Jack Bugingo the SME Team Manager FINA Bank Rwanda was, once a heavy smoker but, thinking twice about the averse effects on his life, decided to quit the habit.

Born in Uganda on December 25th 1980 to Mr. Benjamin Bugingo and Mrs Joy Bugingo, he is the second born in the family of five, two boys and three girls.

He attended Buganda Road Primary school, St. Leo’s Kyegobe for O’ Level sat A’ Level at Old Kampala Secondary School and attained a Bachelors Degree in Business Administration at the National University of Rwanda.

"I started smoking while in form two because of peer pressure; since we had the freedom of leave the school premises to go and buy things, although it was a boarding school, one was able to buy a packet of cigarettes,” Bugingo narrates.

Even when he could not get the oppertunity to leave school premises he would sneak in with packets of cigarettes at the beginning of a new school term.

"In October 2002 during my second year at University I stopped smoking because I had lost my mother and among the things she did not like about my social life was my smoking,” Bugingo explains.

My mother hated smoking so much because she had witnessed the vice killing some of her brothers, so she did not want that to happen to me as well.

"I spent five years without touching a cigarette; however, I resumed in 2007 when I had gone for training in Nairobi because I found that two of my housemates were smokers.

I stopped smoking this year since it’s not good because I am overweight and smoking could affect my breathing.
All I can say it that one gains nothing from smoking besides being intimidated since most smokers do it in hiding, and it’s even discouraged in public places.

"Quitting the habit of smoking is hard because cigarettes are really cheap and one can buy a packet at 600 francs; it proves to be quite a challenge,” says Bungigo
His advice to smokers is "there is nothing cool about smoking, it’s your health on the line and one gains nothing at the end of the day.”

"One loses confidence if they smoke since its usually done in hiding and there is a lot one goes through to remove the bad scent attained after smoking- one has to wear expensive cologne to do so, yet the act is not worth it,” he explains.

Jack Bugingo is not married and his dream wife should be ‘soft hearted, religious and educated.’

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