Students from the College of Humanities and Social Sciences on Tuesday 17^th March 2026 walked away with Shs 3million after emerging winners of the 2026 Annual Safeguarding Message Contest grand finale.

During the grand finale held in the Main Hall, five finalists from the College of Humanities and Social Sciences (CHUSS), College of Education and External Studies (CEES) and the College of Veterinary Medicine, Animal Resources and Bio-security (CoVAB), captivated the audience with their powerful safety and inclusion messages. The show was filled with joy.

The finalists took part in a series of activities such as a collaborative video, written poems and arts works, among others.

Speaking on behalf of the winning team, Allan Mugisha, a third-year Bachelor of Arts in Social Sciences student, explained that their video aimed to highlight everyday safeguarding issues that are often overlooked.

“Creating this video was both a collaborative effort and a challenge, especially since we used our phones to record. But our goal was to show the public that safeguarding is not just a policy or a University requirement, it is about protecting our dignity, safety, and wellbeing here at Makerere University. We depicted some of the risks and incidents students may face, and importantly, highlighted who to approach when encountering such challenges,” Mugisha, who also serves as a student safeguarding champion, said.

Mugisha thanked the Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program for giving students like him and his colleagues an opportunity to actively engage, noting that it has made them feel empowered rather than dormant.

Khamala Elphas Makokha, a master’s student in Peace and Conflict Resolution, who produced a poster about safeguarding claimed the 1^st runner-up position, earning Shs 2million and Mildred Aine Nicks, a first -year student pursuing Early Childhood Care and Education was 2^nd runner-up with her spoken poem.

In the popular award, Khamala clinched the top spot with a prize of sh500,000.

Makerere University has an obligation and has committed to continue providing a Safe and Supportive learning and working environment for all Students, Staff and other Stakeholders. Therefore, the Annual Safeguarding message is a celebration that brings together students to come up with a message that will be identified as the Institutional main message.

The potential safeguarding risks in Institutions of higher learning include emotional distress, Sexual Exploitation, Abuse and Harassment (SEAH); material loss, financial exploitation, discrimination and neglect, unfair and illegitimate response to civic engagements, cyber security/threats, psychological and emotional harm, substance abuse, and physical assault.

The guest of honour and the Vice Chancellor of Makerere University, Prof Barnabas Nawangwe, congratulated the winners and noted that the University is very intentional about ensuring that students are safe at all times because people achieve their full potential in any endeavor when they feel safe.

“Over the years, we have put in place various policies to safeguard our students. In addition to the Safeguarding policy, we have the Anti sexual harassment policy and the policy to support Students with Disabilities. Every student should know these policies so as to know the steps to take in case they feel threatened,” Prof Nawangwe, said.

In her welcoming remarks, the Dean of Students thanked the students who took time to participate when they saw the Safeguarding Awareness message call in September 2025, noting that their enthusiasm and commitment reflect a shared responsibility to promote safety, dignity, and wellbeing across the university community.

“Your creativity, commitment and passion for promoting safety and wellbeing are truly commendable,” Dr Winnie Kabumbuli, the Dean of students, said.

Addressing guests, Prof Justine Namaalwa, the Co-ordinator of the Mastercard Foundation Initiatives at Makerere University, explained to the audience why the Mastercard Foundation has supported the University to Improve the learning and working environment to make it safe for everyone.

Prof Namaalwa described the Safeguarding Annual contest as an inclusive and interactive platform that brings together students, to amplify voices, showcase creative messages, and strengthen commitment to a safe and supportive environment for all.

“The safeguarding initiative although student-led has not only student but also staff champions. Through the Office of the Vice Chancellor, we commit to continue supporting the Annual Safeguarding contest every year till 2032,” Prof Namaalwa, said.

On behalf of the 6 panel of judges, Dr Viola Karungi, a senior lecturer at the department of Performing Arts and Film, explained that they received 22 entries compromising of seven written poems, three posters, two songs, eight short videos, one slogan, and one comic book.

“We assessed submissions based on five key criteria, including originality and creativity. During the review, we found that some entries contained or replicated existing work, which was verified using digital tools by one of our panelists.” Dr Karungi, said.

Other winners included Job Diryo, a 5^th year student of Veterinary Medicine who performed a poem and Abraham Tumwine who presented a poster.