How values of Ssentamu’s mother became his moral compass

By William Opio

When Ibrahim Ssentamu’s lungs drew their first breath in Kayunga district, central Uganda, his father’s had long taken their last. As such, the only memory he has of his father, Ssentamu Saziri, is through photos. 

Upon losing her husband, Ssentamu’s mother, Teddy Namutebi, knew the weight of the responsibility that lay on her to raise her eight children, plus Ssentamu who was yet to be born. One of the tasks she undertook was to plant values in them, with the hope that those would provide a moral compass for them in life.

It actually worked.

“She taught me to be God-fearing, to speak my mind respectfully and to always strive to become successful,” Ssentamu said.

Those who know Ssentamu would consider him to have achieved all the above. While pursuing his undergraduate studies at Uganda Christian University (UCU), Ssentamu discovered his leadership potential and naturally emerged as a student leader. For instance, his classmates often voted him to serve as their class representative. The leadership responsibility extended to the church, too, where he served as a leader in the chapel choir and trained different music groups to sing hymns. 

“Leadership taught me how to work with different people, how to make decisions, when to speak and when to listen,” he says.

As he grew as a leader, Ssentamu remained equally committed to his studies, a journey that culminated in his graduation from UCU. He was among the 1,274 students who graduated during UCU’s graduation ceremony on July 3, 2026, at the recreation ground on the Main Campus in Mukono. He earned a Bachelor of Nursing Science degree, joining a profession with a dire need for human resources. Uganda’s nurse-to-patient ratio stands at 1:11,000 against a World Health Organization’s recommended ratio of 1:1,000.

Ssentamu has already joined the workforce at a health facility in Mukono. “I want to give quality care to every patient without looking at their background, gender or economic status,” he said recently during an interview with Uganda Partners. “I want people to have better health outcomes.”

He plans to set up a health facility of his own, where he can continue serving communities and expanding access to quality healthcare.

It is often said that challenges give success its true sweetness. The death of Ssentamu’s aunt who lost her battle with breast cancer became a turning point that pushed him toward the healthcare profession.

“That experience made me choose the medical path because I wanted to be part of bringing healing and care to people.” 

Although he initially dreamed of becoming a doctor, financial limitations redirected his journey. Medicine was expensive, so nursing became the natural option. 

“I soon fell in love with nursing. I realized it was not just about treating people, but giving quality care and improving people’s lives,” Ssentamu says.

His journey to UCU came after a difficult transition from another university, where things did not go as planned. Encouraged by a former classmate who was pursuing a Bachelor of Nursing Science at UCU, Ssentamu applied and was admitted to the institution.

The biggest challenge at university, however, was not academics, but finances. In his first year, he had to balance working to raise money for basic needs and studying for a demanding nursing course that required his full attention.

“I needed money for food, rent and hostel fees, but at the same time nursing required my time and concentration. It was quite challenging,” he says.

At some point, the burden of tuition threatened to end his education journey.

During that difficult season, Ssentamu’s story connected with Uganda Partners through the support of his former Head of Department in the Faculty of Public Health, Nursing and Midwifery, Elizabeth Situma Nagudi, who understood his challenges and helped link him up with the UCU Partners NGO.

“Uganda Partners’ partial scholarship removed a big burden from my shoulders. I had an ambition to study, but I did not know how I would continue without money,” he says.

“I thank the sponsors of Uganda Partners, you have made my education journey lighter. You supported students like me who were close to giving up,” he said.

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To support UCU 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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