Shelter is one of the basics every human being needs to live a sustainable life. Most people have various reasons on why they choose to live where they want. To some its about class, while others it about living the next day. However, there is one high ranking common attribute among the various reasons given which is security. People value their lives and property hence when searching out a place to live, they always look out for how secure the premises they’ve chosen are.
Looking for the home away from home
Cavendish university is one of the few universities in Uganda that hosts a number of people from all over Africa and a few European countries. With such a high population of international students it calls for need for shelter, a place one can call home away from home. This is also not exclusive of the local students. However, the University carries the luck of being in the center of an upscale town of Kabalagala- Kansanga. This comes with its advantages of being a good host of number of different nationalities yet carries very high glitches that come with its night life and how fast its growing into a slum with every one trying to fit in somewhere some how. It’s a common character of crime being high in areas where they are bars and prostitution and drug dealing. This however doesn’t favor students as they are put at high risk of harm as slums are known for brooding every kinds of characters that may not necessarily favor the students security.
The video clearly shows how slum infested Kabalagala is. sadly this is where most students can afford to live.
For more information on the neighboring areas of Cavendish check out
The living conditions of some of these areas is quite appalling and people have to go through a lot to just acquire a room and when they do the routes are quite impassable and very dangerous. find more images here
Safe accommodation too costly
Houses in Kabalagala vary from apartments to normal renting areas. This also goes for the surrounding areas of Kansanga, Muyenga, Kisugu, Namuwongo, Nsambya and Ggaba. some owners of apartments have turned their rooms into hostels which come with the catch of a high expense and in this case as high as 1.2 million. Others to earn more lucratively have left it in apartment form and earn as high as 2.5 million (one bed-roomed apartment). Some even charge in dollars ranging from 250$ to 500$ or more a month. All this comes with the catch that they offer security and people are more comfortable than they would in normal rentals.
Unfortunately for Cavendish students the university is not yet in position to offer hostels like the surrounding universities of K.I.U, IUEA and Kampala University. This has pushed so many inclusive of the local students that would prefer to stay near the school premises into having to either rent in the near by slums or even as far as Namuwongo or bear the the pinch of the high cost of hostels.
Insecurity at affordable rentals
The catch is with the students that have to rent in the slums of Kabalagala and its surrounding areas these have to fathom a lot of insecurity that comes with staying in the areas that they live in. however some have reported that they actually have no issue with where they stay because of the surrounding conditions.
However those are the few exceptions. For many of the students, there have been cases that have threatened the Student’s security. Its quite a major factor as most residents of Kabalagala and its nearby areas are unemployed youth that engage in a lot of betting, alcohol consumption and prostitution. All factors that encourage crime in these areas. Its not far off knowledge that most feeder roads carry no security lights and have to depend on boda bodas to get them home. Most students also engage in the night life but are at a risk of being robbed or mugged by thieves, drug abusers among others. The thieves and other criminals use the help of boda riders and the fact that their no lights in most residential places to hurt the students. Some go to the extreme of targeting their living areas.
unfortunately many of these roads don’t carry security lights making such roads impasable at night as they hot spots for robbers.
View more images of student accommodation here.
SECURITY TIPS FOR STUDENT RENTALS
- Students are urged to use safe bodas and other government verified vehicles
- The university should borrow a leaf from the neighborhood varsities and build its students hostels
- Students are encouraged to move in pairs of two or more for safety.
Conclusions.
Student safety is very crucial in any learning area. Parents seat home comfortably knowing very well that their children are in safe hands. the rate of crime in Kabalagala is no rumor and hence University Authorities could take charge of the situation and curb the growing skepticism of the public. this will not only give the university an added advantage over others but also consolidate loyalty of the already existing clientele.
Security of Cavendish Students. added by Kabahukya Hellen on
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