Close Menu
The Standard  Digital
    What's Hot

    Students outline expectations as UCU opens Advent Semester

    August 27, 2025

    UCU Mbale revives evening study programme

    August 25, 2025

    UCU relocates campus businesses for redevelopment plan

    August 21, 2025
    1 2 3 … 343 Next

    Students outline expectations as UCU opens Advent Semester

    August 27, 2025

    UCU Mbale revives evening study programme

    August 25, 2025

    Niwamanya is on a mission to serve through faith

    August 23, 2025

    UCU relocates campus businesses for redevelopment plan

    August 21, 2025
    Facebook X (Twitter) Instagram
    Trending
    • Students outline expectations as UCU opens Advent Semester
    • UCU Mbale revives evening study programme
    • Niwamanya is on a mission to serve through faith
    • UCU relocates campus businesses for redevelopment plan
    • UCU Lady Cardinals edge Yei Joint Stars in preseason clash
    • UCU laucnches construction of new chapel
    • UCU VC pledges shs50M for Clergy Conference
    • Church leaders urged to reject careless approach
    Facebook X (Twitter) Instagram
    The Standard  DigitalThe Standard  Digital
    Subscribe
    Thursday, August 28
    • Home
    • Features
    • Opinion
    • Religion
    • Life Style
    • Pictorial
    • Sports
    • Podcasts
    • E-paper
    The Standard  Digital
    Home»Feature

    UCU’s Monkey Residents: Nature’s Gift to Students

    The Standard EditorBy The Standard EditorNovember 2, 2023 Feature No Comments3 Mins Read
    Share
    Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Pinterest Email

    By Immaculate Auma 

    I grew up reading a lot of fables and listening to folk tales. My heart would race as I flipped through pages that seemed infinite at the time. One character that stood out for me was always the hare, for how brilliantly he was depicted. The hyena was tainted as the greedy one, with quite little brains to show. I still cannot put my finger on where the monkey got lost within those fragile pages, yet I was often told they were distant cousins.

    Walking into the gates of Uganda Christian University came with its fair share of pleasant surprises. Watching monkeys jump from one tree to another uncaged without paying a penny was truly priceless. It triggered a re-imagination of the day Abraham Lincoln’s declaration literally took off the shackles from the black man’s feet.

    Many moments are wiped off the pages of history, while only a handful are engraved on concrete. For UCU students, monkeys have been one of the key highlights that they leave with them as a bonus to their degrees.

    ‘I watched as a whole family of monkeys passed by me one sunny afternoon. It looked like a miniature version of a hairy human with tails. I laughed at the baby monkey that received a slap as a reward for disturbing its mother.’ Glory Chimwemwe, a third-year journalism student, narrates, adding, “I wouldn’t mind having monkeys around me all the time. In fact, even if they brought a whole zoo, I would not mind at all.”

    Being the pearl of Africa, it is no secret that Uganda is gifted with striking scenery. Nature is rooted in the black man’s DNA, which explains why even our ancestors lived longer than animals. In 2019, a study by Frontiers in Psychology showed that time spent with nature is an antidote to stress.

    Ruhigira Johnson, a student of civil engineering, says that seeing monkeys soothes his stress levels. He notes that their mischievous innocence adds a flicker of light amidst a demanding schedule.

    “Looking at the monkeys is stress-relieving. When I am in the middle of a lecture and see them passing by, it adds a light moment to my long, dull day,” he says.

    Living alongside monkeys has become the new normal at UCU. The marvel that grips most students at first sight slowly dwindles away with their stay at the university.

    Mr. Jimmy Siyasa, the public relations officer, notes that the university was very intentional about its plan to paint it green. He adds that having creatures like monkeys is one of the reasons that UCU is among the most stunning campuses in Africa.

    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

    Students outline expectations as UCU opens Advent Semester

    UCU Mbale revives evening study programme

    Niwamanya is on a mission to serve through faith

    UCU Lady Cardinals edge Yei Joint Stars in preseason clash

    UCU VC pledges shs50M for Clergy Conference

    Church leaders urged to reject careless approach

    Recent Posts
    • Students outline expectations as UCU opens Advent Semester
    • UCU Mbale revives evening study programme
    • Niwamanya is on a mission to serve through faith
    • UCU relocates campus businesses for redevelopment plan
    • UCU Lady Cardinals edge Yei Joint Stars in preseason clash

    Subscribe to News

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

    Advertisement
    Demo
    About
    Recent Posts
    • Students outline expectations as UCU opens Advent Semester
    • UCU Mbale revives evening study programme
    • Niwamanya is on a mission to serve through faith
    • UCU relocates campus businesses for redevelopment plan
    • UCU Lady Cardinals edge Yei Joint Stars in preseason clash
    Recent Posts
    • Students outline expectations as UCU opens Advent Semester
    • UCU Mbale revives evening study programme
    • Niwamanya is on a mission to serve through faith
    • UCU relocates campus businesses for redevelopment plan
    • UCU Lady Cardinals edge Yei Joint Stars in preseason clash
    Recent Posts

    Students outline expectations as UCU opens Advent Semester

    August 27, 2025

    UCU Mbale revives evening study programme

    August 25, 2025

    UCU relocates campus businesses for redevelopment plan

    August 21, 2025

    UCU Lady Cardinals edge Yei Joint Stars in preseason clash

    August 21, 2025
    1 2 3 … 287 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.