Category Archives: Students

Okello: From school dropout to UCU First Class degree

May 20, 2022News, Students, UCU Alumni, UCU School of EducationPatty Huston-Holm

Bernard Okello poses with his family after UCU graduation on October 22, 2021; children hold the plaques he earned for UCU performance.

By Eriah Lule
A full-time job rarely gives space for good grades at school. But that may not be the only challenge. Previous school failure, age and family responsibility are three more.

Bernard Okello, age 38, working, married with two children and a former school dropout defied the odds.

In addition to his full-time teaching job at Global Junior School in Mukono, Okello was able to concentrate on his studies at Uganda Christian University (UCU) and receive a First Class in Bachelor of Arts in Education. He was part of the university’s 22nd graduation ceremony held at the institution’s main campus on October 22, 2021.

Okello says his wife was instrumental in helping him pull off this feat. Jackeline Okello decided that her husband’s salary would pay his tuition and that she would meet the rest of the financial needs of the family.

“I had only one option – to support my husband because any opportunity he chased after was for the wellbeing of our family,” said Jackeline, a nursery school teacher. The two have been married for 13 years.

When Okello got the green light from his wife, he embarked on a journey to upgrade from holding a certificate to a degree in education. Okello had graduated with a Grade Three Certificate in Education in 2004.

Resilience
The challenges Okello faced in his early life, he says, helped to mold him into a resilient man.

He grew up in an impoverished and dysfunctional family in Alebtong district, northern Uganda. At no time did his basic needs come on a silver platter. In fact, at one point, Okello dropped out of school during O’level.

“I lost my mother at a tender age,” he said. “My father rarely had time for us, so we had to struggle, sometimes, to meet our basic needs.”

The third born of four boys of Michael Otim, a primary school teacher, and Rose Otim, says his major challenges as a boy were lack of tuition to keep him in school and knowledge to lobby for available scholarships.

He was hopeless for a while, until a scholarship opportunity came his way, enabling him in 2001, to join Canon Lawrence Primary Teachers College Lira in northern Uganda. It is here where he got a Grade Three Certificate in teaching.

In 2009, Okello joined Unyama National Teachers College in Gulu, northern Uganda, from where he graduated in 2012, with a diploma in teaching. For the next two years, he taught at a school in Gulu.

In 2017, the Okellos relocated to Mukono, after he got a teaching vacancy at Global Junior School. The choice of Mukono was not by mistake. The Okellos looked for a school near a university, so that it would be easy for him to pursue his degree course.

Indeed, Okello soon got admitted to UCU’s undergraduate education program offered via a modular, blended (on-line and in-person) program. He says the modular, blended-learning arrangement gave him the opportunity to concentrate on his work better, since the sessions for face-to-face were during school holidays.

And, it’s not only the transcript that Okello says he walked home with, upon graduation at UCU in 2021. UCU imparted in him strong Christian morals that he had always admired. As a result, he notes that some of his workmates at Global Junior School as well as his family have been beneficiaries of the virtues implanted in him during the three years of his undergraduate study.

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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.

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German footballer joins UCU Lady Cardinals

May 18, 2022News, Sports, StudentsPatty Huston-Holm

Sinah Rother (left) dribbling past an opponent while still a player in Germany

By Michael Kisekka
On February 19, 2022, when the Uganda Christian University (UCU) women football team won a game by 5-0, it was not an ordinary victory for the squad.

That victory for the UCU Lady Cardinals was against the defending champions, the Lady Doves. That game also marked the debut of Sinah Rother, a 19-year-old German footballer who recently joined the UCU side.

“That victory was a statement and a warning to the other teams about what we are capable of doing,” Sinah, who plays on the right wing, said. The Lady Cardinals and the Lady Doves are among the teams in Uganda’s top flight women’s football league.

“When I completed school in Germany last year, I looked for an academic institution of higher learning in Africa with a good female football team and I was directed to Uganda Christian University,” she said.

Sinah said she was motivated to come to Uganda by her coaches in Germany, who told her that the Federation of Uganda Football Associations (FUFA) Women Super League was competitive and physical enough for her.

‘‘I wanted to play and compete in the best team in Uganda and that is how I ended up with the UCU Lady Cardinals,’’ she said.

When she arrived in January 2022, Sinah was told to register with FUFA, in order to be eligible to play football for the UCU Lady Cardinals.

“I had to get a football work permit and acquire a license to register as a female player with the FUFA Women’s Super League,” Sinah recalls.

Despite the hurdle, she is aware of how important the opportunity is. “Getting a chance to play for the UCU Lady Cardinals is a big opportunity for me and an experience of a lifetime life,” said Sinah, who wants to help the team win more trophies. Her coach, Simon Asiimwe said the team will benefit from her technical ability and game reading capability.

“I was overwhelmed by the support and the love the ladies showered me with. It made me feel at home and has enabled me to settle in fast,” she added.

Sinah’s biggest challenge, though, are the higher temperatures in Uganda, compared to the cold temperatures she is used to back in Germany, where she plans to return in two years.

“We were all excited when we got to know Sinah was joining the Lady Cardinals,” said Mercy Nabuloobi, the assistant team captain. “When we observed her train with us on the first day, we straight away knew that she was a great addition to the team.”

Hassifah Nassuna, the team’s captain, said Sinah’s exceptional talent will “help the team win the trophy this season.”

A second born of two children of Thomas Rother and Anke Rother, Sinah started playing football at the age of six with VFL Rheda. She then joined FSV Gütersloh and, later, DSC Arminia Bielefeld, where she has been for the past three years.

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UCU Partners helps Murungi realise her nursing dream

May 16, 2022Faculty of Public Health, Nursing and Midwifery, News, Students, UCU AlumniPatty Huston-Holm

Laura Jean Murungi on her graduation day on October 22, 2021

By Yasiri J. Kasango
As October 22, 2021, approached, students who were expecting to graduate at Uganda Christian University (UCU) were busy clearing with different offices to get their names on the final graduation list. Laura Jean Murungi, a nursing student, had passed all her papers, so she assumed she would be on the list.

For her entire time at campus, Murungi was a beneficiary of the Government of Uganda loan financing scheme for needy students. In the arrangement, government advances the student a loan to meet their tuition needs at a university, and it is paid back when the student gets a job after graduation.

When Murungi walked into the UCU finance office to get clearance for her graduation, she was shocked to learn that she owed the university sh450,000 (about $126). How the debt arose, she had no idea, but quickly attributed it to miscalculation on the part of the Higher Education Students Financing Board that was dispensing the money to UCU.

Having learned about the debt, she had only one option: To look for the sh450,000 that she owed the university. The timeframe to realise the money from the Higher Education Students Financing Board was short. Murungi and her parents had been victims of the economic destruction of the Covid-19 pandemic, so they hardly had any finances. As Murungi pondered disappointment in missing graduation, someone refereed her to the UCU Financial Aid office.

“Mr. (Walter) Washika advised me to apply for a UCU Partners grant to clear the balance,” Murungi says. Washika is UCU’s Financial Aid Manager.

A few days later, she received communication that her prayers had been answered. Benefactors of the UCU Partners non-profit based in the USA had reduced Murungi’s fees balance at UCU to zero. That communication meant Murungi was to graduate with her colleagues who joined UCU in 2017.

“I am so grateful to God,” Murungi said. “I would love to thank the UCU Financial Aid office’s level of transparency and financial assistance to students. I thank UCU Partners for paying off my debt.”

Murungi was among the more than 3,000 students who graduated at UCU’s 22nd graduation ceremony on October 22, 2021.

“I am passionate about saving lives and caring for the ill,” Murungi says, indicating that since childhood, she has always dreamed of becoming a nurse. “This is a dream come true for me.” She joins the workforce in a specialty where the numbers do not favor the internationally required ratio to manage Uganda’s population.

According to the International Council of Nurses and the World Health Organization, a nurse-to-patient ratio of 1:3 for emergency units; 1:2 for intensive care units; and 1:8 for other wards is recommended. However, statistics in Uganda indicate that the nurse-to-patient ratio is about 1:1,884. At this rate, the system could harvest a burnout on the part of the nurses.

However, before Murungi gains the status of a registered nurse in Uganda to improve on the nurse:patient ratio, she first has to fulfil the mandatory government requirement of a yearlong internship. And that is what she is currently doing. After her internship, Murungi looks forward to working in one of the hospitals in Uganda.

Background
Murungi is the only child of John Atuhaire and Samantha Kugonza of Buddo in Wakiso district, central Uganda. In her primary and secondary school, her parents were paying her fees.

She attended Sir Apollo Kaggwa Old Kampala for primary education and St. Mary’s Kitende in Wakiso district for her secondary education (both O’level and A’level), before joining UCU’s Faculty of Public Health, Nursing Midwifery to pursue Bachelor of Nursing Science.

(The nursing students pay semester tuition of Ugx 2,104,000/= ($579.7) and other fees of Ugx 638000/= ($175.8) without accommodation.)

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UCU launches first writing center in Uganda

May 13, 2022News, Students, UCU School of EducationPatty Huston-Holm

Lilian Lyavaala, left, acting coordinator of UCU’s new writing center, with student, Nassozi Gelda, outside the Foundation Studies building on the Mukono campus.

By Patty Huston-Holm
At 9 a.m. Monday, April 4, 2022, an email from Lilian Lyavaala popped up. It read: “I am glad to inform you that we now have office space for the Writing Center.”

I smiled as I suspect Lilian did. This was one more step in establishing a specific Uganda Christian University (UCU) space with a specific purpose – quality writing. The center’s designated area is up the first flight of steps of the Hamu Mukasa Library on the main campus in Mukono.

Just one week prior, March 28, while sitting in plastic chairs under a tree near the Foundation Studies building, Lilian and I mildly celebrated her appointment as the center’s first “acting” coordinator as we joked that we couldn’t even find someone who had a key to unlock the designated space for the center and if we could, there wouldn’t be furniture to sit upon there.

The UCU journey to better writing is decades long. Like most universities, writing at UCU has been taught in foundation (general education) courses and seminars and strongly emphasized in research and lectures about avoiding plagiarism.

But a center?

That trek was accelerated with the late summer 2021 arrival of Prof. Tom Deans, American Fulbright Scholar in Uganda and Director of the University of Connecticut (USA) writing center. In collaboration with UCU academic staff, he drafted a plan. The five-page plan talks about a “hub” where students and staff can get peer coaching. While reinforcing the value of all types of writing for various purposes, Deans commented in a November 2021 article that “students won’t grow as researchers unless they are writing papers that involve sustained research.”

Hub of the UCU writing center, located inside Hamu Mukasa Library on the Mukono Campus

With cautious excitement, Deans and Lilian talked about the center, which would be the first for any university in Uganda, while being interviewed in a late February podcast through the UCU School of Journalism, Media and Communication. In that interview, they described centers as “welcoming places to meet students wherever they are” and writing as the “core of human learning.”

Now, it was early April. Things appeared to be moving. A UGX 26 million ($7,500) budget for computers, tables and chairs was approved, but money not allocated. That budget did not include funding to pay the center’s coordinator and tutors. In mid-April, a $10,000 donation, contingent on a matching $10,000 from UCU, and from the Muriel Lile Trust of Fenton, Michigan, USA, through the Uganda Partners NGO appeared to seal the deal. On April 25, a letter from David Mugawe, Deputy Vice Chancellor, Finance and Administration, confirmed the UCU $10,000 match. The writing center, under the UCU School of Education, has a $20,000 budget for 2022-2023.

Dr. James Busimba, head of UCU’s Department of Languages and Literature, which is the umbrella for the writing center, said that the door for writing tutor applications and student/faculty users of the tutors is open.

“The room is available,” Dr. Busimba said. “We are grateful that we have come this far and are hopeful.”

Lilian is likewise excited.

“There is a big gap in writing practices,” she says. “Students in secondary (high school) are only taught to pass their exams. The university should overhaul this mindset and strike a balance. It’s important to transform minds to let students know how they can and should use writing in all careers.”

Once the UCU center is fully operational as defined by Deans as “when the first student walks in,” there will be a coordinator and tutors among the furnishings. The design calls for a coordinator to work 15 hours a week. The interim coordinator is Lyavaala, a UCU lecturer since 2010. During the most-recent semester, she was teaching to students of Law, School of Medicine, IT, Computer Science and Civil Engineering.

“I begin my classes by telling my students why writing is important,” she says. “Then, I take them through the whole writing process. Writing is not spontaneous, but gradual. One has to think of what one wants to write, gather information, draft it, making the necessary changes and then coming up with the final draft, while focusing on the audience. At this stage, the students also get opportunity to unlearn what they learned wrong.”

Across the different faculties and schools Lilian Lyavaala teaches or has taught, she finds the best writers from all, but especially students studying law, medicine and engineering. Their classes are fascinating to teach, since most of them are self-motivated.

“They seem to understand that they need to write lab reports and document findings and that scientists need to be able to present findings that everyone can understand,” she said.

For Lilian, reading and writing were her passions since childhood. Her parents said she was spelling out words at an early age. She would sit for hours, listening to her grandmother tell stories. In primary, teachers had her lead reading classes. Her love of language helped her attain her master’s degree in Literature in 2018 at UCU, where she also had earlier attained her bachelor’s degree in English Language and Literature.

“You don’t have to be as passionate about writing as I am to be a good writer,” Lilian says. She echoed what Deans asserted during his time on campus in that the tutors don’t necessarily have to be perfect writers but “capable and care about writing.”

“Everybody can write,” she said. “It’s time we stopped saying otherwise.”

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Africa Policy Center symposium unites scholars

May 11, 2022News, Students, UCU Alumni, UCU School of Social SciencesPatty Huston-Holm

Participants at Africa Policy Center Symposium

By Eriah Lule
When scholars meet, the number one item on their agenda is to critique one another’s work. A recent meeting at Uganda Christian University (UCU) was not a departure from that ritual.

Dr. Emilly Comfort Maractho, Director of APC

In fact, the two days ended up not being enough for them to achieve their intended objective and, therefore, the convener of the symposium, Dr. Emilly Comfort Maractho, called for a more periodic gathering so they are able to “evaluate each other’s scholarly progress.”

Maractho convened the symposium under the auspices of the African Policy Center, a UCU think tank that brings Christian truth and goodness into the public realm. She is the director of APC.

Maractho said that such workshops provide “space to evaluate ourselves as scholars and also improve our work,” noting that scholarly gatherings enable researchers to acquaint themselves with each other’s research fields. She argued that it is only that way that the researchers in the same field will “connect” to be able to present better findings.

The symposium was held courtesy of sponsorship of the Next Generation Social Science Research Council (SSRC), a USA-based, non-profit organization that is dedicated to advancing research in the social sciences and related disciplines.

More than 10 scholars from the Ugandan universities of Makerere, Kyambogo, Uganda Martyrs and the Mbarara University of Science and Technology (MUST) presented their research papers.

Assoc. Prof. Aaron Mushengyezi who launched the symposium, saw it as an opportunity to further position UCU as a “research-based university,” adding that such a move will improve the global ranking of the university, as well as its visibility.

Prof. Apuuli Phillip Kasaijja, an Assoc. Prof. in the Department of Political Science and Public Administration at Makerere University, who was the event’s keynote speaker, urged the researchers to endeavor to do work that influences policy – lest their work will be in vain.

Summary of what some participants said

Dr. David Ngendo Tshimba, a scholar from Uganda Martyrs University, who presented a paper titled Political Violence in the Rwenzori Borderland Revisited: Isaya Mukirane and the Rwenzururu Secessionist Movement, 1962-64, said such workshops introduce researchers to “like-minded people who offer constructive criticism for our work so that we can improve as scholars.” He added that “every scholar is always hungry for growth, and we all grow through research.”

Dr. Resty Naiga, a lecturer in the Department of Development Studies, Makerere University

Dr. Resty Naiga, a lecturer in the Department of Development Studies, at the College of Humanities and Social Sciences, Makerere University, presented a paper titled Local Water Conflicts in Uganda: Options for Peace-building, Policy and Practice. She said that such a meeting of scholars helps to grow in their work, as well as offering opportunities for mentorship.

Dr. Robert Ojambo, a Senior Lecturer of Political Science at Kyambogo University

Dr. Robert Ojambo, senior lecturer, Political Science, at Kyambogo University, presented a paper titled The Contest for Living Space between Refugees and Local Communities in Kyangwali Refugee Settlement in Bunyoro Sub-region in Western Uganda. Uganda is home to more than 1.5 million refugees, a majority coming from neighboring countries that are facing civil unrest.

Dr. Pamela Kanakhwa, a lecturer in the Department of History, Archaeology and Heritage Studies at Makerere, presented a paper on Landslides, Disaster Management and Land Conflicts in Eastern Uganda. She said the symposium broke a long spell of silence that had been occasioned by the Covid-19 pandemic and its associated restrictions on gatherings. “I have learned a lot in the symposium, and I am inspired to think more about my work,” Kanakhwa said.

Dr. Specioza Twinamasiko from MUST, said such workshops help them to network and also motivates them into coming up with new research ideas to find solutions for the problems that affect society. Twinamasiko presented a paper on Women Agency to Oil Development–Induced Land Conflicts in the Albertine Graben, Uganda.

Wasswa Timothy Kisuule, a graduate intern with the APC, applauded the symposium for its insightfulness on various aspects of social challenges that had affected society and had not been paid attention to. “I learned a lot from the scholars and I think more students should be invited to such workshops to boost their confidence in research and presentations,” he said.

Cedrick Joseph Wabwire, a lecturer at UCU’s School of Social Sciences and a staff member at APC

Cedrick Joseph Wabwire, a lecturer at UCU’s School of Social Sciences and a staff at APC, said the symposium created a platform of knowledge sharing, as well as an inspiration to the young academics. “Such workshops position UCU as a hub of knowledge sharing, increasing its brand visibility, as well as strengthening partnerships among various institutions and the academics themselves,” he said.

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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.

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UCU Kampala campus constructs own home

May 9, 2022News, Students, UCU AlumniPatty Huston-Holm

Vice-Chancellor Assoc. Prof. Aaron Mushengyezi symbolically breaks the ground to commission the construction project.

By Jimmy Siyasa and Ivan Tsebeni
State-of-the-art lecture rooms, meeting rooms for student functions and study spaces are some of what will await students of the Uganda Christian University (UCU) Kampala campus soon, following the start of the construction of the facilities early this year. The breaking of the ground for the construction of the facilities expected to cost sh2.5b (about $703,340) was done early 2022 at the campus’ new premises in Kampala.

According to George William Kazibwe, the director of the firm tasked with constructing the facilities, the classroom blocks will collectively hold a population of 900 students.

An artist’s impression of the new structure campus at Kampala campus

Vice-Chancellor Assoc. Prof. Aaron Mushengyezi, therefore, invited parents to embrace the new development as an opportunity for the university to offer high-quality education to their children. “We urge all parents to bring their children to Kampala campus because our new home and structures will grant the students a worthwhile learning experience,” he said.

UCU acquired the land for the Kampala campus in June 2021 despite the impact of Covid-19 that has ravaged the revenues of many universities in Uganda.

Dr. Godwin Awio, former director at the UCU Kampala campus and now head of research and publications for UCU post-graduate studies, expressed joy about the construction of the new structures, saying a permanent home is indicative to the parents and students of the “stability of the university.”

Vice-Chancellor Mushengyezi said by acquiring the land for the new premises, the university will save sh600m (about $168,801), which it was paying annually in rent. The university had been a tenant in the premises for close to two decades.

Awio noted that previously, when they shifted their location, the enrollment at the campus reduced because a new location often affected some students.

“When you change premises from time to time, the market reads you as being unstable, and your competitors can take advantage of that, to take away your students,” he argued.

Awio explained why the campus had not been able to set up some facilities.

“We have been renting for the past 18 years and, therefore, we were limited in many ways,” he said. “For example, we could not set up certain facilities here because the land was not ours. But when you own the land, you can customize it at will.”

David Mugawe, the Deputy Vice-Chancellor for Finance and Administration, acknowledged the continued support and advocacy from the Church of Uganda and not-for-profit organisation UCU Partners, as well as students whom he said have been patient with the university.

Assoc. Prof. John Kitayimbwa, the Deputy Vice-Chancellor for Academic Affairs, said the development will help enhance learning at the university which marks 25 years of existence this year.

Teefe Zacharia, a local leader in Mengo, is highly expectant of good business from the neighbours of the university.

“The campus will bring socio-economic development to our area because the business community will pick interest in establishing hostels for students, as well as fast food businesses,” he said. “Additionally, it will decrease the crime rate in our village since we now have additional security, courtesy of the university in the area.”

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Unity among Okwii’s priorities as he takes over shepherding Kumi diocese

May 6, 2022Bishop Tucker School of Divinity and Theology, News, Students, UCU AlumniPatty Huston-Holm

Bishop Michael Okwii receives a new vehicle from Uganda’s Vice-President Jessica Alupo (right) who represented President Yoweri Museveni at the consecration on March 6. Behind Okwii wearing a miter is Archbishop Stephen Kaziimba.

By Ivan Tsebeni
When the House of Bishops of Uganda’s Anglican Church voted the Rev. Michael Okwii Esakan as the second bishop of a diocese in eastern Uganda, not everyone received the news of this February 2022 event with joy.

Okwii’s joy of victory was short-lived as a section of Christians in Kumi Diocese petitioned court, seeking to revoke his election. The three Christians argued that the process of electing Okwii was not conducted according to the laws of the Church.

However, three days to the set date of consecration of Okwii on March 6, 2022, court dismissed the case for want of evidence, giving the greenlight for the ceremony.

“I will not join any camp in Kumi; I will not promote hostility,” Okwii said at his installation on March 6, adding that his approach to leadership is through “dialogue and resolving issues amicably.”

It is understandable when one hears Bishop Okwii preaching peace and dialogue. When Okwii was elected, two camps emerged in the diocese, one for and another against him. The people who were against the election of Okwii argued that the rightful person for the seat was supposed to be the Rev. Charles Okunya.

Okunya had, in fact, been elected in November 2019 as the would-be next bishop for Kumi to replace the Rt. Rev. Thomas Irigei who had reached the mandatory retirement age of 65 years.

However, the Archbishop of the Church of Uganda, the Rt. Rev. Stephen Kaziimba, noted that Okunya was disqualified from becoming the bishop because, after a review of the records, it was established that he was 44 years old, a year younger than the age of becoming a bishop. He had told the House of Bishops that he was older.

At his installation in March, Okwii, an alumnus of Uganda Christian University (UCU) and a former lecturer of the institution, promised to strengthen prayer teams, entrench truth-telling and form reconciliation committees that will be tasked with mediating conflicts to avoid litigation.

He is aware that these are just a drop in the ocean of the responsibilities that await him as he shepherds the diocese.

“I have come in good faith, and with open hands and heart; I will be a bishop for everybody,” Okwii said.

Okwii’s remarks seemed to be a direct answer to the request by the day’s preacher at the consecration, the Rt. Rev. Alfred Olwa. Olwa, the Bishop of Lango Diocese, is also the UCU Council chairperson.

“I want to appeal that today, as you receive the second bishop of Kumi Diocese, you must move forward and grow in your faith in Christ,” Rev. Olwa told the congregation that gathered at St Philip’s Cathedral in Ngora district in eastern Uganda.

The first task before the new bishop is reconciling Okunya and a section of aggrieved Christians with the Church. In fact, Okunya in April 2022 resigned from diocesan and priestly duties in Kumi. A few days later, he was seen at Sunday prayers with a faction of aggrieved Christians and clergy who had renounced the Anglican Church.

Background
Okwii received a Bachelor of Divinity and Diploma in Theology from the Bishop Tucker School Divinity and Theological College (now UCU) in 1987. He later graduated with a Post-Graduate Diploma in Management from the Uganda Management Institute in 2003 and also earned a Master of Arts in Applied Theology from Trinity College, Bristol, UK.

Okwii taught, first, as a part-time lecturer at the Bishop Tucker School of Divinity and Theology in 2001 and, later, in 2009, as a full-time lecturer in the school.

At Bishop Tucker School of Divinity and Theology, Okwii taught Pastoral Psychology and Sociology, Missions, Gender Studies, and Pastoral Care and Counselling, among others. He also served as director at UCU Mbale College between 2009 and 2010.

Born on February 10, 1965, into a Roman Catholic family in Atoot, Ngora district, Okwii got saved on June 3, 1986, at a fellowship. It was here that he joined the Anglican Church, despite knowing that a change of faith would be an unwelcome move before his father.

Four years later, in 1990, Okwii was ordained a deacon at St. Peter’s Cathedral, Soroti, in 1990 and a priest in 1991. He has served in many capacities in the Church, including as parish priest and Cathedral Vicar.

His last posting before becoming bishop was as the Archdeacon of Soroti and parish priest of Asuret. Okwii is married to Christine, with whom he has six children, five of whom are alive, and one grandson.

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Former UCU goalkeeper joins Finnish club

May 2, 2022News, Sports, Students, UCU School of BusinessPatty Huston-Holm

Ruth Aturo in action for the UCU Lady Cardinals in Njeru, central Uganda.

By Ian Asabo
The captain of Uganda national women’s football team, Ruth Aturo, has realised her dream of playing professional football after signing for Finnish club Kotkan Tyoaen Palloilijat.

Aturo, a goalkeeper of the national football team, joins Kotkan Tyoaen Palloilijat on a two-year deal from the Uganda Christian University (UCU) women’s team, the Lady Cardinals. She featured for the UCU Lady Cardinals for three years, helping the team to win trophies in 2018 and 2019.

The 26-year-old graduated with a Diploma in Business Administration from UCU in 2019. However, she continued playing for the Lady Cardinals.

“I am grateful to the university for providing me with the opportunity to play the game that I love, at the highest level in the country,” Aturo said, noting that she would not have found it easy to join a club in Finland if she had not got a chance to play for the Lady Cardinals. She was in UCU on a sports scholarship.

Ruth receiving her award for the Best Goalkeeper at the 2018 COSAFA Women’s Championship.

It was while at the Lady Cardinals that Aturo became a household name, with the Uganda football association naming her Player of the Year in the national league in 2018.

Like many student-athletes, Aturo faced the challenge of balancing performance in class and on the pitch.

Her challenge was even tougher, however, given that she is the captain of the national women football team, meaning she had class, club and national football team issues to concentrate on. However, to her, the answer remained in “being consistent, working hard and remaining focused.”

“While in Finland, I will be far from home but it’s an exciting experience that I cannot let pass,” she said. “My ultimate goal is to make it to the highest level, and this is a step in the right direction.”

Born on July 19, 1995, in Soroti, eastern Uganda, Aturo initially started playing as a center forward. However, later, she discovered that she could perform even better between the posts.

She began playing football in Senior Two at Soroti Senior Secondary School. From there, she joined Kawempe Muslim Secondary School in central Uganda, for A’level. It was her performance in the women’s soccer team of Kawempe that caught the attention of scouts who connected her to a scholarship offer at UCU.

She says it was at UCU where she was able to harness and grow her skills, and maximize them to the full potential, something which would later prepare ground for her to captain the national team.

Sam Lukaire, the Sports Administrator at UCU, is happy that the investment the university has made in sports is finally paying off.

“The right coaching through the sports program provided by the university has had an impact on the athletes, enabling such moves to happen,” Lukaire says.

He encourages Aturo to continue working hard to reach her full potential. Aturo’s deal was completed towards the end of December last year, but her travel was delayed until end of February. She says she used that time to watch videos about her teammates at Kotkan Tyoaen Palloilijat on YouTube, to try to understand how they play and their football philosophy.

Her longtime teammate at both club and national team level, Hasifah Nassuna, acknowledges that Aturo’s next step in football is only the beginning of her exposure to playing football at the greatest level.

“I am happy for Ruth. It is definitely not going to be easy as it only gets harder,” Nassuna said. “But I’m confident in her abilities as a goalkeeper and a leader on and off the pitch.”

As she arrives in Finland, Aturo is loaded with big dreams, hoping to not only etch her name in the global footballers’ hall of fame, but also to leave a legacy as one of the greatest ever Lady Cardinal players.

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UCU community sets up food bank to rescue needy students

April 27, 2022COVID-19, StudentsPatty Huston-Holm

Students collecting food packs at the UCU chaplaincy in July 2021 during a government-ordered Covid-19 lockdown. Again, during the Lent period in 2022, needy students were receiving food packs at the chaplaincy, a practice continuing after the Easter season.

By Muduku Derrick Brian
Acaye Innocent Oscar has always had a supportive father who paid his tuition fees and provided money for upkeep on time. It was the reason in 2018 that he applied for the Bachelor of Science in Economics and Statistics course at Uganda Christian University (UCU).

All was well as Acaye reported to university. However, hardly two years into his course, his source of funds got cut off. “My bread winner got another partner and started to prioritize another family at the expense of ours,” Acaye said.

Acaye said he did not just lack the money for tuition, but also was “hungry most of the time,” something that he says started to affect the level of his academic output.

He wasn’t alone. He is among 100 UCU-Mukono campus students existing mostly on water at any given point in time. When members of the UCU community discovered that some students like Acaye who live in hostels go without food because they cannot afford daily meals, they created the food bank through the Chaplaincy office. This act coincided with the Lent period, when Christians, in preparation for Easter, fast and give alms.

The Rev. Canon Eng. Paul Wasswa, the Chaplain at UCU, says that the food bank was introduced “to stand with students especially those who sleep in hostels and run out of food from time to time.”

Wasswa adds that students with challenges of food are more easily compromised and end up in relationships they are not prepared for, just because they “want to survive.” He says once people get to know of the desperate situations of such students, they begin to involve them in sexual immorality and drugs in exchange for food.

For Acaye, his downward spiral away from his goal to be a data analyst started in 2020, when his financial situation forced him to take a dead year. As others frowned over the closure of learning institutions in 2020 due to the ravaging effects of the Covid-19 pandemic, to Acaye, it appeared to be a blessing in disguise. He expected to use the closure period to collect some money for tuition. However, the effect of the lockdown on the economy did not give him a chance to earn anything meaningful to use for university expenses. Acaye accumulated debts at UCU from the previous three semesters.

According to Wasswa, though the idea of the most recent food bank came up during Lent, the collections are expected to continue beyond the Easter season. For now, all collections towards the food bank are deposited with the chaplaincy. From there, needy students go and sign for whatever food items are available.

When Acaye went to the chaplaincy to collect his portion, he says he was given “two kilograms for each package of rice, beans, maize flour and sugar.” He also got two packets of spaghetti.

This is not the first time that the office of the chaplain is coordinating a donation of food to students.

In July 2021, students who got stranded in hostels during a government-ordered Covid-19 lockdown were given food. Each student received a food pack containing beans, sugar, maize flour, salt and soap. A pack was valued at sh23,000 (about $6.5).

“When we got a report about students who are stranded in hostels and in need of food, the chapel council raised some money to help them out,” Wasswa said last year. The Chaplain has been praying ever since for contributions to help these neediest students.

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Uganda’s only university podcast – More cutting-edge at UCU

April 25, 2022News, Students, UCU School of Journalism, Media and CommunicationPatty Huston-Holm

Andrew Bugembe, member of the initial UCU podcast team, shown in a recent photo in Mbale.

By Patty Huston-Holm
Andrew Bugembe’s early experience with audio journalism involved walking outside the Uganda Christian University (UCU) gate and, with his phone, recording what random people along a dusty street thought about topical sports issues. He, thereafter, walked back on the Mukono campus and shared his “African English” recordings with five friends who used this information raw or as background for stories in UCU’s student newspaper, The Standard.

“I wasn’t good at writing; I wasn’t good at sports,” Andrew, who hails from Mityana in central Uganda, admitted. “The credit I got for this work was ‘thank you,’ and that was enough. God puts you where He can use you.”

Sitting on a black, wrought-iron bench between the newspaper and communications offices in the third month since post-Covid, in-person learning resumed, the final-year student in UCU’s School of Journalism, Media and Communication (JMC) shared his comfort and enjoyment of being behind the scenes.

Thus, as UCU launched in January 2022 its first podcast – the only university podcast in Uganda – Andrew was the guy splicing the audio and monitoring the analytics of who was listening and from what devices.

“It was exciting,” he said during a March 2022 discussion. “I didn’t even know the word ‘podcast’ until I was tapped to be a part of it last year.”

The UCU podcast training for a small group of students began through David’s United Church of Christ in Canal Winchester, Ohio, USA, in June 2021. Students used the church’s podcast platform to conduct interviews on topics such as Black Lives Matter, Hate Speech, Street Preaching and Fake Pastors.

Geoffrey Ssenoga, UCU podcast supervisor, with a UCU original podcast team member, Christiana Ampeire, talking outside the student newspaper office

Under the supervision of veteran broadcaster and UCU lecturer, Geoffrey Ssenoga, and with support by the School of JMC head of undergraduate studies, John Semakula, UCU started its own podcast.

By early April, students had recorded and produced 17 podcasts under the umbrella of the new on-line Standard newspaper with the theme “Lighting our Way.” With a combination of fun (male-female differences, etc.) and serious (Ankrah Foundation, etc.) topics, the initial target audience is students.

“Students are always excited about new ways of applying their knowledge and skill,” said Geoffrey, a lifelong journalist with most of his work in television. “We were teaching radio, but during the Covid shutdown, the practical application of that was mostly non-existent. Podcast recordings via Zoom allowed students to learn this form of media while practicing coronavirus safety protocols.”

As the School of JMC revises its curriculum for the Council of Higher Education, podcasting – the fastest-growing media channel with two million globally – is included.

Stephen Ssenkaaba, award-winning journalist who helped start New Vision’s podcast in 2019

While not necessarily listening to recordings in the initial phase of UCU’s podcast, two Ugandan professionals, New Vision’s Stephen Ssenkaaba and Max Adii, are lauding them. Together, they started the New Vision podcast three years ago. Fresh from a research project on online strategies for emerging markets as part of a fellowship in Michigan, Stephen became fascinated with podcasting and pitched the idea upon his return to Uganda.

“I came to understand how podcasts were relevant to people in Uganda and Africa where the culture revolves around talking, and having conversations,” Stephen said. “After I pitched to the Editorial Board, I was charged to work with our radio expert, Max. We got it rolling.”

“More and more, media audiences are shifting to on-line content,” Max said. “Podcasting is Internet-based – allowing our audience potential to be people all over the world.”

Data indicate podcasting is especially popular with those under age 35 because of the content’s 24-7 accessibility, generally casual delivery by interviewers and ability to stop and start a 15-to-30-minute recording. To date, podcasting is less expensive and less regulated than radio.

Max Adii, a key member of the New Vision podcast implementation team

Commenting from Oregon, USA, where he is studying for his Ph.D. in Media Studies, Stephen said “a one-size-fits-all” podcast should not be the goal in today’s cafeteria of media genres. At that, younger listeners lean towards light-hearted, celebrity podcast content, while those older tend to want to supplement what they don’t “have time to get sitting and reading a newspaper or listening to radio at home,” he added.

“Podcasts done right take the listener into a situation,” Max said. One of his favorites that does that is a 12-episode New Vision podcast that tells the story of an undercover reporter who became part of the slave trade in Dubai.

Nicollette Nampijja, original UCU podcast team member

Student Nicollette Nampijja, one of the first UCU Podcast interviewers, expressed appreciation for UCU’s launch into the podcast medium. Despite her experience speaking in front of classmates in secondary school, her “heart was beating” for the first recording she did at UCU. Now, with three podcast interviews under her belt, confidence of the 22-year-old has soared.

“The UCU podcast has added excitement for students while giving them hands-on experience in a cutting-edge part of our industry,” Geoffrey said. “That we added the podcasting piece to what we teach and did it in the midst of coming off a pandemic lockdown speaks volumes about where UCU is going and can be.”

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UCU student reaps big from agroforestry

April 20, 2022Faculty of Engineering, Design & Technology, News, StudentsPatty Huston-Holm

Joshua Genrwot, a UCU student, owns 22 acres of a tree farm

By Agatha N. Biira
In 2017, after sitting for his A’level examinations, Joshua Genrwot had eight months before embarking on his university education. What was he going to do with all that time? Grow trees.

That tree farm business has, in 2022, bestowed on him a new virtue – being aggressive. In addition, Genrwot says he has also learned to do most of the things in his farm by himself, so he can apply the skill on days a worker drags his feet.

“I have also now learned to be patient because, at the start, agriculture will not give you quick money, but a slow profit,” said the third-year student in the Bachelor of Science in Civil and Environmental Engineering program at Uganda Christian University (UCU).

His path was not one many youths his age would take, but maybe they should. He had witnessed many successful tree farmers. Since he is a student, he knew he would not need to devote a considerable amount of time in running the venture, knowing that trees need minimal care.

Genrwot started with five acres of land. The farm, which has eucalyptus, mango and avocado trees, is located in the northern Uganda district of Gulu.

Three years later, in 2020, Genrwot was already reaping rewards from his toil.

“For the eucalyptus, we were reducing the number of trees and branches so as to leave enough space for them to expand and grow,” he said. “The excess trees were cut and sold off as poles.”

He says he harvested about 800 poles, which he sold at sh15,000 (about $3) each. He also harvested 300kg (661 pounds) of avocado sold at sh6,000 (about $1.6) per kilogram and 200kg (441 pounds) of mangoes that he sold at sh5,000 (about $1.4) each kilogram.

Since fruit trees are harvested seasonally, Genrwot says he harvests about 500 mangoes and between 700 and 800 avocadoes per season. He uses the proceeds from the sale for his upkeep at the university.

The benefits Genrwot has reaped from his farm drove him into expanding it more than four times, from the initial five acres to now 22 acres of land. The eucalyptus trees now sit on 15 acres while the fruit trees occupy five acres. The remaining two acres are occupied by the people who maintain the farm.

“We have also started rearing some animals, mainly goats and sheep, under the trees, to help eat away the undergrowth in the tree farm,” Genrwot says.

The demand for timber in the civil engineering field, especially construction, gave Genrwot the hope that he was starting a beneficial venture. He says he now networks with colleagues who are already in the profession, as he tries to get market for the timber when his trees eventually mature. The maturity period for eucalyptus is seven years.

He has long-term plans for the farm.

“I’m considering planting more long-term trees, such as the teak and pine trees and also adding more fruit trees,” Genrwot reveals.

Before he achieves his plan, Genrwot has to overcome the challenges he faces on the farm – pests and diseases that attack the fruit trees – and finding ways of ensuring that the farm workers are productive, even when he is away, concentrating on his studies at the university.

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UCU restores longer, better staff contracts after Covid-19 lockdown

April 13, 2022COVID-19, Faculty, News, StudentsPatty Huston-Holm

Vice-Chancellor Aaron Mushengyezi addresses the staff during the annual thanksgiving in December 2021.

By Yasiri J. Kasango
Long-term and improved employment contracts are becoming more common at Uganda Christian University (UCU). The University Council resolved to offer staff long-term contracts at a meeting it held last year. The action benefits 344 employees, who are full-time staff members at the UCU Main, Kampala, School of Dentistry and Medicine, campuses.

While short contracts for employees hired to work 40-hour weeks have been commonplace for at least a decade at UCU, for the last two years, employment has been more tentative. UCU staff have been operating on short contracts, with some running for three months. The shortened employment agreements and in some cases job curtailments were more common with the disruptive effects of the Covid-19 pandemic on the institutions of learning globally.

Staff members attending the annual thanksgiving.

In March 2020, Uganda closed all schools, including higher institutions of learning. Schools were only opened for in-person learning for final-year learners seven months later. It was not until March 2021 that schools were opened for in-person learning, only to be closed again three months later, due to the emergence of the second wave of Covid-19 in Uganda.

The lockdown on academic institutions affected UCU since students who are the source of revenue were not learning. During the university’s end-of-year thanksgiving ceremony held on December 17, Vice-Chancellor Assoc. Prof. Aaron Mushengyezi announced that the University Council had passed a resolution to give the university staff long-term and better contracts.

In a bid to attract and retain more competent staff, the university has also restored most of the other benefits, including medical, that the staff were entitled to before Covid-19 struck.

The contracts awarded are in three categories, ranging from two to five years. The University Council also has approved the issuance of staff performance-based contracts with annual financial reward incentives.

The Director of Human Resource, Florence Nakiyingi, confirmed the changes, saying senior teaching staff were given a contract ranging from four to five years, while the lower cadres received three years. During thanksgiving, Mushengyezi commended staff for what he called “resilience, devotion, and determination” during the pandemic.

The UCU staff have welcomed the restoration of long-term contracts.

“We are grateful to God because we know that after the storm, some people were unable to get back to their work; but we did, and have better contracts,” said Ruth Manzede, the admissions assistant.

The long-term contracts will help the staff create better long-term plans for themselves and their families and enhance loyalty to the institution.

“The new contracts can enable a manager or anyone to plan effectively for the office in the period they have been given to serve,” said Walter Washika, the Financial Aid Manager.

Harriet Asiimwe Iraguha, a staff member, gives glory to God that she has a job. She said the pandemic has led to many job losses and pay cuts.

“I’m not any better than those that have not received contracts or those who were told to wait a little longer,” she said. “I give glory to God that I have a job.”

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‘Giving a voice to the voiceless’ – Inspiring women into investigative journalism

April 11, 2022News, Students, UCU School of Journalism, Media and CommunicationPatty Huston-Holm

Cecilia Okoth, UCU alum and New Vision Investigative Reporter

By Patty Huston-Holm with Israel Kisakye, Vanessa Kyalimpa and Yasiri J. Kasango
In mid-May 2021, Cecilia Okoth broke a story about how health care workers were charging money for the government’s free vaccination against Covid-19. The next month, she wrote about hospital patient expense, treatment and lax safety regulations regarding coronavirus.

UCU Vice Chancellor Assoc. Prof. Aaron Mushengyezi exchanges signed copies of the Memorandum of Understanding with AIIJ Executive Director Solomon Serwanjja.

Expose’ stories like these in the height of the pandemic are nothing new to this New Vision investigative reporter. In 2018, she uncovered a scam involving cancer patients and wrote about a possible solution to the stigma of HIV-AIDS in men. In 2019, she reported about “brokers” who lure public hospital patients to private facilities and how Karimojong girls were trafficked, with some ending up with the Al-Shabaab terrorist group.

These are only a few of the investigative journalism pieces authored by Okoth, a 2010 graduate of Uganda Christian University (UCU) and a speaker for a March 2022 event focused on engaging more women in deep, fact-finding news stories. The occasion was co-sponsored by the UCU School of Journalism, Media and Communication (JMC) and the Kampala-based African Institute of Investigative Journalism (AIIJ) with the nonprofit, Konrad Adenauer Stiftung (KAS), in Nkoyoyo Hall of the UCU Mukono campus.

The School of JMC and AIIJ have a new Memorandum of Understanding that seeks collaboration in research and training of investigative journalists in the country.

Prof. Aaron Mushengyezi, Anna Reisman, Solomon Serwanjja and Monica Chibita cut cake to mark International Women’s Day, aligned with the investigative journalism event at UCU in March.

“We are doing a lot of research in areas for journalism within Uganda and we think that UCU offers us that margin, but also think that UCU would love a space where they take their students for internships and could benefit from the guest lectures that we’ll have,” said Raymond Mujuni, of AIIJ and an editor and talk-show host at the Nation Media Group in Uganda.

Before an audience of 100, Okoth served on panel of journalists and media scholars who discussed press issues under the theme “Women and Investigative Journalism: An untapped opportunity.” Other panelists were Dr Patricia Litho, a communications specialist and trainer; Dr. Annette Kezaabu, the Head of Postgraduate Studies at the UCU School of JMC; and Anna Reismann, the country representative KAS Uganda and South Sudan. Mujuni moderated the discussion.

“In our early time of investigative journalism, we didn’t have such training to equip the young female journalists,” Okoth said at the event. Later, she shared how, as her career seemed to be stagnant, she stumbled on a deeper story she saw at a routine press conference.

“When I arrived, I immediately noticed an anomaly,” she recalled of the press event. “Many patients were lying on the verandas at the institute. I later learned that patients had to bribe medics to access the radiotherapy machine which was known to be free of charge. That was the story I wrote after a three-month investigation. My career has never been the same.”

In an interview after the March 2022 event, Okoth shared her thoughts about challenges and opportunities, especially for women. Investigative journalism is tough enough, but tougher for women as the difficult assignments often go to men.

“The onus is on a woman to fight and prove that you can equally accomplish a ‘man’s’ task,” she said. “Investigative journalism involves unearthing well tucked secrets by the powers that be or highlighting the injustices and abuses of power. It is giving a voice to the voiceless. However, in trying to accomplish this, you will rub some people the wrong way or even get frustrated along the way, or face threats.”

Investigative pieces require time, patience and stamina for the reporter, and a budget for a newsroom – all four of which can compromise the quality of the work, according to Okoth. The content of the investigations can be “very disturbing” psychologically with risks from perpetrators reporters are researching to expose wrongful deeds.

“As journalists, we are told that no story is worth your life,” she said. “So, you have to know when to retract when an assignment gets dangerous.”

At the same time, deeper fact-finding stories provide opportunities not only to clear up corruption, but also to gain recognition as reporters. Okoth has received accolades, such as the August 2018 editorial innovations award, 2019 runner up in the Uganda National Journalism Awards explanatory reporting category, and 2020 Nominee for the International Centre for Journalists (ICFJ) Knight International Journalism Awards. She also has had several training and mentorship opportunities globally.

“As a field journalist, I have seized the opportunity to transform the lives of people I have been assigned to report about,” Okoth said. “The stories I have covered have helped start uncomfortable conversations that have created awareness or led to policy change.”

Another panelist, Dr. Kezaabu, implored lecturers to mentor their students on life skills, adding that “the skills taught in class can be compromised if we don’t teach or mentor our students on how to focus on their life and conduct themselves.”

“Go for it if it’s your passion, if it’s your conviction, go for it,” added panelist, Dr. Litho, encouraging upcoming female journalists to break the bias. She added that ladies should not be relegated to soft stories like beauty contests.

“As journalists, we are often told, you are as good as your last story so that technically means your best story is one that you have not yet done,” Okoth, mother of a 16-month-old son, said. “This pushes me to work harder…Plus, being a mother shouldn’t deprive someone of career goals. You can definitely achieve both.”

In addition to hearing speakers, attendees watched a documentary film known as a Thousand Cuts about the life of Maria Ressa, a female investigative journalist who put her life at stake to hold the Philippine President accountable for killing innocent people under the disguise of drug abuse.

The March activities were attended by UCU Vice Chancellor, Assoc. Prof. Aaron Mushenygezi; Deputy Vice Chancellor for Academics, Assoc. Prof. John Kitayimbwa; Deputy Vice Chancellor (Finance and Administration), David Mugawe; Dean for the School JMC, Prof. Monica Chibita; head of the School of JMC undergraduate studies, John Semakula; and AIIJ executive director Solomon Serwanjja.

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UCU to partner with Japan’s Tokyo Christian University

April 8, 2022News, StudentsPatty Huston-Holm

Hanze University: UCU Vice Chancellor, Assoc. Prof. Aaron Mushengyezi (in suit) poses with students chosen for a six-month exchange program with Hanze University of Applied Sciences in the Netherlands.

By Muduku Derrick Brian
Uganda Christian University (UCU) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Tokyo Christian University, Inzai, Chiba, Japan, to conduct joint research and exchange programs.

UCU Vice Chancellor Assoc. Prof. Aaron Mushengyezi signed on behalf of his institution, while Dr. Randall Short signed on behalf of Tokyo Christian University. Dr. Short is the Vice President for International Affairs at his institution.

Previously, UCU selected six students for a six-month exchange program with Hanze University of Applied Sciences Foundation in the Netherlands.

Mushengyezi said UCU has prioritized exchange programs because they “expose our students to new challenging environments and ways of doing things and cultures.”

He noted that UCU intends to extend the partnerships to other universities in different parts of the world so that students get as much exposure as possible.

Tokyo Christian University meeting: Pamela Tumwebaze, the Head of Department of the Honors College at Uganda Christian University, during a zoom session with a delegation from Tokyo Christian University.

According to the MoU, UCU and Tokyo Christian University will run an exchange program for students and staff, conduct joint research activities and publications, participate in joint seminars and academic meetings and also share academic materials and other information.

Frank Obonyo, UCU’s Communications Manager, said UCU found it easy to partner with Tokyo Christian University because of the latter’s Christian foundation.

“Tokyo Christian University evolved from theological development,” Obonyo said of Japan’s only evangelical university fully accredited by the Japanese government. “Their strong belief in Christ centeredness made it is easy for us to partner with them since we are similar in many ways. Our students and staff will benefit from the global network and international space, which will ultimately widen their scope and view of things.”

Tokyo Christian University is a premier evangelical institution with a protestant history that spans up to 140 years. The university aims to provide a Christ-centered liberal arts in education for both men and women in Asia, focusing on educating the heart and the mind for leadership, service, evangelism and mission. UCU’s mission is to equip students for productive, holistic lives of Christian faith and service.

Pamela Tumwebaze, the Head of Department of the Honors College, said UCU has a lot to benefit from the partnership.

“Through the exchange program, some of our students will get the opportunity to travel and study in Japan in the same way Japanese students will come and study at UCU,” she said.

Tumwebaze added that UCU intends to help students from Tokyo particularly in the English language.

“We are working closely with the head of languages and literature at UCU, Dr. James Taabu Busimba, to help the Japanese to master the English language,” she said.

Muzahura Owen Ivan, one of the leaders in the UCU Guild Government, said students are excited by the partnerships.

“Some students see this as a golden chance to travel and get to experience the new academic cultures and lifestyle,” he said. “The Guild Government fully supports the partnerships and will help in raising awareness among students so they can embrace the opportunity.”

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Benefits of being a mentor in UCU Honors College program

April 6, 2022News, Students, UCU School of EducationPatty Huston-Holm

Screenshot of Peggy and Christy during a virtual interaction

By Peggy Noll
What do a Ugandan Honors College student in her first year at Uganda Christian University (UCU) and a retired American English teacher and former missionary have in common?

More than you might imagine at first glance, as Christy Asiimwe and I are discovering in our new roles as mentor and mentee, through a program started early in 2021 through the Honors College at UCU.

In one of our virtual monthly meetings, I told Christy that I always learned more as a teacher than I did as a student, by way of affirming she had made a good choice to work as a teaching assistant at her father’s school during her off-semester. I think the same might be true now, where I, as the mentor, may benefit more than Christy, the one being mentored!

After three or four virtual conferences of about an hour each and intermittent emails, I have already been encouraged in at least three areas of mutual interest.

First, in our initial encounter on zoom, it was Christy who suggested that since we did not know one another, we might start by giving our testimonies. As my husband and I have prayed over the years for UCU to be a genuinely Christian university and not Christian in name only, I was thrilled that over 10 years after our departure, I would meet a student serious about her faith as well as her education.

Again, at my request, Christy sent me a copy of the devotion she had written for her students based on John 15:9-17, “Why do you think God created man? To love Him and to be loved by Him.”

Next, we were able to meet online by zoom or Google Meeting only because Christy, not I, had the skills to set up the meeting. I told her that when we arrived in Mukono in 2000, there were only two computers on campus, both dial-up, one in the VC’s office and the other in the library. Just 20 years later, she as a first-year student has computer access and skills we could not have imagined then.

In yet a third area of overlapping interests, Christy’s long-term goals include working in education, possibly curriculum development, and becoming a servant leader in that sphere. The week before the conversation where she shared these goals, our son Peter, who heads an NGO that runs a hospital for the poor in Oaxaca, Mexico, had sent me online a recent draft of his newsletter to proofread, in which an interview he had organized and written up was titled, “Servant Leadership with Friar Carlos Eduardo.”

I challenged Christy to think about how she would define “servant leadership” and forwarded the interview to her as an example of someone in faraway southern Mexico with a desire similar to her own to follow Christ as a servant leader.

At my request, Christy sent me the link to ACE, the Christian curriculum used by her father’s teaching center outside Kampala, where she is currently helping him. In our conversation about the books she was reading with her students, she mentioned several titles by the English author Patricia St. John. Again, I had some background knowledge of the author I could share with her. St. John was a long-term missionary in North Africa. She was also invited to visit Rwanda and write an account of the East African Revival, which she titled Breath of Life. I have a copy here on my shelf in Pennsylvania, with an Introduction written by the Rev. Festo Kivingere! In a timely coincidence, I was able to send Christy a book I thought she would enjoy, the autobiography of the same author titled An Ordinary Woman with Extraordinary Faith.

Many, many years ago, my father, who spent most of his career working as a lawyer for the U.S. government in Washington, D.C., was invited to leave his post to teach at a law school which he chose to do because, as he explained to me then, he had learned a lot in the practice of law that he would like to pass on to young people at the start of their careers.

Being a mentor for Christy brought that conversation back to my mind. I feel I learned a lot teaching English language and literature at a community college in the U.S. and, added to the privilege of living and teaching at UCU for 10 years, I now might be able to pass on some small bit of what I have learned to the next generation of students at the University still so close to our hearts. In the process of being a mentor, I am being blessed by hearing about Christy’s hopes and plans for her future.

If you are reading this article and are asked to be a mentor, I would urge you to consider saying “Yes,” and I predict you will be the biggest benefactor in the relationship!

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Honors College Mentorships: ‘He believed in me’

April 4, 2022News, Students, UCU School of Education, UCU School of Social SciencesPatty Huston-Holm

Pamela Tumwebaze, head of UCU’s Honors College, with Kwebeiha John Wycliff, a year-two Law student in the mentorship program.

By Patty Huston-Holm with Laura Cenge and Nicole Nankya
One dictionary definition of “mentor” is “experienced and trusted advisor.”

Pamela Tumwebaze, head of the Uganda Christian University (UCU) Honors College, can recall having many, including the Rev. Prof. John Kitayimbwa, Deputy Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs (DVCAA). It was him, in fact, who propelled her to her current job title and got her thinking about making mentorships a deeper part of the Honor’s program.

Tumwebaze remembered an early 2021, end-of-day conversation in her role as the DVCAA Executive Assistant. The university had been in Covid-related, government-ordered lockdown for nearly a year. The university’s financial status, exacerbated by no students and no tuition, required leadership decisions about cuts. The head of the Honors program was leaving to work on his PhD, making that program a prime candidate for the chopping block.

“He (Kitayimbwa) told me the Honors program was going to be shut down,” recalled Tumwebaze, who, like most workers on the Mukono campus at the time, was near exhaustion from doing multiple jobs – theirs and for those not around due to travel restrictions and inability to be paid.

She recalled: “I said ‘I’ll do it.’ He said I couldn’t. But the next morning he said he thought about it, and that I could. He believed in me.”

Such encouragement is part of what a good mentor does. Good mentees do all they can to substantiate that faith.

The UCU Honours College is a leadership development initiative started in 2002, with a focus on Christian principles, as well as creativity and critical thinking. Undergraduate students from all programs are eligible to apply if they have a 4.0 of 5.0 grade point average or higher. In addition to reinforcing the value of academic knowledge, the UCU Honors College program addresses the value of “soft skills”, such as public speaking, work ethic, team building and engaging in relationships, including those with mentors.

Written assignments, oral presentations and service projects with informal mentorships have long been a part of the College. Formal mentorships are new.

Fresh on the job as the Honors College head in January 2021, Tumwebaze realized mentorship was going to be a key component of the program, but implementation with no in-person learning required a virtual strategy. By mid-year, she had a plan that she launched with two students each for four mentors – two Americans (one being Peggy Noll, the wife of UCU’s first Vice Chancellor) and two Ugandans (Johnson Mayamba and Dennis Wandera) living in the United States.

The plan included expectations that mentors be academic and/or career professionals approved by Pamela and willing to be encouragers and coaches. Mentees are expected to be timely and provide learning needs.

Virtual mentorships had expected challenges of student Internet access and understanding that mentors were in different time zones. With students back in session, the number of mentorships has grown to 30 in-person and virtual faculty, alum and other professionals for 96 Honors College students. All program areas are represented with the largest single number from Law.

“I’ve always been a bit of a dreamer, willing to try new things,” said Tumwebaze, who has UCU degrees related to literature and is working on a third, a master’s in strategic communication. “Covid taught me to re-create myself.”

A mother of two, Tumwebaze shared that to help support her family during the pandemic, she bought used clothing in Kampala, kept it in her car and sold it to friends. At the same time, she put energies into teaching a literature class and leading the Honors College, encouraging students at a time when she knew many felt hopeless and even suicidal.

“In spite of what I knew was going on in their lives, I encouraged them to look around and serve others,” she said. “We are all broken. I tell them to trust God to open their eyes and help someone else while also helping themselves.”

Those service projects have included cleaning up trash, educating new mothers in a rural village and reinforcing reading for children.

“When Christ calls us, we shall need to show how we helped someone,” she said. “Look for your gifts and use them in His name.”

In mid-March, one such gift is tacked on the bulletin board of Tumwebaze’s second floor office in a building known as “M Block” next to Nkoyoyo Hall. The childlike drawing of a rainbow was made by her almost-four-year-old son for his appreciation of her visit to his school.

Another gift this day was Honors College student, Steven Nsenga, seated by the door. He is a soon-to-be graduate with a Bachelors in Human Rights, Peace and Humanitarian Intervention in the Faculty of Social Science. He is concerned about refugees.

And he is, Tumwebaze pointed out, assigned to a mentor who gave her this job – the Rev. Dr. John Kitayimbwa.

TOMORROW: UCU Standard intern Nicole Nankya tells more of the story of student and mentee, Steven Nsenga.

WEDNESDAY: Words of virtual mentor Peggy Noll of Pennsylvania, USA.

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UCU student uses poetry to advocate human rights

April 1, 2022COVID-19, News, Students, UCU School of LawPatty Huston-Holm

Edwin Masingano, law student with love of writing and music

By Agatha N. Biira
Writing and music are the apple of Edwin Masingano’s eye. They occupy equal status as passions.

As a child, Masingano says he remembers the hunger he had for writing because it “challenged me to think.” As he grew older, he discovered another soft spot – music. He found music “innovative” and something that would bring out the happy side of him.

Now a fourth-year student of Bachelor of Laws at Uganda Christian University (UCU), Masingano finds his love for writing and music even stronger. For instance, he recently published an anthology of poems that sound out the common vices in society. Before that, he put some of his words to music. (Note that singer/pianist at this link is James Tukupe, also a Law student.)

He argues that the spoken word can be a powerful weapon of peace and a tool for advocacy. The two Covid-19-induced lockdowns that Uganda had in 2020 and 2021 led to a rise in gender-based violence in many homes, according to Uganda Police statistics.

In his book, Omuwala Sanyu, translated to mean “The Girl Called Sanyu,” Masingano has not kept silent on that injustice. He says girls are more sexually harassed than boys, and the community needs to speak up against such vices if they are to be tackled.

After close to two years of school closures in Uganda due to the Covid-19 pandemic, in January 2022, buildings were re-opened for learners. However, one of the biggest stories after the re-opening was the failure of many girls to return to school. In Amuru, one of the districts in northern Uganda, authorities said more than 3,200 girls aged 15-19 were impregnated, eloped or were forced into marriage during the time schools were closed. Such evils, Masingano says, can only end if they are spoken about.

As if to offer a remedy for the challenge that the girls faced during the lockdown, Masingano prescribes parents showing more love to their children, so that they can feel they are safe at home.

Society’s expectation of newly married couples in Uganda is bearing children. However, sometimes, the children may not come as quickly as society expects. Masingano has used his book to speak about the issue as well.

He says: “Everyone presumes that as soon as you get married, you should have a child. But what about those who cannot get that chance, sometimes, due to health complications?”

In order not to drop his other love, music, Masingano often performs his spoken word poetry on background music.

“When I am on stage, I don’t just read. I explain and make you feel like you are listening to a song poetry,” he says.

All this, Masingano attributes to the schools he attended. He says at York Primary School and Seeta High School, Mbalala in Mukono, his teachers gave him the platform to think that he can pursue his passion, as well as continue to perform well in class.

Masingano has used his talent to train secondary school students in poetry recital. Students at his alma mater Seeta High School, St. Peter’s Naalya and Lowell Girls’ School – in central Uganda – have been beneficiaries of his projects. He also has been invited for poetry presentations at high-level functions at UCU.

When he eventually becomes an attorney, Masingano has no plans of dropping poetry. He says he will continue with poetry recital, alongside using the professional qualification as a lawyer to advocate for people’s rights.

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UCU law student strives to bring more Ugandans to the coffee table

March 30, 2022News, Students, UCU School of LawPatty Huston-Holm

Rosette Kishero, a third-year law student at UCU and coffee entrepreneur

By Agatha N. Biira
To Rosette Kishero’s family, coffee is gold. It has always put bread on the table.

As early as the time when she was in secondary school, Kishero knew the value of the crop. Whenever she wanted to gift someone, nothing was more valuable than coffee. So, her gift was either a coffee seedling or coffee beans.

Recently, Kishero established a business enterprise that she hopes will enable the whole world to get a feel of the aroma of her family’s coffee. Kishero’s initial idea was to operate a nursery bed, but her mother, Olive, convinced her that it was more lucrative to roast coffee.

Thus, Olivaz Coffee, a brand named after Kishero’s mother, was born.

“I was inspired by the encouragement from people about our coffee, and yet we had never (promoted) it as our a specific brand,” said Kishero, a third-year student of Bachelor of Laws at Uganda Christian University (UCU). Prior to joining UCU, Kishero attended Nkokonjeru Primary School and Seeta High School, both in Central Uganda.

She said naming the coffee-roasting business after her mother was a reward to her for the sweat her mom broke in the coffee plantation.

“We have grown up, studied and lived because of coffee,” said Kishero, the daughter of Joseph Keith and Olive Kishero of Bulambuli, in eastern Uganda. “It has been my family’s main source of income. I wanted to keep the legacy.”

She says she was introduced to the process of branding coffee by her friends who were already in the business at Wild Coffee Bar.

“They are the ones who showed me the way; how to try out roasting, where to find roasters and grinders,” Kishero said. “To date, they still counsel and guide me.”

Kishero started the business with capital of sh500,000 (about $140) that she earned from another business she operated in 2020. She says part of that money was used for buying packaging materials for the coffee.

Olivaz coffee named after Kishero’s mother

She owns a roasting and grinding machine, but since she lacks expertise in that process, she does the roasting and grinding at another place, where professional roasters take the beans through the “medium roast.”

“If I were to roast and grind something, I would do it for home use only,” Kishero explains. “When it comes to my customers, I want to give them top notch coffee. That’s why I go to professionals to roast and grind.”

The support Kishero got from her family has enabled her business to grow steadily. She says the law degree course that she is pursuing has helped her learn how to start and run a business.

“At the time I was beginning my business, we were starting a course unit called Business Association, where we were taught how to operate businesses and companies,” Kishero explains, adding: “So, whenever I got stuck somewhere, I consulted my lecturers and applied the knowledge they gave me to my business.”

Kishero hopes to start a Coffee Club before leaving UCU.

Time is the main barrier. Local sales is another.

Being a student, Kishero says she spends most of her time in class, leaving little time to market her coffee business.

“The entire roasting and grinding process happens on weekdays when I have classes,” she explained. “So, every time I have to go to the factory to roast, it means I will miss an entire day of classes.”

Regarding local sales and despite being the second leading producer of coffee in Africa and the leading exporter in the continent, Ugandans consume less than 10% of the country’s coffee. At that, she is hopeful that the aroma and the brand that Kishero is building around coffee will play a role in inviting more people to the beverage table.

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U.S. Embassy sponsors multimedia training for UCU journalism students

March 28, 2022News, Students, UCU School of Journalism, Media and CommunicationPatty Huston-Holm

Some students after receiving multimedia training certificates.

By Yasiri J. Kasango
Thirty Uganda Christian University (UCU) students in the School of Journalism, Media and Communication have multi-media skills compliments of training sponsored by the United States Embassy in Uganda. The students were trained for two weeks in February 2022.

Ultimate Multimedia Consult, a journalism and communications organization based in Kampala, conducted the training.

For the first week of the training, the students were taught how to write stories and to incorporate video, audio, photos, text and animation. The second week of the training was reserved for practical exercises, where the students were sent to the field to gather information and generate multimedia stories.

John Semakula, head of undergraduate studies at the UCU School of Journalism, Media and Communication, hands award to Elsie Tukahirwa after the training.

Before applying the skills outside the training room, the students pitched their ideas before a panel comprised of embassy officials, trainers from Ultimate Multimedia Consult and UCU lecturers.

The training comes at a time when the university is focusing its energies on producing all-round multimedia journalism graduates who are able to meet the realities in the current journalism job market.

Stories of Asenath Were, a second-year student, and Steven Kolawole, who is in third year, were considered the best.

“I’m grateful for everything I learnt in the training, and most especially the gadgets I got,” Kolawwole said.

Writers of the best four stories having multimedia components were awarded cash and technology with a directive to use their new equipment to produce products for UCU – namely for the Standard and UCU Partners. The first two – Were and Kolawwole – were given a smartphone, a tripod stand and sh100,000 (about $28). The third and fourth best stories were of Elsie Tukahire Kukunda and Irene Best Nyapendi. Kukunda and Nyapendi were awarded sh400,000 (about $113) each.

Asenath Were praised the US Embassy and Ultimate Multimedia Consult.

“I can’t believe that I was able to perform well since my story pitch looked shaky,” she said. “I am speechless.”

Prof. Monica Chibita, Dean of the School of Journalism, Media and Communication, gives award to Aseneth Were, the best female student in multimedia story composition. — Prof. Monica Chibita, Dean of the School of Journalism, Media and Communication, gives an award to Asenath Were, the best female student in multimedia story composition.

To further instill the need for students to acquire modern, real-world skills, in 2021, Uganda Partners, under a mentoring collaborative with students from the UCU School of Journalism, Media and Communication, embarked on a podcasting mentoring project, where students apply classroom learning to script podcast material, conduct interviews and edit audio. The podcast initiative is part of the UCU/Uganda Partners e-lab model initiated in January 2021 and is aligned with the university’s mission to prepare students for both continued learning and the world of work.

U.S. Kampala embassy spokesperson Anthony Kujawa and his deputy, Dorothy Nanyonga, commended Ultimate Multimedia Consult and UCU for spearheading the training of students.

“Multimedia is the future of communication in the world today,” Kujawa said, encouraging students to embrace the model to tell their stories.

At the closing ceremony, the Dean of the School of Journalism, Media and Communication, Prof. Monica Chibita, commended the U.S. Embassy for choosing to partner with UCU in many aspects, including the Save the Mothers’ project and the Fulbright scholarships.

Chibita also thanked Ultimate Multimedia Consults for training UCU staff during the Covid-19 lockdown and encouraged students to keep in mind the journalism ethics while telling stories using the multimedia platforms.

Ultimate Multimedia Consult team leader Gerald Businge thanked UCU, and particularly the School of Journalism, Media and Communication, for the opportunity given to him to train students.

Prof. Elizabeth Balyejusa Kizito, the Director for Research Partnerships and Innovations at UCU, urged the trainees to put into practice the skills that they had acquired.

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UCU alum gets international nod for eco-tourism

March 25, 2022Faculty of Engineering, Design & Technology, News, Students, UCU AlumniPatty Huston-Holm

Joseph Aliganyira with his family - Brenda, Eleorah and Elliana — Joseph Aliganyira with his family – Brenda, Eleorah and Elliana

By Joseph Lagen
As a student of Bachelor of Computer Science at Uganda Christian University (UCU), Joseph Aliganyira learned how to design websites. He perfected the skill so much so that he soon became the go-to person regarding website design at the university. Before he knew it, Aliganyira had many websites to his credit, including more than 10 for tour and travel companies.

In November 2017, seven years after graduating from UCU with a BSc in Computer Science, Aliganyira put the information he garnered while developing websites into practice by starting his own tour company. On January 24, 2018, he launched the company under the name Kubwa Five Safaris.

Kubwa is a Kiswahili word for “Big.” Aliganyira chose the name Big because his intention was to showcase Africa’s Big Five Animals – the Elephant, Lion, Leopard, African Buffalo and the Rhinocerous. The business also has packages for visitors to track Mountain Gorillas and Chimpanzees.

Kubwa Five Safaris offers tour programs for guests seeking to explore the East African countries of Uganda, Kenya, Tanzania and Rwanda as well as tours across southern Africa – Zambia, Botswana, Zimbabwe, Namibia and South Africa.

Despite the beating that global tour companies took from the Covid-19 pandemic, Aliganyira and his eco-tourism company seemed to have stood head and shoulders above the competition in 2021.

Kubwa Five Safari clients at Hell’s Gate National Park, south of Lake Naivasha in Kenya.

On October 14, 2021, the International Trade Council announced Kubwa Five Safaris as a Top Placer for Tourism and Hospitality in the 2021 Go Global Awards. Kubwa also was awarded as a Tourism Industry Leader by MEA MARKETS in the African Business Excellence Awards and got a nomination as a Top Hospitality Company in Africa by Lifney – a UK-based Travel media company.

So, how did he manage to perform well in a year where Covid-19 ravaged the world? The secret, Aliganyira says, lies in walking the talk of eco-tourism.

“Kubwa Five Safaris is dedicated to responsible travel,” he says. “We have partnered with established non-for-profit foundations to help our travelers give back to the community by engaging in and giving part of their proceeds to tree planting in Kyanika village, Fort Portal in western Uganda. This helps us to reduce our carbon footprint, while building cultural awareness.”

He says he creates opportunities for his clients to interact with and buy items from locals. “Our packages ensure that several local businesses get to be showcased – which is a great way to ensure that our clients’ money gets to benefit the community,” he said.

He says he is able to pull off such initiatives because his motive for being in this kind of business is not driven by profits.

Kubwa Five Safari clients watching a zebra at Hell's Gate National Park — Kubwa Five Safari clients watching a zebra at Hell’s Gate National Park

“Thanks to my time at UCU, I learned that as a Christian, I can worship God through the quality of my work,” he said. “I have committed to doing exactly that, with Kubwa Five Safaris and my computer skills.”

At UCU, Aliganyira was a member of the Mustard Seed – one of the choirs at the institution. Through mission and outreach ministry, Aliganyira’s understanding of service of God was widened beyond the four walls of the church.

“As a computer science student, one of my highlights was successfully developing a digital map of UCU using Geographic Information Systems and Google Earth Applications,” Aliganyira recalls about his undergraduate academic project. “It did not only emerge the best – but it was also a first within the university.”

The smile that Aliganyira often wears plays a key role in concealing the challenges that he and his business go through.

For instance, not every hotel or lodge provides the high level of excellence in service that Aliganyira would want his client to experience.

Kubwa Five Safaris, now four years old, offers packages for wildlife safaris, gorilla and chimpanzee trekking, cultural and nature walks, city tours, mountain hiking trips, bungee jumping, white water rafting, boat rides for water adventure, birding safaris, honeymoon and anniversary trips.

Aliganyira is married to Brenda, a UCU Bachelor of Industrial and Fine Art alum who teaches at UCU. The couple has three children – two girls, Eleorah and Ellianiah, and a boy, Eloy.

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