health

Emergency of International Concern on 30 January 2020, and a pandemic on 11 March 2020

while On Monday, March 31, Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni announced a 14-day

nationwide lockdown from Wednesday, April 1, to prevent further spread of the coronavirus

(COVID-19). Under the latest measures up to date the country has been locked for almost 20

months. Yes challenges were many but we managed to maneuver and overcome. The block has

really taught us lifelong lessons and some are the skills that we have gained and these include;

Computer skills which is the abilities and knowledge that allows me to use computers

and related technology for example use of word processing software, access to the Internet,

management of files, or creation of presentations. Advanced computer skills would let you

access databases, use spreadsheets, and even code, this is because of the development in the

education system where lecturers were online .This skill is to help me cope with the

advancement in technology and to run my computer tasks without difficulty.

Catering skills 'In the very first month of the lock down I used to sit home ,do house work

and that's the way the day would break but after the first month I decided to learn some baking

skills since it's one of the passions I hold so dearly .I got someone to teach me from her home

made the payments and I started learning ,learnt how to make chapatis ,daddies ,mandazi

cakes and right now I can bake a cake of any format .This will help me earn a living besides my

salary .
 Business management is another kind of skill that I have taken up in this lockdown .My

father opened up a supermarket for me and had to run it all through by myself with supervision

from him , though things are not always easy at the start but I got used to it and by the time I

left home I was working under continuous profits this will enable me achieve my business goals

without much struggle in the near future.

In addition to this ,my communication skills have also improved ,I have gained more

listening and speaking skills for instance during my time in the supermarket attending to

customers ,we meet people of different ways of life and it at times costs your patience to

attend to some arrogant customers .so you learn to listen and speak later ,customer care also

developed under this same way ,where by you are meant to welcome the customer ,great

them ,ask what they wish to have ,move around with them holding their basket and show them

where to find what they want.

Furthermore , being the only supermarket attendant ,has improved my mathematics and

my brains are a little more sharp with money ,I can easily calculate I mean

subtract ,multiply ,add and decide money with easy in a short time because of the experience I

got during lock down ,as well I can tell fake money .At this moment no one can really give me a

fake note and I take it because I really differentiate them. This is to help me curb down losses in

my Businesses that come in such a manner.

Saloon skills is a another skill that I took so serious ,learning from my environment that

hair making never ends and new styles come up every day and it's well paying given the quality

of work produced. I asked my cousin to take me through some hair styles so that I can learn

something. Hand skills are not easily forgotten am not so perfect in this but for the basics I can

plait a minimum of two people a day and this helps me get money from my fellow students that
may need my service. These can work as side jobs on top of my profession now and in the near

future.

Doing make-up professionally, all my entire life I have always admired people that apply

makeup and look nice and since it became a source of income I also took the initiative to learn

it because I always want to look nice and be like the people I watch on social media .I have

taken my lessons from Facebook ,you tube and TikTok and I have tried it on myself often and

looked hot .It enhances beauty and it's makes you look extra ordinary .Well fortunately if

you’re good at making faces look great with the right tools, colours and powders; making some

cash through it is perfectly possible however be ready for really angry customers if you screw

up. That’s why I say you must have learnt it perfectly as a professional

In conclusion the lock down had really affected us negativity but we cannot fail to

appreciate it's positive impacts on our lives .For the skills I have learnt I am to take them on and

make for myself money in the near future .As well this lockdown has made Me my father's best

friend ,we have toiled together ,had fun ,advised one another and I have gotten enough time

with family members ,we have learnt a lot about ourselves and this has helped us develop

emotionally , financially , socially thus the ability to appreciate one another's efforts towards

each other's wellbeing .

References

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lockdown

https://www.garda.com/crisis24/news-alerts/328101/uganda-authorities-announce-14-

day -nationwide-lockdown-april-1-update-3