God, family and academics

By Christine Mirembe

Life is a journey of experiences – some good, others bad. Sometimes, we are stuck in the grey area. The beauty of this is that I’ve learned from a multitude of experiences, shaping my perception about many things. 

We cannot always do things alone. I am grateful to God for my family, a place to call home. My life normally revolves around three aspects: God, family and academics.

My academics have been the main bonding topic between my mother and me. She always told me to work hard in school and has been a strong pillar throughout my academic journey. 

“Read your books until they call me at school informing me that your head has burst because of reading,” she’d say.

Her words have given me the needed push because as much as I’m doing this for myself, I cannot afford to disappoint her.  I am pursuing my Bachelor’s degree within the School of Journalism, Media and Communication at Uganda Christian University (UCU). I am loving the course and looking forward to graduating in July 2026. 

Besides that, I love poetry. It provides a liberty to share what is in your mind freely. Pen and paper provide a platform for free expression. During my Senior Three at St. Lawrence Horizon, Kampala, was when I really ventured into this side of me. I had no idea I would write until I started trying out new things, and then I loved it. 

Christine, a third-year journalism student at UCU

Since then, I carried around a pocket notebook and pen most of the time, because I would capture the moment as it happened. By the end of my Senior Four, I had about three notebooks full of my work. I unfortunately forgot them on my desk when it was time to leave, and I’ve never gone back since.

My love for natural hair prompted me to learn how to braid. In 2020, during the Covid-19 pandemic, many institutions in Uganda and around the world were locked down. It was during this mix that we were sent home. As a mode of distraction, I watched hair braiding tutorials on YouTube and, with a lot of practice, I finally learned how to braid other hair for myself and other people. The fear of always asking my mother for money to go to the salon also propelled me to learn how to do it myself.

I’m really grateful I did because I actually started getting clients and making some money. As a teenager, I didn’t really know how the whole idea of staying home 24/7 with my parents sounded until it actually happened. 

We all learned to live with each other, building strong bonds during a trying time. I’d say I am grateful for the pandemic because it gave me time to realize the importance of looking out for each other as family.

On that note, Christmas 2023 was another family time I really cherish as our smiles and laughter filled the sand dunes of Dubai, a city in the United Arab Emirates.

Besides having a good time, my spark for travel was unleashed. I now want to know what is outside Mukono and Uganda in general. I tend to be an introvert. Interacting with people is not really my thing, but I am learning how to communicate because no man (or woman) is an island.

As a Christian in an environment full of diversity, I have learned to embrace my virtues and principles. There is so much going on in the UCU world and peer pressure is something I thought I was immune to, but I was wrong. Over time, I have truly embraced God’s ways because I am actually nothing without Him, and Psalm 23 is my favorite scripture.

++++

Christine Mirembe is one of three new writers that Uganda Partners has within its training model. She is an intern doing two stories a month, starting July 2025.  All three are sharing part of their own stories as a first assignment.