‘I am reminded of God’s faithfulness’

By Christine Mirembe

In 2022, when Sanyu Bridget Kiwala joined a university, her education path seemed perfectly  carved out. She had been offered a course she longed to pursue – Bachelor of Procurement and Logistics Management – and her parents were more than willing and able to meet the financial demands.

However, a sudden gale emerged, obliterating Sanyu’s charted path just after her first semester of study at Uganda Christian University (UCU).

Her father, Grace Mugweri, the family’s main bread-winner, was in an accident that affected his backbone, leaving him bedridden for a long time. At the same time, Sanyu’s mother developed high blood pressure. For a moment, Sanyu says, she stared at the likelihood of dropping out of school.

Sanyu Bridget Kiwala, a recent procurement and logistics graduate

“I recall the stress I went through, looking for tuition, knocking on people’s doors and often getting no positive feedback,” the 24-year-old narrated.

She had to abandon residing in the hall of residence at UCU, taking a cheaper option for accommodation in Mukono, so she could commute to the university every day.

In an effort to find tuition, Sanyu started washing clothes for some of the students at a fee. However, not all the people whose clothes she washed honored their pledges to pay. Desperate to study, she sought financial aid from several offices at the UCU main campus. At one office, the staff member she met there told her about Uganda Partners and a university fundraiser focused on a minimum sh10,000 contribution.

Her conversation with Dorothy Tushemereirwe, a fundraising consultant at UCU, allowed her to see some light at the end of the tunnel. Sanyu got wind of an opportunity to get a tuition top-up from the UCU “Just For 10k Campaign,” where she immediately applied. The top-up award of sh2,652,000 (about $714), she said, made her feel like she was reborn.

In June 2022, UCU had launched that campaign to support the education of needy students at the institution. The goal was to raise sh1billion (about $270,000), that, according to the Vice Chancellor, Assoc. Prof. Aaron Mushengyezi, would help students who struggle with their tuition.

At some point in Sanyu’s education, she also got tuition top-up help from Uganda Partners. 

After school, she secured an internship slot with Bidco Uganda Limited, a fast-moving consumer goods company.

“Whenever I remember my graduation day, I am reminded of God’s faithfulness and the importance of helping others in need,” Sanyu recounted. “If it were not for Uganda Partners, I don’t know where I would be.” She emphasized that her story gives her reason to bless others.

It is also at Bidco where Sanyu did her undergraduate research, where she investigated the relationship between sustainable logistics management practices and operational efficiency in manufacturing firms. 

In the research, she sought to examine the effect of green transportation practices on operational efficiency, assess the influence of eco-friendly warehousing and packaging, and analyze the impact of reverse logistics and waste management on operational efficiency. 

Arising from the findings, Sanyu, thus, recommended that manufacturing companies should invest in fuel-efficient and environmentally-friendly transport systems, adopt energy-saving and biodegradable warehousing methods, and strengthen reverse logistics frameworks to enhance cost-efficiency and promote environmental sustainability.

Sanyu started her education journey at Dayspring Elementary School in Jinja, eastern Uganda. She later enrolled in Holy Cross Lake View, Wanyange, for her secondary education in 2015, before transferring to St. Eliza Senior Secondary School in Malindi, where she completed high school in 2021.

In August 2025, she took up a volunteer role with the Honours College at UCU. “My experience with the Honours College has given me a strong foundation,” Sanyu said. “I have developed practical skills in communication, negotiation and resource co-ordination.”

She now aspires to become a globally recognized, highly proficient procurement and logistics specialist who advocates supply chain sustainability, efficiency and transparency. To achieve this, she plans to pursue professional qualifications, such as Chartered Institute of Procurement and Supply (CIPS), and, later, a master’s degree in Procurement and Supply Chain Management.

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

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 .

Also, follow us on X (formerly Twitter), Instagram and Facebook.