By Irene Best Nyapendi
Coming from a humble background with a peasant father, Patience Akampurira had no hope of joining a university after completing A’ level in 1998. It was like a dream and yet an answered prayer when her father, a very committed Christian and a canon in the Church of Uganda heard about Uganda Christian University (UCU) and how it offered other programs apart from theology. Her father quickly sent for the application forms, and she was offered an opportunity to study for a Bachelor of Arts concurrent with a Diploma in Education (BAED).
The added blessing is that her father’s friend from the United Kingdom – a woman who had visited their church in Uganda – offered to pay her tuition for the three years. Akampurira says Alexandria Mynors and her family changed her life through a donation of about £50 (about $62) each month. The sponsorship saved her from worrying and reinforced her determination to focus on her studies and excel.
Akampurira joined UCU for her undergraduate studies in 1999. Hard work yielded a high-level, “second upper” for Patience. No sooner had she completed her Bachelors of Arts in Education in 2001, than she was retained by the university to work as assistant lecturer. She was an assistant lecturer for over 10 years. She loved the emphasis on Christian values that UCU imparted to the students.
“When I was at UCU, a lot was instilled in us such as discipline, Christian morals, conduct, commitment to God, prayer, love and care for one another,” says Akampurira, who is now a lecturer at Cavendish University Uganda. “I also remember indecent dressing at that time was prohibited. This modeled us to be the responsible people that we are today.”
Akampurira is still guided by those principles at work and her day-to-day life. She stands out as an excellent teacher: committed to work, very organized and disciplined – traits she learned at UCU. For her, the quality of education UCU offers distinguishes young professionals from other institutions.
“Most of my fellow alumni are very responsible people holding high positions of leadership and management in various organizations, government and politics because of how UCU modeled us,” she says.
Akampurira is a proud alumnus and holds good memories of the Christian university that helped make her who she is today.
“It was indeed a blessing and great opportunity to have had a chance to be trained at UCU with a holistic education that is transformative, employable and entrepreneurial and to start my career there,” she said. “This was possible because someone was kind and generous enough to pay my tuition and support me in all ways.”
It was Mynors and her family (which has many professional teachers) who inspired Akampurira to become a teacher. Mynors invited her to the UK for an experience of a lifetime – teaching in a UK school in 2002.
“It was a life changing experience being with someone with a golden heart; her invitation filled me with indescribable joy,” Akampurira says. When she returned, she was a better teacher and resumed teaching at UCU and also was coordinator for professional and continuing education at the education department.
“My life has been a success by God’s grace in that I got a sponsor from senior one till university. Immediately I completed my undergraduate degree, I got a job at UCU, then pursued a Master’s degree at Makerere University, all sponsored by Mynors,” she said. “And three years ago, I won a prestigious scholarship from the Gerda-Henkel Foundation to do a PhD, which I completed last December.”
Akampurira, who also is a mother of three daughters, is thrilled about the UCU 10K campaign, which is an innovation of sponsoring needy students.
“I would urge any student who is lucky to get a sponsorship opportunity to use it to the best of their ability and excel,” she said. “A little dollar can change a life and even change the life of those around them.”
Akampurira recommends students to consider attaining their university education at UCU because the Christian institution offers all-round training.
“My story started from UCU, which gave me an opportunity to develop my career and a chance to progress in the field of academia,” she says.
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To support Uganda Christian University programs, students, activities, and services, go to www.ugandapartners.org and click on the “donate” button, or contact UCU Partners Executive Director, Mark Bartels, at m.t.bartels@ugandapartners.org.