Close Menu
The Standard  Digital
    What's Hot

    Mushengyezi urges MAOL students to embrace transformational leadership

    September 16, 2025

    UCU Hosts 2025 Unwanted Witness Privacy Moot Court Competition

    September 15, 2025

    Students outline expectations as UCU opens Advent Semester

    August 27, 2025
    1 2 3 … 344 Next

    Mushengyezi urges MAOL students to embrace transformational leadership

    September 16, 2025

    UCU Hosts 2025 Unwanted Witness Privacy Moot Court Competition

    September 15, 2025

    NBL Playoffs: Canons Seal Semi-Final Spot

    September 15, 2025

    UCU Force Game Three After Crushing Rockets

    September 10, 2025
    Facebook X (Twitter) Instagram
    Trending
    • Mushengyezi urges MAOL students to embrace transformational leadership
    • UCU Hosts 2025 Unwanted Witness Privacy Moot Court Competition
    • NBL Playoffs: Canons Seal Semi-Final Spot
    • UCU Force Game Three After Crushing Rockets
    • NBL Playoffs: Canons Face Do-or-Die Clash Against Rockets
    • NBL Playoffs: UCU Canons Fall Short Against Rockets in Game One
    • NBL Playoffs: UCU Lady Canons Sweep KIU Rangers.
    • NBL Playoff: Lady Canons Win Game One
    Facebook X (Twitter) Instagram
    The Standard  DigitalThe Standard  Digital
    Subscribe
    Tuesday, September 16
    • Home
    • Features
    • Opinion
    • Religion
    • Life Style
    • Pictorial
    • Sports
    • Podcasts
    • E-paper
    The Standard  Digital
    Home»Feature

    UCU nursing student braids student hair for a living

    The Standard EditorBy The Standard EditorJune 22, 2022 Feature No Comments3 Mins Read
    Share
    Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Pinterest Email

    By Nicole Nankya
    Chat Leah Abasiya is not a full-time hair stylist. In fact, she has not even attended formal training in hairstyling. But her skills would make anyone doubt these facts.  

    For people who know Abasiya’s history, the exceptional crocheting and hair styling skills are not by accident. They are skills she has mastered after more than 10 years of experience. Abasiya, a Uganda Christian University (UCU) student from Nigeria, took advantage of the fact that her country allows girls to keep long hair throughout primary and secondary school to start learning hair styling skills since she was sure she had the market. 

    The UCU student of Bachelor of Nursing says her mother encouraged her and her three female siblings learned hair styling so that they would practice on each other’s hair.

    She further mastered the skill and earned money from it since she came to Uganda in 2017. When she arrived at UCU, she started by styling hair of only Nigerian students, many of whom were not comfortable with the way Ugandans braided their hair.

    Then, one Ugandan came, followed by six. And that opened Abasiya’s door to braiding hair for Ugandan students.

    “I believe that students don’t have much money to spend on their hair,” she said. “So, I charge a modest fee of sh15,000 to sh30,000 (about $4.10 to $8.20) per head.”

    Gloria Okeke, a year-four UCU student pursuing a Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery, says Abasiya has been her hairstylist for the time they have known each other at the university.

    “She is a good listener who puts in her best to ensure customer satisfaction,” Okeke says. Abasiya usually plaits students’ hair from her hostel room or, where need be, she travels to where the client is. For the latter option, she charges slightly higher, to cater for the costs of the travel. 

    Abasiya ended up pursuing university education in Uganda miraculously. First, she says she did not know any university in Uganda. Kenya was originally her first choice for a country in East Africa, but she later settled for Uganda because of relative peace in the country. The 2015 attack by Al Shabaab on Kenya’s Garissa University made Abasiya and her family change their mind to studying in Uganda, after she did not get admission into universities in Nigeria for her preferred course of nursing.  

    She also runs a YouTube channel, where she often posts information about what she does and her life in a Ugandan university. With all the demands of the nursing course, one wonders how Abasiya is able juggle the course and update her YouTube channel. Planning is the answer, she says. On days when she is free without lectures, she uses them for recording, editing and posting videos. Being on the media team in her church back in Nigeria gave her opportunity to learn how to edit videos.

    “This semester, I am free on Tuesdays, so I record from 5 to 6 p.m., edit the videos at night and then upload them on Thursday mornings,” she said. Sundays are usually reserved for crocheting. 

    For students who wish to do business while still at school, Abasiya has this counsel: “Have a passion in something and take action. Whatever you are passionate about, just go ahead and do it.”

    Share this:

    • Share
    • Click to share on X (Opens in new window) X
    • Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) Facebook
    • Click to share on WhatsApp (Opens in new window) WhatsApp
    • Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window) LinkedIn
    • Click to share on Telegram (Opens in new window) Telegram
    • Click to print (Opens in new window) Print

    Related

    The Standard Editor

    This is the digital news site of the Uganda Christian University community newspaper, "The Standard". The Standard newspaper was established in May 2007 under, formerly Department, but now School of Journalism, Media & Communication.

    Keep Reading

    The troubles of AI

    A former student’s journey through uncertainty and hope

    From jobless graduate to respected supervisor

    Graduate of 2024 shares experience on life after graduation

    How youth are abusing a drug meant for pain relief

    What to do with a bloated stomach

    Recent Posts
    • Mushengyezi urges MAOL students to embrace transformational leadership
    • UCU Hosts 2025 Unwanted Witness Privacy Moot Court Competition
    • NBL Playoffs: Canons Seal Semi-Final Spot
    • UCU Force Game Three After Crushing Rockets
    • NBL Playoffs: Canons Face Do-or-Die Clash Against Rockets

    Subscribe to News

    Get the latest sports news from NewsSite about world, sports and politics.

    Advertisement
    Demo
    About
    Recent Posts
    • Mushengyezi urges MAOL students to embrace transformational leadership
    • UCU Hosts 2025 Unwanted Witness Privacy Moot Court Competition
    • NBL Playoffs: Canons Seal Semi-Final Spot
    • UCU Force Game Three After Crushing Rockets
    • NBL Playoffs: Canons Face Do-or-Die Clash Against Rockets
    Recent Posts
    • Mushengyezi urges MAOL students to embrace transformational leadership
    • UCU Hosts 2025 Unwanted Witness Privacy Moot Court Competition
    • NBL Playoffs: Canons Seal Semi-Final Spot
    • UCU Force Game Three After Crushing Rockets
    • NBL Playoffs: Canons Face Do-or-Die Clash Against Rockets
    Recent Posts

    Mushengyezi urges MAOL students to embrace transformational leadership

    September 16, 2025

    UCU Hosts 2025 Unwanted Witness Privacy Moot Court Competition

    September 15, 2025

    NBL Playoffs: Canons Seal Semi-Final Spot

    September 15, 2025

    UCU Force Game Three After Crushing Rockets

    September 10, 2025
    1 2 3 … 289 Next

    The Main Campus situated at Mukono, UCU Kampala Campus, UCU Arua Campus, Bishop Barham University College in Kabale and UCU Mbale University College.

    We're social. Connect with us:

    Facebook X (Twitter) Instagram YouTube

    Subscribe to Updates

    Get the latest creative news from FooBar about art, design and business.

    © 2025 The Standard. Designed by UIS.
    • Home
    • Sports

    Type above and press Enter to search. Press Esc to cancel.