Many people abandon their talents to pursue formal education. Many times you cannot know someone is talented in a specific sport until they are given a chance to display it. This was proven during this year’s Ruparelia Sports Day which was held at Kampala International School Uganda.

Many employees of the various subsidiaries of Ruparelia Group rested their office were for the jerseys, boots and other sports costumes compete for the pride and various individual and team rewards for the winners. The sports day is also used as a day for the group’s employees to network and bond.

This year, Kampala Parents School has been declared as the overall winner of 2019 Ruparelia group of companies sports Gala Award with 475 points. Rose bud emerged the second with 395 points followed by Munyonyo Speke Resort which scored 390 points.

Crane Management boss Rajiv Ruparelia handing over an award to Kampala parents principal The 4th Annual Gala attracted about 800 participants from the subsidiary companies of the Ruparelia group.

Speaking at the long day Gala  held at Kampala International School Uganda one of the directors of Ruparelia Group Sheena Ruparelia  said the event is aimed at promoting team working, physical fitness and good relationship among the their employees.

The  companies participated in sports disciplines including football,  wheel borrow race, athletics, egg and spoon race and , sack race, Tag of war, Scrabble among others.

Ruparelia Group has invested in sectors like banking, insurance, hospitality, conventions and leisure centres, education, real estate and agriculture.

In the hospitality sector, the group established Kabira Country Club, Speke Hotel, Speke Apartments, Speke Resort and Conference Centre, Munyonyo Commonwealth Resort, Dolphin Suites, Tourist Hotel, Forest Cottages and Speke Resort Bujagali Falls.

In the education it has Public International School and Victoria University Kampala. The group owns Sanyu Fm, a pioneer local radio station, own two of the leading flower farmers and exporters in the country, Rosebud and Premier Roses.

Under Meera Investments and Crane Management, the group has established some of the country’s iconic arcades, hotels, apartments and real estate establishments. In the financial sector, the group owns Goldstar insurance, forex bureaus and a commercial bank.

It is an academic tradition in many Institutions of Higher learning to list students on the Vice Chancellor list. These “academic giants” get themselves listed in recognition for their outstanding performance.

While this tradition could go unnoticed and not felt by the students as a motivation factor for many Institutions, Victoria University brings the tradition to vibrancy by hosting the students to a dinner every semester.  

This April, the 44 students that accessed this prestigious honor in the previous semester have been hosted to a special dinner at La Paroni restaurant along Parliamentary Avenue.

The students were treated to a dinner and presented with a Certificate of Achievement in recognition of their academic achievement. This was on Saturday 6^th April 2019; a day that has gone down in the annals of our University and will always be cherished by the beneficiaries.

In attendance were the Deans of various Faculties and the Academic Registrar who took turns in encouraging the students to pursue academics with seriousness and keep their performance high always. 

In his words the Vice Chancellor – Assoc. Prof Krishna N. Sharma, encouraged students, reminding them that education should be able to transform the mind and grow in every individual unique ability to enable them succeed in life.

As a university, emphasis on experiential learning is not accidental but rather cautious since the world tomorrow shall require dynamic and flexible citizens ready to solve the challenges of the day case by case.

He reflected on the University motto, Come prepared to learn, Leave prepared to succeed urging students to always aim high in both academic and social spheres of life.

This celebration is held semester wise as a University tradition. It is hosted by the Vice Chancellor’s office in honor of the best performing students with GPA of 4.4 and above.

Kampala Parents was a filled to the brim with jubilations as pupils and parents stormed the Naguru based school to celebrate the good performance the school registered in last primary leaving examination (PLE).

 Kampala Parents Schools continues to be a centre of academic excellence after it registered a 100 percent performance in the 2018 national primary seven exams. 234 pupils who sat for the exams passed in first grade.

Daphine Kato, the Kampala Parent’s Principal thanked the directors for appropriately equipping the school with all the necessities that “keep the school on top.”

“God is good and He has always been on our side,” she said adding: “Children who are going to secondary school, congratulations. Continue working hard, put our school on the map and be role models.”

Atukunda Michelle, who got aggregate five thanked God for what the Almighty had done for her while her mother Tina Bwesigye thanked the school for putting in a lot of effort ‘to make sure that the children excel,’

“I want to thank my daughter, she put in a lot of effort. I helped her but she was also listening to me.” Bwesigye said of her exceling daughter.

Nandutu Alisa, with six aggregate was a bit unpleased because she expected to score four, nonetheless she thanked ‘God for the aggregates that I got’. 

Namanya Alvin, with aggregate 6 said he was enthusiastic, Ayebale Patience said she worked head, read her book and now she wants to join Gayaza High School. Mugasha Brian, also with aggregate 6 was disappointed for not getting aggregate four, he blames it on grading. He now wants to join Kings College Buddo.

Atukunda Elizabeth, with aggregate 4 thanked God for protecting her throughout the year 2018. “I would like to thank my teachers for teaching me and for giving me the all the knowledge that I needed to pass my exams.”

Namara Rachael said “I am very grateful to God and my parents and to the school because I got aggregate five. Kampala Parents is a nice school. It offers holistic education, the facilities are good and the teachers here are very kind and friendly.”

It was a colorful show of cultural allegiance and sense of belonging as students of Victoria University from ten different countries showcased their cultural prowess during the university’s International Cultural Day. 

The annual event brings together students at a gala-like event to exhibit what their respective countries can offer in terms of attires (costumes and clothes), food and drinks and music and dance.

This year, students from Uganda, DR Congo, South Sudan, Ghana, Nigeria, Somalia, Rwanda, India, Eritrea and Burundi proudly told tales about their cultures through preparing cooking their cultural dishes and drinks, wearing their iconic dresses and dancing in a way identifiable to their cultures.

Eritrea walked away victorious in the attire and food categories. The Eritrean male students wore the kidan habesha (ije tebab) while the females wore the zuria to win the culture attire category.

In the food category they prepared a tiqrinia ethnic foods which included the shiro, tebsi, ades, ziqnia, himbasha and derho all served with injera. They also prepared areki (an alcoholic drink), sewa (a traditional drink) and performed a coffee ceremony.

Alberta Horlu, a female student, was the only student representing Ghana; she won the dancing competition with a solo dance act. She performed three traditional dances from Accra, Volta region and southern Ghana. The dances, she said, are performed for kings, during marriage ceremonies and other traditional events.

Uganda despite being hosts walked away empty handed. Led by the Guild President Penny Maria Nabunya mainly four cultures in Uganda - they represented Busoga, Buganda, Ankole and Acholis from northern Uganda. 

Burundi combined efforts with Rwanda to put up an energetic performances and entertainment particularly the dancing backed by drummers. Unlike the Burundians, the Somalis dances were gentle and romantic.

Somalia and South Sudan had plenty of dishes to showcase and either of them could easily have been winners in the food category had it not been for Eritrea’s better organizational skills.

Somali notably had camel meat and milk, xalwo, barris (rice), suur, cambuulo (peas) and canfeero while South Sudan prepared kisra, kop, kombo, tangalia, basta, blaah sham, foul, suksukania, kabis, weaka, kedekede juice and gudegade. Horlu of Ghana had kelewele, jolof rice and soup.