Students waiting for vaccination at the sports department at UCU.
Story and photos by Yasiri J. Kasango As of early September, 50 Uganda Christian University (UCU) students who participate in sports had received their Covid-19 jabs.
The vaccination administration for nearly all UCU students on sports teams took place on the Mukono campus to enable these students to participate in the forthcoming major leagues in the disciplines of basketball, football, volleyball and netball. Some of leagues were expected to start as early as mid-September.
Speaking about the vaccination that was conducted by the Mukono district health officials, in conjunction with the university health team, Dr. Geoffrey Mulindwa, the Director of Medical Services at UCU, said the university management chose to prioritize sports students to protect them against the pandemic.
“They come into contact with so many other people during the games and, to ensure their safety, they were prioritized in the vaccination,” Mulindwa said.
He advised both students and staff members who have not yet gone for the Covid-19 vaccination to do so. Many of the vaccination centers in the country are giving priority to teachers, non-teaching staff and students who are 18 years and above because government has pegged the re-opening of schools to sufficient vaccination.
Uganda started vaccination on March 10, but many people have not been able to get their jabs because of the few vaccines available. By the end of August, reports indicated that 1,376,986 doses of Covid-19 vaccines had been administered, especially to priority groups of teachers, non-teaching staff in schools, journalists, security personnel, medical workers and people with underlying comorbidities.
Out of those, 977,889 people had received their first jabs and 399,097 have completed their two doses. Uganda has 44 million residents.
Students filling out consent forms before receiving the Covid-19 jabs.As of early September, 50 Uganda Christian University (UCU) students who participate in sports had received their Covid-19 jabs.
The Mukono district malaria focal person, James Kawesa, who represented the district medical team at the vaccination at UCU, said people can only get back to their pre-Covid lives if the population gets vaccinated.
The UCU vaccinated students welcomed the initiative. Faith Apio, a student pursuing the Diploma in Business Administration and a member of the university’s female football team, the Lady Cardinals, said she sought vaccination in order to protect herself and others on the pitch.
Cranmer Wamala, a third-year student of Bachelor of Human Rights, Peace and Humanitarian Intervention and a basketballer on the UCU Canons team, noted that he was eager to receive the vaccination so he can remain on the school team.
He also noted that seeking vaccination would help him to continue with his studies.
Samuel David Lukaire, the head of the university’s sports department, said many of the national leagues were expected to start in mid-September.
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Student leaders from different institutions of learning participate in the dialogue in UCU’s Principals Hall.
By Eriah Lule The Uganda Christian University (UCU) Vice Chancellor has asked government and schools to follow the online learning path that his institution has taken in order to reduce effects of covid-related lockdowns on studies. As of late September 2021, Uganda has had two lockdowns occasioned by a spike in the coronavirus positivity rate in the country. Each lockdown has included the shutting of in-person learning in schools.
UCU Vice Chancellor Prof. Aaron Mushengyezi is urging institutions to consider a rigorous shift towards online distance learning and service delivery so that future lockdowns do not affect operations and learning.
“We have invested in infrastructure of electronic learning and have something to share with other institutions,” he said, adding that such a move will not only keep students from lagging behind because of the pandemic but also enable them to continue studying on their own time.
With Uganda’s second 2021 lockdown in June, many institutions of higher learning, as well as elementary schools remain closed. Only a handful, including UCU, have continued with classes, through electronic means.
Last year, the government shut down schools in March and only opened for in-person learning for final-year learners seven months later. It was not until March this year that schools were opened for in-person learning, only to be closed again three months later.
Mushengyezi emphasized UCU’s commitment to “pioneer in innovation and learning with community outreach.”
He spoke during a recent virtual dialogue to discuss the impact of Covid-19 on academic institutions. The virtual event was held at UCU’s Principals Hall on the main campus in Mukono.
The dialogue, which brought together national and international organizations, was organised by the UCU Alumni Association together with the university’s Student Guild and in partnership with external organizations. The European Union (EU), Uganda’s Ministry of Gender, Labor and Social Development and ActionAid were among the organisations that participated in the event.
Online dialogues are part of the activities that the UCU alumni association is embarking on as part of its community engagement activities.
One of the panelists in the dialogue, Rose Namayanja, a former Ugandan minister and the current deputy secretary general of the ruling National Resistance Movement party, said many students have dropped out of school as a result of the lockdown. She said the Government was working at developing sustainable digital learning structures for schools in the country.
Rose Namayanja, a former Ugandan minister and the current deputy secretary general of the ruling National Resistance Movement party, speaks during the dialogue session.
“Many students have resorted to hawking, others have succumbed to forced marriages and teenage pregnancies, due to the lack of digital structures to keep them studying during lockdowns,” Namayanja noted.
The UCU Alumni Association General Secretary, Julius Oboth, urged government to provide soft loans to schools so they can make plans to re-open. He also rooted for tax holidays for all private education institutions, calling on government never to close schools again because such a move “cripples the education sector.”
Ezra Byakutangaza, the president of the student leaders in Uganda, urged government to initiate loan schemes to enable students to purchase learning tools such as laptops, which are needed in online learning. This, Byakutangaza said, would ease the burden on schools that are unable to afford computers for every student.
Elizabeth Ongom, a representative from the European Union in Uganda, said the EU is in the process of drafting projects that will inspire innovative practices for the education sector not only in Uganda, but the whole of Africa.
In order to keep children in school, Naiga Shuburah Kasozi, a representative from Uganda’s Ministry of Gender, Labor and Social Development, called for concerted efforts from all stakeholders.
“It’s not only the Government, but everyone’s responsibility to keep children in school,” she said. “So we should de-campaign actions that push our children out of school as the Government is finds a better plan for them to study.’
UCU Guild President Agaba Kenneth Amponda reminded people participating in the dialogue that a conversation about schools without factoring in the other people who benefit from its operation was an incomplete discussion. He argued that by opening schools, security personnel, chefs in catering departments, cleaners, and other people who provide support services in schools will also be able to find employment.
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Eng. Rev. Paul Wasswa Ssembiro in his office at UCU
With the negative stigma attached to testing positive for Covid-19 in Uganda, it takes courage to confess publicly that one has contracted the virus. Despite the wrongfully imposed shame, some Ugandans are courageous enough to tell their experience, reminding others with Covid to have hope and encourage all to follow Covid safety guidelines. The Rev. Eng Paul Wasswa Ssembiro, the Chaplain of Uganda Christian University (UCU), is one such courageous person. Ssembiro contracted Covid in November 2020. He narrates to Eriah Lule his ordeal with the virus and how God helped him overcome it.
By Rev. Eng. Paul Wasswa Ssembiro as told to Eriah Lule I don’t know how Dr. Geoffrey Mulindwa (UCU’s Director of Medical Services) referred to me, but I am sure I was “Covid-19 Patient 001.” I don’t have a clue of where or when I contracted the virus. But I got it.
I began to be conscious about some sort of infection when I started feeling general body weakness and pain in the joints. The joint pain was unusual because I used to jog every day, to beat off fatigue. The symptoms were akin to those I got whenever I suffered from malaria. On this Saturday, I discovered that I had developed a dry cough. I was uneasy because I had to lead the church service the following day. So, I sought immediate medical attention at the Allan Galpin Health Center, the university clinic.
Eng. Rev. Paul Wasswa preaches during community worship in Nkoyoyo Hall.
I had a throbbing headache, which seemed to be localized just slightly above my ears. I took painkillers and even took too many at some point and out of despair. But, to no avail. I must confess that I struggled with denial and self- pity, saying to myself “I can’t be infected.” Soon, I reached out to Dr. Mulindwa,who gave me a referral to Mengo Hospital, an Anglican Church-founded hospital in Kampala. Mengo. It is affiliated with UCU.
When I got to the hospital, I met a doctor whose team noticed my agony. They administered a diclofenac (anti-inflammatory drug) injection that relieved my pain a bit. Several medical tests ensued: Lung scanning, heart-echo tests, blood count tests and finally, a test that I dreaded the most – the Covid-19 PCR test.
I was admitted to the hospital and immediately given intravenous injections for pneumonia, and pain killers. When the Covid results returned, the doctor told me I could not go home. They had confirmed I was positive for coronavirus.
They told me my lungs were in a crucial state. They sent doctors to counsel me, because the hospital did not have the facility for treatment of Covid-19 patients. My spirits sunk. I was distraught.
I was referred to Mulago National Referral Hospital. Anxiety caused me to unduly feel stigmatized in the process because I seemed like a problem Mengo was trying to rid itself of as soon as possible. But, thankfully, God gave strength to my wife who stood firmly in faith, for me, that all would be well.
Eng Rev. Paul Wasswa preaches at a seminar
Before admission at Mulago, I was sprayed with chlorine that soaked my clothes. The experience was irritating and traumatizing. It was an uncomfortable and painful wait of nearly two hours, before I was taken to my admission room. Eagerly awaiting a bath, having spent 24 hours without one, I was alarmed there wasn’t any I could have.
But God granted me divine favor. It was a Friday morning. A nurse walked in to check on patients who had been admitted the previous evening. She was a UCU alumna. She knew me. God used her to get me to a better ward, where I got a private room, with certain privileges such as accessing fruits to make juice and immunity-boosting concoctions from lemon and ginger, among other foods.
I also met a young man, also a patient, but in a better state than I was. He had known me as clergy from the church conventions I attended. “Pastor, you are my responsibility now,” he told me, with a smile. He started bringing me salads and hot water, until the day he was discharged. However, before he left, he asked colleagues at the hospital to take care of my meals and make sure I was comfortable.
The healing hand of the Lord was with me; my body responded well to medication. Six days after admission, when the Director of Mulago Hospital was moving around the ward, he entered my room. When he saw me, he said: “You are not supposed to be here. There are worse cases than you are. We should be discharging you soon.”
This was good news, to me, from a person who had a bigger picture of the virus. My fellow patients would later tell me I looked better than when I was admitted into the facility. I began doing mild physical exercises. My breath was improving. Finally, on the December 4, 2020, I was discharged.
While I still battle with side effects, such as high blood pressure, occasionally, I bless the Lord for healing me. Of course, my Christian ministry was disrupted; plans got sabotaged. Matter of fact, the whole chaplaincy office was closed to control the spread of the virus, as well as my leadership responsibilities quelled. But, we still bless God for His faithfulness.
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John Semakula (center) after receiving the file for his new office from Uganda Christian University’s (UCU) outgoing head of journalism, Dr. Emilly Maractho (left). At right is the Dean of the UCU Faculty of Journalism, Media and Communication, Prof. Monica Chibita.
By Joseph Lagen Veteran journalist John Semakula has been appointed the new head of the Department of Journalism and Media Studies at Uganda Christian University (UCU).
Semakula takes on the role within the university’s Faculty of Journalism, Media and Communication from Dr. Emily Maractho who is now the Director of the university’s Africa Policy Centre (APC). The APC grooms policy researchers and political thinkers and provides a platform for learning and discussion of modern-day issues.
Semakula, an award-winning journalist, said of his new appointment: “This new position is a great opportunity for me to use the skills and experience I have built over the last 13 years in journalism practice to serve my alma mater.”
He noted that he is well aware of the huge responsibility of the new office. One of Semakula’s objectives is to double the number of students within the Department. Currently, 150 new students are admitted to the course every year.
The second more important objective is about competence and quality. Having quality, competent journalism graduates from UCU, Semakula believes, will help to safeguard the journalism profession.
Semakula’s first relationship with UCU was in 2003, when he joined the institution as a student of Bachelor of Mass Communication. When he completed his course, the university retained him, to work as part of the inaugural team for a community newspaper, The Standard, that the university had established. He served as a writer at the newspaper from 2007 to 2009.
While at UCU both as a student and staff of The Standard, Semakula often contributed articles to Uganda’s Daily Monitor newspaper because he saw the platform as one which could offer him the opportunity to cut his professional teeth.
In 2010, Semakula joined Uganda’s leading daily newspaper, the New Vision, to practice journalism at a more competitive level.
John Semakula (center) and his former colleagues at New Vision – Charles Wendo (left) and Esther Namugoji (right) on the Uganda Christian University main campus in Mukono. Both Wendo and Namugoji are former editors at the newspaper.
“At the New Vision, I quickly grew through the ranks, becoming a Senior Writer only two years later,” he said. “This kind of promotion usually takes journalists over 20 years.”
In 2016, Semakula enrolled at UCU to pursue a Master of Journalism and Media Studies.
“I studied the MA program and graduated within the stipulated period of two years,” Semakula recalls. Alongside his graduate studies, Semakula still kept his job at New Vision, and, by this time, he had also started teaching at UCU on a part-time basis.
Semakula was introduced to teaching by the present dean of the Faculty of Journalism, Media and Communication, Prof. Monica Chibita, whom he met at an awards ceremony in 2014. A month after the ceremony, Semakula reached out to her through a phone call, expressing his desire to teach at UCU.
“Prof. Chibita is good at identifying talent,” Semakula said. “I guess she noticed my ability at the awards ceremony.”
Upon passing the interview, Semakula started out as a Teaching Assistant in the Department of Mass Communication. He handled course units related to writing news and feature stories.
“The New Vision had a busy newsroom, but I would always find time on Saturdays and Mondays when I was off duty, to teach at UCU,” Semakula says. He had eight teaching hours every week at UCU, which he would execute in the two days he was off duty.
“I often planned my teaching materials and marked course works and exams at night.” Semakula says.
The extra work served to energize Semakula who maintained his productivity and increased his accolades at New Vision. In 2017, he was winner of the Uganda WASH Media Awards in the Print Investigative Category – an honor he won alongside Ronald Mugabe, another New Vision acclaimed print journalist. In the same year, Semakula was a finalist for the Africa Centre for Media Excellence (ACME) Awards in the Justice, Law and Order category.
In bestowing the accolade, the judges said of his article: “It (the article) went beyond the numbers to investigate how population distribution could be used to predict the winner of the 2016 presidential election and to trace voting patterns. It was only one of a handful of news reports in 2014 that analysed the census data to understand Uganda’s current political climate and future voting trends.”
In the same year, he was a co-writer for the winning stories in the Business, Finance and Economy and the National News – Print categories for the same awards.
By the time he put down his pen in preference for the chalk as a full-time occupation, Semakula had won more than seven journalism awards.
Despite his career achievements, Semakula thinks he still has a mountain to climb.
“At a personal level, I want to get a PhD in media and communication in the next four years,” he says. For the faculty, he envisions the revival of The Standard newspaper, which was a victim of cost-cutting measures in the university as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic.
Presently, the faculty is creating the university’s epaper, The Standard Digital, a multi-media platform that is a direct response to the changing patterns of consumption of information.
“At UCU, we equip students with the skills that the market wants. So, through The Standard Digital and UCU’s social media platforms, I will make sure that our graduates get the digital skills needed for the times,” Semakula remarked.
Alongside his teaching career, Semakula also contributes articles to two foreign news-sites – Religion Unplugged in the US and the Sight in Australia. Semakula also is the Communications Coordinator at Uganda Partners – a U.S.-based organisation that raises awareness about UCU.
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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Lauren Elaine Nagy graduated with a Bachelor’s of Science in Nursing from Messiah College, Pennsylvania, in May 2021. Courtesy photo
By Jimmy Siyasa In September 2021, the Kennedy Krieger Institute in Baltimore, Maryland, welcomes a new staff member with Ugandan experience. Lauren Elaine Nagy, hired to be a nurse in the Pediatric Inpatient Rehab Unit, was part of the Uganda Studies Program (USP) at Uganda Christian University in 2018.
Nagy’s employment follows her May 2021 graduation with a Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree from the Messiah College in Pennsylvania and certification as a Registered Nurse. She most recently was a health care provider at a Christian summer camp, Woodcrest Retreat.
Lauren and her family shortly after her graduation. Courtesy photo
Two years before the Covid-19 pandemic, Nagy traveled more than 7,000 miles away from her home as part of the American students who went to UCU for a four-month study abroad program. The trip was under the USP, a two-decades-old program that earlier this year shifted from the Council for Christian Colleges and Universities to under the administrative umbrella of the non-profit, UCU Partners, headquartered in Pennsylvania.
While at UCU, Lauren and other USP colleagues were part of the Global Health Emphasis (GHE). GHE provides an opportunity for students pursuing biomedical and public health-related disciplines to complete global health coursework and international field internship in Uganda.
Lauren Elaine Nagy. Courtesy photo
The USP affords international students an education within an African context. In addition to studies on the UCU Mukono campus, students get a chance to make trips to different parts of Uganda, visit the Equator and sometimes have a 10-day excursion to Rwanda. Some of the students live in the student dormitories on campus, while others are attached to host families.
For Nagy, nothing about UCU stands out more than the institution’s “commitment to integrating faith into all aspects of education.” She says it “created an atmosphere that pushed me to grow in my faith in more ways than I could have expected.”
While on homestay, Nagy lived with a Ugandan family about five minutes away from the university campus. Her camaraderie quickly acclimatized her to the Ugandan culture of the family of Robert Kibirango and Esther Nakato. In fact, she takes pride in the name Nakiryowa (Luganda word for a type of tree) that the family bestowed on her.
She has fond memories of the days she was involved in domestic work that included a unique way of peeling bananas. Clearly, the trip to Uganda gave her another family in addition to her biological one in Pennsylvania. Nagy is the daughter of Daniel Alan Nagy and Karen Lynn Nagy.
“We spent time wandering through fields, exploring plants and anthills, feeding the new calf, picking fresh beans from the garden, and cooking dinner together. It was a beautifully simple time with my family,” she recalls, saying she has continued to keep in touch with the family of Kibirango.
Nagy highly recommends that American university students consider the UCU experience.
“As many people as possible should experience the transformational growth that I did,” Nagy, who attended Chippewa High School in Doylestown, said.
She lauds UCU for the fusion of faith and books in the grooming of nurses because it enables them to dispense care, compassion and comfort. The culture of faith at UCU seemed to rhyme with Nagy’s sole goal in life – living in the center of God’s will for my life and glorifying Him to the fullest.
“It makes me happy to know that such an excellent school as UCU is producing hard-working, highly capable, Christian health care providers to send out into the communities and serve people as the hands and feet of Christ,” she says.
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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Denis Kutesa (behind) sharing a light moment with his classmates during their internship at Mukono General hospital. Courtesy photo.
By Eriah Lule The life of Uganda Christian University (UCU) graduate Denis Kutesa is punctuated by a job where he was forced to take two lives to one where he is saving them. He’s most recently a nurse but formerly a security guard.
His is a tale of losing and regaining hope. His school cycle took a seven-year break because of finances. Kutesa’s father, Simon Nsubuga, who had been meeting his tuition requirements, suddenly lost his job when Kutesa had just completed his A’level. The year was 2009.
For the next seven years, Kutesa went through a storm. He survived the downpour by working as a guard, a primary school teacher – anything and everything to survive. Some of the odd jobs he did were a stark contrast for someone who not long before had attended some of Uganda’s elite schools.
Kutesa, who has freshly completed a Bachelor of Nursing Science course at UCU, studied at St. Mary’s College, Kisubi for O’level and Kibuli Secondary School for A’level. For his primary education, Kutesa attended Nkumba Primary School. All four schools are in central Uganda.
When his father lost his job and was no longer able to meet the tuition requirements of his children, Kutesa left home to seek a livelihood elsewhere. He reasoned that it was not wise for him to stay home, to compete for the little resources that his father and mother – Florence Nakalema – came across. Kutesa relocated to Kampala, where he was employed as a security guard.
“Although the payment was low, I was determined to work and establish myself,’’ he said.
Denis Kutesa inside one of the wards at Mukono General Hospital during his internship. Courtesy photo
In order to start earning sh150,000 (about $40), Kutesa had to endure training sessions under extremely harsh conditions. Worse yet, during that period, they were entitled to only one meal a day. Kutesa endured the training with good performance. He was relocated from Kampala to Masaka, a district in central Uganda. In Masaka, Kutesa mostly guarded banks.
Around the Christmas season of 2014, he was moved from the bank to guard a depot of the soft drink manufacturer – Coca-Cola. During the Christmas festivities, the demand for soda usually goes up and many of the areas are undersupplied. Thieves know this fact and, on the eve of the 2014 Christmas Day, they attacked the depot that Kutesa was guarding. In the battle with five thieves, he was forced to shoot, leaving two dead. Three others fled on a bodaboda.
That incident traumatized Kutesa to the point that his work place had to relocate him to another station in a neighboring district. There, his monthly salary increased to sh200,000 (about $56). However, due to tough working conditions and trauma from taking lives, Kutesa did not last at his new station, later switching to teaching in a primary school although he did not have the official credentials.
In 2016, Kutesa reunited with his father whom he had not seen ever since he left home in 2009. The financial situation at home had changed for the better. Nsubuga beseeched Kutesa to return to school – and that he was ready to meet the tuition requirements.
After consultations, Kutesa found himself applying for a Bachelor of Science in Nursing at UCU. He wanted to be in a career that gave people better lives instead of taking them. While out of school for seven years, that did not reflect in the performance of Kutesa. There is no UCU semester where his GPA was below 4.0 of 5.0.
He says pursuing his course at UCU made it easy for him to get internship placements since the institution is highly respected. Now that he has completed an internship, Kutesa hopes to pursue a post-graduate course so he can specialize in nursing education or midwifery.
As he heads to the hospital wards as his new work station, Kutesa is fully aware that he needs to be strong enough to tolerate anything and soft enough to understand every patient he will work on.
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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Story and Photos by Jimmy Siyasa It was a hot Tuesday afternoon. But the energy with which the medical workers carried out their duties made one think the afternoon heat was only in the mind.
“Right now, we are from the post-natal ward and from administering the 2 p.m. medicine to new mothers in the ward,” says one of the medical practitioners. She also had been assisting midwives as they helped mothers deliver.
This is the routine of Sonia Aturinda, a third-year student pursuing a Bachelor of Nursing Science, at Uganda Christian University (UCU). She is at the Mukono General Hospital, where she is on a three-month internship.
Sonia sanitizes her hands after attending to a patient inside the post-natal ward at Mukono General Hospital.
As an intern in the post-natal ward at the hospital, Aturinda is charged with offering maternal and neo-natal care services – mostly administration of medicine to new mothers.
However, because of her excellent performance, her responsibilities have expanded to sometimes offering umbilical cord care, counsel to new mothers, providing family planning advice and, occasionally, assisting midwives in executing deliveries.
Aturinda said she is on internship at the hospital with 23 other colleagues of hers in the same class.
Every morning, Aturinda walks from her hostel, located about 500 metres (about 1/3 mile) from the hospital and only returns after about seven hours. Sometimes, she works on Saturdays, too.
For Aturinda, her service, though unpaid, is more than just a mere mandatory three-month internship ritual that she must fulfil to merit a university degree. She is living her passion. And she tries her best to be the nurse she would want as a patient.
“I have passion for the medical field, especially being directly engaged with patients during their lowest and most vulnerable moment, so that I am able to support them through their recovery,” she says, adding: “I like the counseling session, especially when I am comforting and encouraging the patients.”
Sonia Aturinda stands at the entrance of the Mukono General Hospital Maternity Department at the end of her morning shift.
In May, the World Health Organisation (WHO) Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus told the WHO annual assembly that many medical workers became infected with Covid-19 during 18 months of work to save “countless lives and fought for others who, despite their best efforts have slipped away.”
So, looking at the statistics of health workers who have succumbed to Covid-19, does being in the wards bother Aturinda?
“Of course, it does, but I just need to have faith and be strong, while maintaining the Standard Operating Procedures that have been put in place for us to keep safe,” she says, noting that patients must be attended to.
While there was debate on whether or not nursing students should continue with their internships, especially during a time when the second wave of the Covid-19 had peaked and the number of deaths increased, the UCU administration decided that students whose internships were in progress by the time of lockdown could safely carry on.
The university reasoned that termination of the training would prove counterproductive, especially for finalists.
Upon reaching a consensus with students, the Vice Chancellor, Prof. Aaron Mushengyezi, issued a memo, giving the greenlight to the internship.
The head of the Nursing and Midwifery Department, Mrs. Elizabeth Nagudi Situma, believes their deployment is a blessing in disguise because they are adding to the national taskforce, given the shortage of health workers in the country. She said working during the peak of the pandemic offers the students a rare opportunity to learn the management of highly infectious diseases.
However, Nagudi and the Vice Chancellor say the students are always reminded to observe safety protocols.
Aturinda says the main challenge they face is insufficiency or delayed delivery of the Personal Protective Equipment (PPEs). This includes gloves, which makes attending to HIV-positive mothers delivering or at the post-natal unit a challenge.
Aturinda is looking forward to her graduation in 2022, after which she intends to pursue a post-graduate diploma in gynecology, to buttress her love for the field of maternal child care and reproductive health – her childhood dream.
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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The Rev. Jessica Hughes, lecturer and online learning leader
By Joseph Lagen Behind her glasses, the Rev. Jessica Hughes’ eyes carry a glint to escort her warm, inviting smile. She is a missionary serving at Uganda Christian University (UCU), Mukono, under the Society of Anglican Missionaries and Senders (SAMS) – an organisation based in the USA state of Pennsylvania.
The Rev. Hughes was recently appointed the head of the university’s Online Distance Learning (ODL) department – more commonly known to its students as eLearning and via one of its preferred teaching platforms, Moodle. The cleric inherited the role under unfortunate circumstances, after the covid-related death of Dorothy Mukasa, the former head of UCU’s eLearning department.
“It is an honour to serve in this capacity,” Hughes says. “I was a member of the committee that launched ODL in 2020.” She added that it is a pleasure for her to continue implementing and expanding virtual learning in her expanded leadership role.
The expansion and shift were timely. When the Covid-19 pandemic struck, education institutions were closed in March 2020. It was only seven months later that the schools were allowed to open for physical learning, but only for final-year students. In March 2021, the rest of the learners were allowed physically back in school. However, three months later, a Covid-19 second wave led to increase in the number of infections and deaths, leading to another shutdown of in-person classes at education institutions.
Thanks to the ODL department, UCU was one of the few Ugandan schools where learning quickly shifted online.
The woman of the cloth is a UCU alum. Being a former student and current lecturer in the University’s Bishop Tucker School of Divinity and Theology gives Rev. Hughes an ideal vantage point for her new task.
“From 2009 to 2011, I studied at Uganda Christian University, where I received my Master of Divinity,” she says.
This was the second graduate degree of the Virginia-USA-born missionary. In 2005, she earned her first Master’s degree in Human Performance Systems at the Marymount University based in Arlington, Virginia.
Hughes’ undergraduate degree in psychology came from the George Mason University, Fairfax, Virginia in 1992. She also possesses a 1993 certificate as a legal assistant from the George Washington University in the neighbouring Washington, D.C. area.
Her academic pursuits continue. Hughes is a candidate for a doctorate degree. “I enrolled in a PhD programme at the University of South Africa in 2014.” She is currently awaiting the results of her dissertation.
With all this training, one wonders how Hughes chose the missionary path, let alone being a clergywoman. She, too, had her reservations.
“I never wanted to go to Africa,” Hughes reveals in her eponymous blog.
“In fact, in my high school discipleship group of 12, 11 wanted to go to Africa as missionaries,” Hughes says, noting that she preferred to pray for them as they came to Africa.
“I now think that God was just tapping His watch (and probably chuckling), telling me to wait and see.”
The “about” page on the jessicahughes blog succinctly narrates her journey into study and service within Uganda – particularly UCU.
“My bishop, the Rt. Rev. John Guernsey, had suggested that I study abroad for my M.Div., and then suggested Uganda, since my home church (All Saints Anglican in Woodbridge, Virginia) had come under the Church of Uganda when we left the Episcopal Church.” Hughes says Guernsey then casually suggested that she remain and minister there after graduation.
Hughes has ministered from the pulpit of the Thornycroft Chapel at UCU. On weekdays, you are sure to find her either lecturing theology students or responding to queries of students or staff members using the online learning platforms.
Learning online comes with its challenges – and those are before the challenges specific to a developing country like Uganda are considered. UCU has a mission to be a centre of excellence in the heart of Africa. Yet, in her online spaces and world over, Africa is faced with a threat to excellence in education – degree mills.
Degree mills are fraudulent institutions that pedal “accelerated” degrees, some from legitimate schools. They promise certification within absurdly short periods. Because of degree mills, some people walk with both undergraduate and graduate degree transcripts attained within under a week. The growth of the Internet has helped to spread the scourge of degree mills. How does the ODL department plan to nip this in the bud with regard to UCU?
“One of the things I am grateful for is that UCU does take education seriously,” the reverend says, noting that the deans and faculties work hard to ensure that the curricula are up-to-date and that the lecturers follow the curricula.
“Within eLearning, we are working with the faculties to ensure that they are posting their materials well: Posting recorded lectures, current readings and creating opportunities for community engagement.”
She says they do not want the platform to become a content dump, but rather a place full of learning resources and collaboration.
Hughes’ strategy for the near future is to “solidify UCU networks and hardware,” which she and her team are already working on.
“I want us to overhaul our understanding of pedagogy (teaching methods),” she said. “We need to move from a teacher-based instruction model to a learner-based one. This will change how we approach online and blended education.”
With such a daunting task, it is an asset that Hughes has made Uganda her home. And she has no plans of returning to the U.S. permanently.
“I am happy serving at UCU, and I will remain, as long as the Lord and the community will have me,” notes Hughes. She says her mission in life is to teach and disciple those who teach and disciple.
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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The Rangers at the Source of River Nile in Jinja, Uganda. Courtesy photo.
By Jimmy Siyasa and Lule Eriah While growing up, the idea of Christian ministry on the ground in Africa did not cross the minds of Americans Richard Ranger and his wife, Catherine. But, as adults and later in life, two main incidents made the couple start pondering such a mission that now has them living on the Uganda Christian University (UCU) campus in Mukono.
First, it was a 2017 call by a friend, Prof. Brian Dennison, who, like the Rangers, also is a former Society of Anglicans Missionaries and Senders (SAMS) missionary and, like Richard, a Law lecturer at UCU. Dennison, then moved back to the United States with his family, reminded the couple that their love for the university as Washington, D.C., hosts for Ugandans had been noticed and that many students spoke highly of them.
The Rangers gave a thought to Dennison’s suggestion that they might consider doing more. They also consulted with Mark Bartels, the Executive Director of UCU Partners. After this consultation and prayer, they were still not yet persuaded.
The second thing to happen was an invitation extended to them by a UCU alumnus, friend and lecturer – Arnold Agaba – to serve at the institution. That, along with more prayer, sealed the deal.
The house where the Rangers reside at Tech Park in UCU. Courtesy photo.
“We came to UCU in particular, when Agaba Arnold offered us a specific role in the Faculty of Law,” says Catherine Ranger, who, like her husband, has a law degree. “It was a huge affirmation of our call.”
Soon, it was time to prepare for travel. This should have been easy because during Richard’s 43-year career, he worked at three different organizations, meaning the family had to relocate whenever he got a new employer.
This time around, though, there were added challenges. Richard Ranger had a brief bout with cancer. They had to be Covid vaccinated. And the Rangers were travelling to a country, Uganda, that was in a lockdown because of a pandemic surge.
“All the challenges, such as the Covid lockdown, Richard’s cancer, raising money for the support that came after making our decision and committing to coming, were viewed as bumps on the road, not demands to turn aside,” Catherine Ranger says.
Indeed, on their journey, more bumps emerged. For instance, the Rangers missed their flights at some point. However, whenever that happened, they had people who God used to come to their rescue. For instance, when they missed their flight from Dulles twice, they were hosted by a friend while their travel agent re-ticketed them at a subsidized rate.
When they landed in Uganda on June 20, 2021, their U.S. friends had made the necessary travel arrangement for them from Entebbe to Mukono. Together with their dog, Trooper, the Rangers were ushered into aduplex unit, at a section of the university called Tech Park.
Richard says that it is the prayers, encouragement, mentorship and financial support of friends that have sustained them.
A week into their stay at UCU, Richard, 69, and Catherine, 64, celebrated their 43rd wedding anniversary. Their intention is to celebrate five of more such anniversaries in Uganda.
The benevolence of Richard and Catherine towards UCU is new on the ground but not new overall. In 2004, their friend, Dr. Mary Seagull from the United States Aid for International Development (USAID), persuaded the mission community at All Saints Church Chevy Chase in Washington, D.C., to give scholarships to nursing students at UCU. The Rangers were part of this church and they participated in the charity.
Five years later, through the Uganda Partners, they supported UCU students who were to compete in the Jessup International Law Moot Court Competitions in the US. The Jessup moot court competition is the oldest and largest in the world, attracting participants from close to 700 law schools in more than 90 countries.
“We had one free room and a sofa set and accepted to house three of the students from the team,” Catherine said.
The following year, they housed another team that had travelled for the moot court competitions, for two weeks.
Currently, Catherine serves as an administrator at the John Sentamu Institute for Human Rights and Humanitarian Law, an affiliate of the UCU Faculty of Law. Richard, on the other hand, shares his more than two-decade experience in the oil and gas industry with students and staff in both Law and the UCU School of Business. Richard will assist as a lecturer and advisor to students in the graduate programs in oil and gas, and energy in the Faculty of Law as well as some teaching/consulting role with the School of Business.
He also hopes to tap the knowledge of his professional colleagues back at home in the U.S. via online distance lectures so they can supplement his contribution.
In his work with the students, Richard envisages helping them to integrate questions relating to the economic development of the oil resource, the conservation of the surrounding environment, and the concerns and interests of stakeholders whom the project may affect, to be able to make informed recommendations to her clients or her management.
The beating that many education institutions have gotten from the Covid-19 pandemic has led to the adoption of virtual, as well as blended learning. Richard believes there is a contribution he can make on that front, too. Prior to his retirement, his last employer, the American Petroleum Institute, begun to increase its use of remote teleconferencing – skills Richard has carried into his retirement activities.
“Since my retirement, I have been actively participating in remote teleconferencing by Zoom, Skype, and Microsoft Teams for attendance at professional symposia, a project working group comprised of fellow graduates of my undergraduate alma mater, Dartmouth College,” he says.
He believes that virtual communication is a necessary and useful tool in learning across the distances of Uganda and the world.
For the next five years, the couple targets to contribute what they have learned and experienced in their different careers and in the 43 years of marriage and service to God. The couple also hopes to assist UCU’s law and business programs to educate Christian professionals hoping they buttress their careers with the university’s five values of Christ-centeredness, diligence, integrity, servanthood and stewardship.
For the time they will be at UCU, the couple says they will rely on prayer and financial support from generous friends, donors and churches back in the U.S. They do not see giving up on the mission as an option.
Both Catherine and Ricard graduated from law school, but have never practiced law. Catherine graduated from the University of Colorado in 1983. Richard graduated from the University of Denver in 1977. The couple has one adult child, Owen Ranger.
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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Veronica Rachel Nakkonde with one of her friends at Mulago Hospital. Courtesy Photo
By Eriah Lule The love for her profession more often than not makes this 25-year-old nurse forget her shift has ended, and, therefore, she should head home. Her name is Veronica Rachael Nakkonde and her level of devotion is just like founder of modern nursing Florence Nightingale would put it “as hard a preparation, as any painter’s work.”
Many of the patients Nakkonde meets, she may never see again. But that does not affect the way she treats them – like kin.
Veronica at work at one of the AAR branches. Photo by Eriah Lule
“I am humbled to have Veronica on our team. She does everything wholeheartedly,” Dr. Isaac Kintu, Nakkonde’s supervisor at the Africa Air Rescue (ARR), a health service provider, said. “No wonder all our clinics want to feel her services.”
Nakkonde, a 2019 graduate of Uganda Christian University (UCU) with a Bachelor of Nursing Science, has a reputation of remarkable management and treatment of patients. This gets her on rotational duty at the various branches of AAR in Kampala, Uganda – something that does not happen with all her nurse colleagues.
“I can’t guarantee you which clinic I’m based because I am always transferred almost every day, to where there is bigger demand,” Nakkonde, who says she joined the profession because she desired to care for the sick and burdened people, explains.
“It is good for her because she gets exposure, moving from one clinic to the other,” Kintu notes.
So, how does Nakkonde manage to carry the heavy load on a daily basis? “I love my profession and that is why, even though sometimes I feel heavy-laden, I just pull myself back to deliver,” she says.
Nakkonde believes that if the UCU School of Medicine continues with the way it delivers knowledge, it will keep churning out health workers who observe ethical standards with high Christian values and professionalism – virtues she says the university imparts on its students, for them to have an edge on the job market.
Alice Bakunda, a nursing lecturer at the UCU School of Medicine, explains what takes place during the training: “We prepare our students for the field,” she said. “That’s why we take them to different hospitals to attain exposure and experience, which helps them tackle different issues and to be able to multi-task.’’
Veronica with her parents on UCU graduation day. Courtesy Photo
Upon graduation with summa cum laude status from UCU, Nakkonde had her internship at the Mulago National Referral Hospital. From Mulago, she joined AAR.
Nakkonde Background She is the second-last born of the seven children of Joseph and Justine Kkonde who live at Seeta in Mukono district, central Uganda.
Nakkonde attended primary school at Seeta Boarding Primary School and Stella Maris Boarding School. She later joined Trinity College Nabbingo for secondary school.
“From childhood, my parents kept encouraging me to pursue sciences,” she said. “And, I also had the passion for them.”
No wonder, in 2015, when Nakkonde applied at UCU to pursue a course, her option was Bachelor of Nursing Science. She does not regret the decision.
Like it is the case with many other students, Nakkonde did not survive the perils of financial challenges, despite studying on a scholarship from a Church-founded organization, Caritas. At some point, she says the sponsors pulled out, so she had to resort to her parents to provide the additionally needed finances.
As a nurse, Nakkonde says she encounters many challenges, such as keeping calm while dealing with rude clients and a low salary.
“Sometimes, we feel our payment does not match the work load, because we find it difficult to cover most of our living expenses,” she said.”
Nakkonde intends to enroll for a Master of Nursing Science at the UCU School of Medicine. She is certain that a master’s degree will increase her chances for promotion at the work place and enable her to serve even more.
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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Adiaka Matthew Ekonekatwaar with colleagues at UCU
By Joseph Lagen Adiaka Matthew Ekonekatwaar, a Uganda Christian University (UCU) post-graduate student, is a naturally defiant man. He will defy the status quo if he believes his heart is elsewhere.
At the age of 10 years, Adiaka felt he had had enough of the Islam faith. Without consent from his mother, he started attending Christian praise and worship sessions at a nearby church. Adiaka often took advantage of the time when his mother was away at evening prayers at a mosque in their community. And he often made sure to return before she did.
Music attracted him to the church, but conviction kept him in the faith. Two years later, the 12-year-old was christened Matthew and confirmed a Christian in the Anglican Church. Adiaka, who had been given the name Yahaya at birth, did not meet much resistance from his mother, Esther Lorimo, as he switched faiths.
Ordinand Adiaka in front of the Bishop Tucker Building in UCU
Lorimo had changed from Christianity to Islam when she got married to Adiaka’s father, Abdi Zirabamuzaale, who was a famous traditional healer in the region. He died when Adiaka was still a toddler, leaving behind nine children.
To show commitment, Adiaka stayed true to his faith, even when he was far from home. While in secondary school at Busoga College Mwiri in eastern Uganda, Adiaka joined the Scripture Union, a club that uses the Bible to inspire people to know more about God. It was at the Scripture Union where he accepted Christ, at 14 years.
And his talent in public speech came in handy during evangelism, as well as taking up positions of leadership. Adiaka served as the deputy head of students at Mwiri and as the head of students at central Uganda’s Naalya Senior Secondary School, where he studied A’level.
Even when Naalya was a predominantly Catholic school, Adiaka and a few Anglican friends often met and prayed regularly. All students in Naalya were expected to attend only Catholic prayers, but, sometimes, Adiaka and his Anglican friends defied. Even if it usually got them into trouble, they still prayed and evangelised in the dormitories.
In May 2019, Adiaka again shocked his family with his defiance. He turned down an offer for an interview for a government job as the District Inspector of Schools, in preference for a Master of Arts in Theology course at UCU. The District Inspector of Schools is charged with ensuring compliance of education standards by all schools in the district.
The master’s program, which Adiaka is expected to complete this year, culminates into his ordination as a Reverend – what the 30-year-old has always desired in his life.
The interview whose invitation Adiaka turned down was for a position in Nabilatuk, his home district in northeastern Uganda.
“My elder brothers and relatives pleaded with me to attend the interview,” Adiaka recalls, saying they even fuelled a car and sent it over 210 miles away, to pick him at UCU, where he had already begun studies for his master’s course.
Adiaka and Joy on their wedding day
When he declined to travel for the interview, preferring to pursue his course, his family members cut off ties with him for the next year.
Adiaka graduated as a professional teacher at Makerere University in 2017. Even if he declined to sit an interview for a job in his home district, Adiaka says he has his affection for his home district.
“In 2018, I left teaching in schools in Kampala, in preference for a Catholic seminary back home,” Adiaka, the husband of Joy Lomokol, said. The couple has a daughter, named Hallelujah Ajokis.
“It was while teaching at the seminary that my home church, St. Luke’s Nabilatuk, suggested that I succeed the retiring reverend – they were even willing to contribute to my theology studies, that is how I knew they were serious.”
And that is how Adiaka got sponsorship for his master’s course from his home diocese, as well as the UCU Faculty of Theology.
He is presently serving at St. Luke’s Nabilatuk as an ordinand. Upon graduation at UCU, Adiaka is expected step in to fill the shoes of one of the five ministers who is scheduled to retire in two years.
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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Razak Tibakuno, enrolled by the Uganda Law Council as an Advocate of the High Court of Uganda
By Eriah Lule and Jimmy Siyasa Among the many turning points in the life of Razak Tibakuno is one in 2016. He says he will never forget the opportunity in that year in which he was employed as a development intern and a law teaching assistant in the Uganda Christian University (UCU) School of Business. Later, Tibakuno became the development assistant. He also was offered an opportunity to teach at the Faculty of Law.
The salary that Tibakuno earned at the time was not just enough to finance his Master of Law degree course at Makerere University in Uganda. He also used the money to meet the tuition requirements at Uganda’s Law Development Centre. For one to practice law in Uganda, they must acquire a Diploma in Legal Practice at the Law Development Centre.
Razak Tibakuno
For all his efforts, the 28-year-old has been rewarded. The Uganda Law Council recently enrolled him as an Advocate of the High Court of Uganda and all subordinate courts therein. As an advocate, Tibakuno will be expected to represent clients in court, interpreting the law, rulings and regulations for individuals and lay people as well as present a summary of the case to the judge.
He pursued his Bachelor of Laws degree at UCU. Tibakuno, who currently serves as the academic coordinator at UCU’s Office of the Deputy Vice-Chancellor in charge of Academic Affairs, opted to change to another university for his master’s course. He chose Makerere University because he wanted a change of environment and different academic exposure.
At UCU, an academic coordinator handles multiple tasks, including working on academic Memoranda of Understanding between the university and other partners, compliance and correspondences with the National Council for Higher Education, verification of academic documents, organizing and recording senate matters, verifying staff teaching load and coordinating academic activities, among others.
During his time away from UCU, Tibakuno engages in legal work at Denis Nyombi & Co. Advocates, located in Mukono town. This is where he spends much of his time over the weekends.
Just like anyone else, he experiences some frustrations about his work.
“Some cases take too long to be resolved in the courts of law while some people sometimes expect to receive an inducement in order to do what is required of them,” he said.
He noted that some clients who seek legal services get pushed away by the character of the officers who ask for bribes, referring to it as facilitation.
Born in the eastern Uganda district of Bugweri, Tibakuno is the fifth of the eight children of Omar Tibakuno and Monica Naikoba Tibakuno. He says his humble and God-fearing background has impacted who he is today.
“I take pride in service and extending justice to the needy on either pro bono basis or at a small fee,” he said.
From Namalemba Boarding Primary School in Busembatya, Tibakuno joined Bukoyo Secondary School in the neighbouring Iganga district for O’level. For A’level, he attended Kyambogo College School in Kampala before joining UCU for his bachelor’s degree. In both Kyambogo and UCU, Tibakuno was among the student leaders.
He noted that UCU molded him into a prayerful person and that the institution was able to inculcate in him virtues of time keeping, honesty and stewardship.
Christa K. Oluka, the Director of Admissions and Student Records, says Tibakuno is a cheerful employee who is passionate about his work.
“I believe many people will be accorded justice, now that Tibakuno has been enrolled as an advocate of the High Court of Uganda,” Oluka 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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By Joseph Lagen In Senior Five, and while studying history, Edgar Ayebazibwe observed that most change makers were lawyers or academics. He wasn’t crazy about criminal law, but wanted to be part of change, so he chose law.
Along that path, the now 25-year-old with a Uganda Christian University (UCU) Bachelor of Laws degree chose excellence over average. When Ayebazibwe graduated with a Diploma in Legal Practice at Uganda’s Law Development Centre (LDC) on June 11, 2021, he was among the 10% of the students who made it to the finish line in a class that registered one of the highest failure rates at the centre. To practice law in Uganda, lawyers must obtain a Diploma in Legal Practice from LDC after their law degree.
Ayebazibwe completed the course with a distinction, earning him a meritorious award – the Director of Public Prosecutions Prize – from the LDC.
Edgar-Ayebazibwe: Ayebazibwe completed his course at LDC with a distinction, earning him a meritorious award
Ironically, during the LDC graduation, he was awarded for excelling in Criminal Procedure, despite his disinterest in the field. He says as a Christian, he will find it difficult defending criminals because, oftentimes, they want a court of law, and not a court of justice.
He says part of his life principles are summarised in 2 Timothy 2:21: “If anyone cleanses himself from what is dishonourable, he will be a vessel for honourable use, set apart as holy, useful to the master of the house, ready for every good work.”
Ayebazibwe was born in a God-fearing family. In 2007, while in Primary Six at Bweranyangi Junior School in Bushenyi, he says he made a personal commitment to follow Christ. This decision would determine several of his life’s choices, including his career.
He attributes his success in the nine-month Diploma in Legal Practice course to the lessons learned and the training received at UCU. He is already part of KTA Advocates, a Kampala-based law firm, where he hopes to pursue issues related to intellectual property, technology and commercial law.
As a Junior Associate at KTA, Ayebazibweintends to dedicate his career to creating the much-needed reform in Uganda’s technology law.
“Our country has registered a higher uptake in internet usage in the recent past,” the son of Jackson and Jessica Muhwezi says, adding: “Sadly, our laws aren’t evolving at the same pace. For instance, we lack laws to govern drones (unmanned vehicles and devices) and virtual assets, such as crypto-currency.”
He says he would be honoured to be part of the team to cause the much-needed change.
Ayebazibwe attributes his dislike for advances in criminal justice to his grooming at UCU. “UCU is held in high regard for putting emphasis on ethics and integrity.”
He says the study environment at LDC was not any different from what he experienced at UCU – both are full-time, with intensive reading that are intentional about quality and application of legal knowledge.
He also credits his success to the ability to multi-task, something he acquired from juggling academics and leadership while at the university. Ayebazibwe held several roles during his four years at UCU, including the speaker of the students’ guild government.
At LDC, Ayebazibwe says he was part of a supportive and motivational discussion group that spent sleepless nights reading cases and discussing group work.
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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A campaign poster of Gloria Nawanyaga, when she was contesting in a beauty pageant in 2019. Courtesy.
By Israel Kisakye and Jimmy Siyasa How will I deal with stigma and community negativity? What will my life be like with the side effects of taking antiretroviral (ARV) drugs for the rest of my life? These were among the questions Gloria Nawanyaga was confronted with when she discovered that she was HIV-positive. She was 11 years old.
Nawanyaga said that when her mother initially gave her the ARVs, she did not know why she was taking them. When awareness set in that she had HIV, she felt dejected, depressed and hopeless. Her self-esteem was crushed and bitterness grew. Her mother had introduced her to an organization that brings together children living with HIV, but she still suffered self-rejection.
Gloria Nawanyaga, renowned HIV and Human Rights activist. Courtesy.
She feared for the worst if her classmates found out the truth. She took the drugs secretly. When it wasn’t possible to take them in hiding, she skipped the medication for that day. Because of the inconsistency, sometimes her condition got worse.
However, at some point, the adversity served to make Nawanyaga stronger. She picked up the pieces and used them to build a formidable firewall against her scorners.
As a result of her rise in popularity, she was elected the head prefect while in secondary school, at St. Charles Lwanga International, Kakiri, located in central Uganda. As a students’ leader, she spearheaded a campaign for freedom of worship that saw Scripture Union established within the Catholic-founded school.
Not long after, Nawanyaga got involved in campaigns against stigma among people living with HIV. And hers is now a face of HIV and human rights advocacy in Kampala. The 23-year-old works as the Communications and Advocacy Officer at Peer-to-Peer Uganda, a not-for-profit organisation that empowers young people in rural Uganda.
To be molded for the advocacy role, Nawanyaga chose to study a Bachelor of Laws at Uganda Christian University (UCU). With her role at Peer-to-Peer, she is able to engage in debates with relevant stakeholders to influence HIV policy.
In June 2021, she was on national television beseeching authorities to prioritize Persons Living with HIV (PLHIV) during the government’s COVID-19 response activities because of their vulnerability.
“We need the Ugandan government to prioritize PLHIVs in the vaccination for COVID-19 because our immune system is already weak,” she said.
In 2019, she competed for the Miss Uganda Beauty Contest. Although she missed the top prize Nawanyaga was crowned the Miss Rising Woman for 2019/2020 at the beauty pageant.
Initially, many people found her participation preposterous and controversial. But she was unrelenting, and her efforts paid off. She walked home with a crown.
“I wanted to inspire fellow PLHIVs,” she said. “I also wanted to reach out to as many people as possible and urge them get to know their HIV status; for those who are negative, to keep themselves safe because it is not easy living with HIV.”
That advocacy has not stopped. Nawanyaga takes advantage of her presence on social media to further the sensitization.
In 2019, she started a music band, Y+, which had 15 youths, all living with HIV. They do community outreaches and also raise funds for the savings group that the band formed. The members can borrow money from their pool of savings to start income-generating activities.
She said she had learned a lesson from an unfortunate incident that happened to her family in 2017. Her father, who had been the bread winner in the family, died. Her mother then had to resort to bank loans, to finance Nawanyaga’s law degree course at UCU.
But Nawanyaga could not just look on. She says she decided to take up a day job, in order to cater for her daily living costs at the university, hence reducing the burden on her mother. From that experience, she learned the importance of belonging to a savings group.
Nawanyaga has shown that when there is no enemy within, the enemy outside can surely do no harm.
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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Gloria Wanyenze was the best student in Trial Advocacy in the June 2021 LDC graduation. Courtesy photo.
By Jimmy Siyasa Best Student in Trial Advocacy, read the accolade that Gloria Wanyenze took home on June 6, 2021. Wanyenze hit the target of excellence.
Wanyenze had graduated from Uganda’s Law Development Centre (LDC), with a Post-Graduate Diploma in Legal Practice. To practice law in Uganda, lawyers must obtain a Diploma in Legal Practice from LDC after the law degree. What was even more special for Wanyenze was that she was part of a student cohort whose members had gritted their teeth and made it through bruising final exams that had a 90% failure rate.
Frank Nigel Othembi, the LDC director, attributed the high failure rate to student newness to on-line study during the Covid-19 lockdown.
However, he also attributed lack of academic success to the abolition of pre-entry examinations into the centre. Previously, LDC had been conducting pre-entry exams for students who want to pursue the Diploma in Legal Practice, which was not the case with Wanyenze’s class.
And the level of pride that Wanyenze has earned her family, to her, is higher than the accolade she walked home with from LDC.
“I am the first LLB (Bachelor of Laws degree) graduate in my family,” Wanyenze, who graduated with a Bachelor of Laws degree at Uganda Christian University in 2019, remarks.
She says from the day she informed her family that she wanted to pursue a degree in law, they were supportive.
“My family encouraged me, guided me and pointed out the areas I needed to be strong in, as well as the areas where I needed growth,” she says, adding: “They supported my decision to study at UCU and funded that choice.”
Wanyenze has always wanted to be identified as a problem-solver. It is an element that gave her an edge in Trial Advocacy, the course unit in which she topped her class. In Trial Advocacy, one learns the skills necessary to make a case for those they represent. It happened that the tests for that particular course unit coincided with another field of law that Wanyeze is passionate about – Corporate Law.
She believes UCU had a hand in her exceptional performance at the LDC.
“UCU goes beyond teaching law – or any other profession,” she said. “It adds ethics and a Christian approach to every course of study that not only makes us more well-rounded, but also diligent.”
She says the university instilled in her the requisite skills, helped to trigger the virtue of integrity in her, as well as enhanced her Christian leadership skills.
Wanyenze also attributes her excellence to diligence and commitment.
“When you are at LDC, there are days you are amazed at your capability and there are days you are questioning it,” she says, adding: “But what will make the difference is your ability to put in the effort required.”
She says she also ensured she belonged to a discussion group, where they would take turns to talk about cases.
Now that she has qualified to practice law in Uganda, Wanyenze awaits the Uganda Law Council to enroll her as an Advocate of the High Court of Uganda so she can represent clients in court. As she waits to be enrolled, Wanyenze will concentrate on her role as a Legal Assistant at Crystal Advocates, a law firm in Kampala.
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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Nasasira fixes a board ceiling during a renovation at client’s residence
By Emmanuel Kizaale Kareem Nasasira’s ability to beautifully work with granite, paint, wood, marble and board is striking. He does not just throw his energy willy-nilly. The level of concentration he puts in the art he is developing is usually seen in the quality of work he puts out.
Perhaps, that explains his choice to concentrate on interior art. Despite his finesse in many fields, gypsum walls and ceilings seem to be his calling. And he creates them with so much ease, giving out exquisite results.
The 24-year-old says he always cultivates a relationship with whatever art he is engaging with. “I have loved art since I was a child. Even when I am on a break, I just love to sit down and draw sketches of things, just anything,” he says.
The idea of venturing into interior design has been in Nasasira’s mind since secondary school at Namirembe Hillside High School in Kampala. His gratification comes from the smiles on people’s faces.
Little wonder that in 2017, he chose to pursue the Bachelor of Industrial and Fine Art at Uganda Christian University (UCU). He felt it was the only way to give his God-given talent a professional training.
A room designed by Nasasira’s interior design company, Nas Interiors
“When I was still at UCU, we used to go to other universities to attend exhibitions, and I discovered that the kind of art that was being taught in many universities was limited in scope,” Nasasira says. “UCU gives you a variety and it is up to you to choose where your passion lies.”
According to Nasasira, UCU offered choices in ceramics, sculpture, pottery, fabric and several others. “So, the options gave me an avenue to explore and understand where my strength was,” he says.
Now that he had chosen interior design, how would he launch himself into the self-employment world without any startup capital? Nasasira was battling with finding answers to that question. It kept him awake at night.
One particular sleepless night in his second year of studies, he determined to save some of his money he had to live as a student. Since he now had limited time, as well as money to save, Nasasira made a drastic decision to spend only 20% of the pocket money he was given. The rest went into the penny bank.
Kareem Nasasira on duty at a client’s residence
When he completed his course, Nasasira had his work cut out. He had to buy the essential equipment he needed for the kind of art work he felt he was industrially ready for. That is how Nas Interiors company, the brainchild of Nasasira was born.
The company employs four other youth who work as electrician, painter, carpenter and fixer. He, however, dreams of employing more, when his business portfolio grows.
Nasasira was never afraid to jump in at the deep end as he launched his business. It was around the time when the whole world was shutting down to limit the devastating effects of the Covid-19.
And businesses were folding as a result of the lockdowns.
But he is grateful to the friends he made as a student. It is through their referrals that he has been able to keep in business.
“You come to UCU as strangers at the beginning of the course but, at the end, you leave as a family,” he said, as he enumerated the many people who have helped to advertise for him his business.
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Simon Mwima, recipient of a merit-based PhD scholarship at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
Story and photos by Jimmy Siyasa Two tragedies occurred in the early life of Simon Mwima. One, he lost his sister to AIDS. Two, the son of his departed sister succumbed to the same scourge. Those two deaths left an indelible mark on Mwima that later determined his career path.
“Due to structural and institutional barriers, poverty and stigma, my sister, Alice, could not access the care that she needed, leading to her death,” he said.
After watching his sister and nephew die helplessly, he made it a mission to fight against HIV and AIDS. And he is now a medical social worker, as well as an academic at Uganda Christian University (UCU).
The offer did not come on a silver platter for the 36-year-old who is the first person to pursue a PhD program in his family.
“I applied to five PhD programs and I must thank God that the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign was impressed with my academic credentials and my research interests,” he said.
Looking back at the path of material scarcity that Mwima has trodden since his birth in the eastern Uganda district of Budaka, he cannot be more grateful for where he is now.
Simon Mwima working in the UCU Department of Social Work and Social Administration staff boardroom
Mwima also earns his daily bread working for the Ugandan government in the health ministry. He has been a medical social worker for the National AIDS Control Program since 2016. A celebrated national trainer for the Ministry of Health, Mwima has so far educated over 500 social workers, as well as spearheading various HIV/AIDS prevention campaigns.
He is a cog in the wheel of the COVID-19 Mental and Psychological National Taskforce. Here, Mwima has contributed to the development of the national psychosocial plan for COVID-19, as well as serving as a social epidemiologist.
Mwima, a son of retired primary teachers, Simon and Agnes Mukubba, previously worked as a clinical social worker at the Mulago Most At Risk Initiative (MARPI) clinic in Kampala. At the clinic, he managed cases of vulnerable adolescents. He is a research fellow for the Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP) implementation program, a new HIV prevention intervention.
He holds two master’s degrees – the first in public health, from Lund University in Sweden (2015) and in sociology (2020), from Makerere University. His undergraduate degree, which he obtained in 2009 at Makerere University, was in sociology.
When one knows what they are doing, they will not need to chase after opportunities. Opportunities will instead chase after them. Indeed, prospects sought Mwima, for him to start teaching at UCU.
Five years ago, he was invited to the university as a guest speaker. Kasule Kibirige, Mwima’s head of department at UCU, said the guest lecture excelled that they were left with no option but to ask him to join the institution. And he said yes to the proposal.
From then, Mwima has been lecturing in sociology, anthropology and social works. He also supervises students conducting research at both undergraduate and master’s level at the institution.
“He is quite resourceful. He has come to the department with a wealth of practice experience because of his work and rich networks from the Ministry of Health and its partners,” Kibirige said.
As a result, Kibirige said, Mwima took into the department consultancy work that has “helped advance some of our interests in the external world, as a department.”
Mwima considers his employment at UCU a blessing because it has offered him opportunity to translate knowledge through lecturing, an experience he believes has afforded him friendships with fellow academics and students.
The teaching job also came in handy during his PhD application.
“The teaching experience is critical and matters while PhD programs are assessing applications for admission,” he says. Mwima intends to invest plenty of his post-PhD time conducting research to inform sexual health policy and practice.
Fiona Niyijena, a third-year student of Bachelors of Social Work and Social Administration at UCU said of Mwima: “He is an understanding lecturer. He often shared with us his personal story and encouraged us to pursue further studies. I look forward to pursuing a master’s course.”
Dustan Katabalwa, another student, said Mwima gives them audience when they have issues they want to share with him.
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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Emilly Comfort Maractho, new Africa Policy Center Director
By Yasiri J Kasango In 2012, two key things happened in the life of Emilly Comfort Maractho.
One, she realised she was not going to benefit much from a master’s course she had enrolled into. Her sixth sense told her to change courses. She obliged.
The second thing to happen was that Maractho received communication from someone she had never met. Prof. Monica Chibita of Uganda Christian University (UCU) was convincing her to take up a PhD scholarship opportunity after completing a master’s course she was pursuing in Kenya. This communication was followed by Chibita’s physical visit to Maractho.
When she met Chibita in Kenya, Maractho had only one option – to give the greenlight. Her positive response on both occasions have a bearing on who Maractho is today. The holder of a PhD in Journalism and Communication from South Africa’s University of KwaZulu-Natal is UCU’s newly appointed Director for the Africa Policy Center (APC). The APC, initiated by American Lawrence Adams, is the university’s center that grooms policy researchers and political thinkers and provides a platform for learning and discussion of modern-day issues.
Maractho’s switch from MA in development communication to MA in development journalism at Kenya’s Daystar University in 2012 was premised on the belief that she was not learning anything new in the communication course. This was her second master’s degree course. Five years before, she had attained Master of Arts in Development Studies at the Uganda Martyrs University, Nkozi.
After bagging her second master’s at Daystar University, Maractho headed to the University of KwaZulu-Natal for her doctorate, sponsored by UCU, under a capacity building scheme for staff.
No sooner had she graduated with a PhD than she was, in 2018, named the head of UCU’s Department of Journalism and Media Studies, replacing Chibita, who had been promoted to the position of Dean in the Faculty of Journalism, Media and Communication, which had just been created.
For 13 years, Dr. Maractho has lectured at UCU, starting out with teaching development studies before switching to journalism. And she says she is not about to call it quits.
Maractho is not a sleeping scholar. The result of her efforts was the introduction of new course units in the department, such as Journalism and Political Communication, Economics and Business Journalism, Media, Gender and Social Justice. The new curriculum that Maractho masterminded was a direct response to the requirement by government regulator, the National Council for Higher Education, that institutions review their curriculum after every three years.
She also often participates in debate and writes on public and social issues afflicting society. One such platform is the Daily Monitor newspaper, where she currently has a weekly column. In one of her recent articles, Maractho made a case for a national policy on public-private partnerships in the health sector, so as to ensure they complement public service.
Maractho hopes that the Africa Policy Centre will grow into a center that public policy actors will look to for alternative policy positions and still serve the university community. “My plan is to expand the centre’s reach and increase its relevance in research and policy engagement,” she notes.
Family background Maractho was raised in Nebbi district in northern Uganda. She says in her community, education is not highly valued. Therefore, she did not have many people to look up to for inspiration.
Maractho studied at Muni Girls Secondary School and Mvara Secondary School, both in north-western Uganda. At Mvara, where she had her A’level, the headteacher had tried to convince Maractho to study science subjects but she was not one you could easily dissuade from her goal – she wanted to be a communicator, so the natural choice were arts subjects.
Maractho overlooked many challenges on her way to academic achievement, including financial constraints in the family and being raised by a single mother – Philemona Kapacho who was a civil servant.
Maractho had intended to pursue either a Bachelor’s of Law or Bachelor of Arts in Mass Communication, but the funds to meet the tuition requirements were not available. As such, she settled for Bachelor of Arts in Development Studies at Makerere University.
She would later become the first woman in her family to graduate with a bachelor’s degree, to the joy of Kapacho.
“My degree was disheartening because I was the first girl to graduate from my community, yet there are families where everyone has graduated with a doctorate,” she says.
After her university education, Maractho worked briefly with The West Niler, a local newspaper based in north-western Uganda. She was later employed by the Uganda Electricity Distribution Company Limited (UEDCL) as a billing officer while still keeping her job at the West Niler.
In 2004, when she was persuaded to teach at Makerere University, Maractho dropped the West Niler job, but maintained the one at UEDCL. In 2007, she resigned from UEDCL to fully concentrate on sharing knowledge at Makerere University, before later switching to UCU.
We wait to see how Maractho’s innovative mind will lead the university’s Africa Policy Centre.
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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Students carry food packs donated by the UCU Chaplaincy.
By Yasiri J. Kasango The office of the chaplain at Uganda Christian University (UCU) recently donated food to students that the latest government-order covid lockdown has stranded in hostels around the institution.
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,” the chaplain, the Rev. Eng. Paul Wasswa, said.
Uganda on June 7 closed all schools and institutions of higher learning following increase in the positivity rate among the Covid-19 tests that were being done. Uganda is currently in the second wave of Covid-19.
Two weeks later, the country’s President, Yoweri Museveni, announced a 42-day lockdown, banning the movement of vehicles. Only vehicles belonging to categories of people government considered essential workers, such as the media, medical personnel, workers at construction sites and in factories, and trucks delivering goods, among others, were issued with travel permits.
The development meant that the students who were caught up in hostels had to stay there until the lockdown terminates at the end of July. However, in mid-July, it was not yet clear whether government will lift the lockdown after the 42 days. Government has said the positivity rate in the Covid-19 tests dropped from 18% when the lockdown was instituted to 10% a month later.
For the donation that was handed to the students, the chapel council raised sh1m (about $280) towards purchasing the food items. A total of 54 students benefitted from the generosity. The beneficiaries were identified by the UCU deputy guild minister for religious affairs, the Rev. Benson Amanya.
A recent UCU guild government survey indicated that there are at least 200 national and international students stranded in hostels.
Amanya said the needy students were identified through the coordination of class representatives.
“When a class representative recommends a needy student, we interrogate them about the student. Their response would help to identify whether the student was actually in need of food,” Amanya said.
“I am grateful for the support rendered to us,” Edith Joseph from South Sudan said. “We are going through a hard time in the hostels.”
David Kisakye, a final-year student pursuing the Bachelor of Laws at UCU, commended the chaplain’s office for the initiative. “Receiving some food, although little, is better than nothing,” he said.
The Rev. Wasswa acknowledged that the food relief given to students could not sustain them until the end of the lockdown and, therefore, called upon other well-wishers to donate more food to the students. He also asked students who may be in need of counselling to approach his office.
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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Charlotte Mbabazi attends to a customer in her shop on Wandegeya-Bugujju Road.
Story and Photos by Michael Kisekka Fiercely independent, Charlotte Mbabazi disliked depending on her parents. For that not to happen, she started saving part of the pocket money that her parents gave her while a student at Uganda Christian University (UCU). Those savings became a pillar for her livelihood after school.
At the time Mbabazi graduated with a Bachelor of Arts with Education degree in 2020, just like everyone else, she had not anticipated a lockdown due to the devastating effects of Covid-19. The lockdown meant she could not get a school to teach since schools had been shut in Uganda.
The 25-year-old, however, had a fall back plan. It was the sh5m (about $1,300) that she had saved while at UCU. She had the money, but no idea where to invest it. After some thinking, she started a retail shop. Everything was on standstill at the time, but people still needed groceries. So, she thought the answer would be a grocery shop. The location was on the Wandegeya-Bugujju road, adjacent to UCU. She used the sh5m to pay rent, renovate the shop and purchase the groceries to sell.
At the time, businesses were folding because of the impact of the lockdown in Uganda. She did not tell her parents as she set up the business for two reasons: 1) She hadn’t shared that she was saving their money; and 2) selling groceries was considered something for the lowly educated. In fact, Mbabazi’s peers often mocked her about her choice of business.
“People will always talk, regardless of what you do,” Mbabazi said. “But you have to remain focused and aim at achieving your goal.”
Mary, Charlotte’s sister, in the shop
When she eventually broke the news to her parents, she said they were more than delighted. In fact, they even supported her with more capital to increase her stock in the shop.
As with all businesses, Mbabazi’s, too, was not short of challenges. She said she faced competition in the business, especially given the fact that she was just a beginner. Eventually when she opened the shop, Mbabazi worked on all days of the week, exposing her to burnout. However, her never-give-up attitude kept her afloat. She soon found ways to work around the obstacles.
“I had to find out how people who owned retail shops around me operated their businesses and how they sold their commodities,” she said. “I also found time to interact with customers, which gave me opportunity to get direct feedback and improve on how to handle the customers.”
When everyone at her home became aware of her new business, Mbabazi enlisted the services of her younger sister, Mary, with whom they would keep the shop in turns, so she gets some rest days. In effect, she feels the training she is giving her sister will be helpful if her sibling chooses to take that path one day.
Mbabazi says she has been able to manage her own finances, which has enabled the grocery shop to celebrate its first birthday. With the business, she has also been able to manage her own finances, thus reducing the financial burden on her parents. Being self-employed is something she always dreamt about; she is glad that her business is growing slowly and steadily.
In fact, Mbabazi has applied to pursue the Master of Human Resource Management at UCU and she hopes to meet the tuition requirements from the proceeds from the business.
While an undergraduate student at UCU, Mbabazi contested for the position of the Guild President, but lost. Even with the loss, she believes she learned invaluable lessons in the campaigns, which she hopes to put into practice in the near future as she seeks an elective office in the country.
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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