(NOTE: In the fall of 2018, Brendah Ndagire, UCU Partners Communications Associate, came on the Uganda Christian University Mukono campus to interview some UCU Partners scholarship recipients. For a 10-day period, UCU Partners features a summary of their feedback. To support students like these, contact Mark Bartels, executive director, UCU Partners, at m.t.bartels@ugandapartners.org or donate directly at: https://www.ugandapartners.org/donate/)
Name: Nansereko Idah
Program: Bachelor of Community Health(Renamed Bachelor of Public Health)
How has the scholarship helped you in your course of study? It has enabled me to timely pay my tuition and utilize university facilities and services.
How would do you want to use your degree and why? I am already a clinician, when I finish my degree in community health, I would like to build a health facility in my village to bring health services to people there and offer job opportunities to people in different departments
What do you want to say to your sponsor? Thank you for your efforts to keep in school.
(NOTE: In the fall of 2018, Brendah Ndagire, UCU Partners’ Communications Associate, came on the Uganda Christian University Mukono campus to interview some UCU Partners scholarship recipients. For a 10-day period, UCU Partners features a summary of their feedback. To support students like these, contact Mark Bartels, executive director, UCU Partners, at m.t.bartels@ugandapartners.org or donate directly at: https://www.ugandapartners.org/donate/)
Name: Uwimbabazi Sarah
Program: Bachelor of Nursing Science
How has the scholarship helped you in your course of study? The scholarship covers my fees, and I attend classes with no worries. This has helped me to perform better in classes.
How would do you want to use your degree and why? I will go back to my hospital and deliver holistic nursing care to the people within and outside the hospital with interest in maternal and child health for the betterment of our community and nation.
What do you want to say to your sponsor? I want to express to her how much I am grateful. Thank you for making me who I am today.
Name: Murezi Mereth
Program: Master of Nursing Science
How has the scholarship helped you in your course of study? I have had timely access to university services including lecture rooms and library. And I have been able to focus on my academic work without interruptions.
How would do you want to use your degree and why? I want to engage in teaching activities so as to strengthen the nursing profession further. Secondly, I want to become an education specialist and largely engage in policy formulation.
What do you want to say to your sponsor? I am very thankful for his/her support and devotion in seeing progress in the academic arena in Uganda.
Name: Monday Edson
Program: Master of Nursing Science
How has the scholarship helped you in your course of study? It has relieved me a lot. I have been able to attend all my classes without worries, and this has improved my concentration in class. I love my program and I have been able to take of my family alongside studying.
How would do you want to use your degree and why? I want to be a university lecturer and a researcher in the nursing field.
What do you want to say to your sponsor? Thank you so much!
UCU dentistry student, Peter Kabuye (UCU Partners photo)
(NOTE: In September 2018, Uganda Christian University launched a School of Medicine with 60 students. To “put a face” on Uganda’s future doctors and dentists, some of these students, including this one, were interviewed after the completion of the first semester.)
By Brendah Ndagire Uganda Christian University (UCU) School of Medicine student, 20-year-old Peter Kabuye from Kimbugu, Mpigi district, Uganda, hopes to fill the huge gap in his country’s dental needs. He hopes he can be an instrument of change through providing dental services, especially in rural areas where there is the greatest need. Even though he comes from a family where his parents are mostly interested in the arts and business careers, Kabuye is not shying away from his primary interest in sciences. Part of his story is shared here.
How did you get drawn to the dental surgery? In high school, I had a dental appointment with Dr. Timothy Mawano, at his dental clinic. And the way he talked about dental surgery and his experience in the dental field, it made an impression on me. I asked more questions about it and he encouraged me to study dentistry. He essentially inspired me to study this program. But, I also am continually inspired by the owner of Jubilee Dental Clinic; his name is Dr. James Magala, a father of my colleague here at UCU. Going forward, the main reasons for being part of this program are to address the need of dentists in my community, and contribute something good to our country.
In your community, where have you identified the need for dentists?The main need is lack of financial resources to construct dental clinics in Kimbugu Village, Mpigi district. Secondly, there are some dentists in my village but there are not qualified professionals. They do not have resources to conduct dental services. Most people in my rural village if they, for instance, have a cavity, the only option they have is to extract their tooth. If the same people were living in Kampala, they would be exposed to more options such as dental cleaning and refilling the cavity.
Peter at UCU’s School of Medicine in Mengo, Kampala.(UCU Partners photo)
Have you always wanted to be a dentist? It has always been a combination of medicine and dentistry because when you study medicine, you can also decide to end up in dental surgery. But I was more drawn to understanding/studying the parts of the head, mouth, teeth, etc., and that’s what dental surgery is all about.
What challenges have you observed so far that contribute to a shortage of dentists in Uganda? The main challenge is that it is expensive to study science programs in Uganda. For example, most Ugandans can only afford to study science programs at Makerere University, if they are sponsored by the government (since it is a public university). And there are only a few universities teaching dental surgery, namely, Kampala International University, Makerere University, and currently Uganda Christian University. The economic problem, coupled with limited universities teaching dentistry, contribute greatly to this shortage.
Why study at UCU? I wanted to study at a university that embraces God. The second reason was that compared to other universities, UCU has smaller classes and I wanted to study at a university where I can study in small groups and get the best out of your lecturer.
What has been so far the most positive aspect of studying at UCU?Small classes which contribute to team building, relationship building and a better learning environment are a plus. Secondly, community worship is conducted on Tuesdays and Thursdays. It helps us to take time to get to know more about God. And lastly, professors are very engaging and love teaching us.
What classes do you find interesting so far? Anatomy. It is so new to me, and gives me a new language. I derive my current happiness in the process of discussing different and new concepts in that class. I also like Bio Chemistry but currently it is getting harder to engage with.
So far what challenges have you experienced as a student at UCU? My current and major challenge is commuting for a long time to get to school every day. I live far from Mengo Hospital where UCU School of Medicine is located. And I have observed that because I spend so much time commuting, I rarely get time to rest and concentrate on studying my books. That had a negative impact on my grades last semester. I hope to move soon to a closer neighborhood.
Beatrice Birungi at UCU School of Medicine (UCU Partners photo)
(NOTE: In September 2018, Uganda Christian University launched a School of Medicine with 60 students. To “put a face” on Uganda’s future doctors and dentists, some of these students were interviewed at the completion of the first semester. This is a story about one of these students.)
By Frank Obonyo As I sat down to write her story, one thing became clear. Beatrice Birungi’s aspirations are comparable to those of Dr. Bernard Rieux in the novel, The Plague.
In his fictional account, Rieux was one of the first people to urge the public to take stringent measures to fight the deadly epidemic that struck the French Algerian City of Oran. When it is placed under quarantine, Dr. Rieux continues to battle the plague despite signs that his efforts make little or no difference. Although he is separated from his wife, he does not allow his personal distress to distract him from his battle to relieve the collective social suffering.
Just like Oran City, Beatrice’s village Bumate in Bundibugyo District Western Uganda was swept by an Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) epidemic in 2010 when she was just eight. Four of her relatives died because of the deadly virus, and the surviving ones were not allowed to take part in the burial ceremonies. In any African tradition, telling one that they cannot bury their loved ones can be tormenting.
As a little child, she saw her surviving relatives quarantined by the government to reduce any further spread of the virus. Ebola spreads through direct contact with infected bodily fluids—and the disease can cause people to excrete blood and other bodily fluids as they die. Thus, the precaution of the quarantine occurred.
Beatrice then made up her mind to study and become a medical doctor in order to raise awareness about Ebola prevention and treatment with the hope of saving her community. She is one of the pioneers of the Uganda Christian University (UCU) School of Medicine.
“I want to become a doctor so that I can help my people should that kind of epidemic strike again,” Beatrice said. “I felt that there was much more that would have been done such as educating health workers on better understanding of the disease and strengthening clinical care.”
Time and time again, it has been necessary for Beatrice to have a strong will and determination. She has never been the type of student who looked down on herself. She has a heart to help the community and believes that an African girl deserves to achieve much even amidst all odds.
Medical Laboratory head, the Rev. Bernard Simeon Bakunda, demonstrates the Estimation of Haemoglobin by Sahli’s Technique to student Beatrice Birungi. (UCU Partners photo)
“Girls should not be put in this little picture of a small person who is only supposed to be beautiful and speak nicely,” she said. “They also can become doctors.”
She chose UCU’s School of Medicine because she was told by her dad and three other siblings who studied at UCU that she would receive a holistic education – one that addresses the hands, head and heart.
“We have a tight schedule at the School of Medicine but it is all about setting priorities right,” she said. “Our school is new, but there is a bright future for it. I love the small class because it enables us to interact with lecturers so freely, and we hope to get more and better equipment which will be used to train us into better medics.”
Beatrice also is a writer. She started working on a fictional story in 2017 and believes she will be a published author within the next two years.
Against equal opportunity challenges common to most African girls, Beatrice decided she would not allow negative people to keep her from achieving her goals. She has hope and a “no-give-up” spirit.
“I am proud to say that I have always been determined to pass and graduate as a medical doctor even though my society often believes that the girl child is only good for marriage,” she said.
Ayikoru Hilda, UCU School of Medicine Denistry Student (UgandaPartners Photo)
(In 2014, the Uganda Ministry of Health reported only 200 dentists in the entire country. In the same year (the latest available data), more than 51% of Ugandans had dental diseases, and 76% of children under age 5 and 93% of adults reportedly suffered tooth decay. If dentists were distributed geographically equitable throughout Uganda, there would be 1 dentist serving about 175,000 people – a deficit in itself but an even greater problem because Ugandan dentists tend to be located in urban and not rural areas despite the fact that Uganda’s national health policy requires that every district has at least one dentist. The rural community challenge especially hits home for Ayikoru Hilda Diana, a “freshman” student in the Bachelor of Dental Surgery program within the recently opened Uganda Christian University (UCU) School of Medicine. She’s from the sparsely served area of Arua in Uganda’s northern region. In this interview, Ayikoru Hilda shares her hopes and dreams for the field of dentistry in Uganda.)
By Brendah Ndagire How did you get drawn to Dental Surgery? During high school I loved sciences. With my interest and academic proficiency in Biology, Chemistry and Physics, I wanted to go medical school. When I was presented with the opportunity to go to Uganda Christian University’s School of Medicine, I knew that I wanted to study Dental Surgery because I have always found dentists interesting people. Besides, there are few dentists in Uganda. I have always wanted to make an impact in my community, and I thought since there are few dentists in my country and especially in the area where I was born, I would make a better impact in that field.
Apart from the shortage of dentists in Uganda, what challenges have you observed? The current challenge with dentistry field is that in most cases when some people with a toothache go to a dental clinic in Uganda, a dentist just extracts the tooth. Yet, there is more to being a dentist than just pulling out a tooth. It seems like most dentists here are only taught how to remove a tooth instead of examining different ways they can engage with patients about dental and oral hygiene and treatment.
Hilda, center, with other Dental Surgery students at the UCU Kampala Campus.(UgandaPartners Photo)
Why study at UCU School of Medicine? There are only two Ugandan universities that have a bachelor’s degree program in Dental Surgery, namely, Makerere University and Uganda Christian University. I chose UCU because I come from a Christian family, and two of my siblings have studied/are still studying at UCU. Beyond that, it is really the integration of a Christian perspective with different classes. For example, this semester, I had three science classes, Anatomy, Biochemistry, Physiology, and humanity classes such as Understanding the New Testament and Old Testament. I love having a christian perspective on issues affecting our daily lives.
In Arua District, where do you see a need for dentists? There is a lot of need for dentists in the Arua District. I remember every school term, whenever I used to go for a dental check up as a requirement for school entry, I had never seen an actual dentist. For more than 7 years, I had never seen an actual dentist! I also have lived in Fort Portal, Kabarole District, and I never saw a dentist there either. I am saying “actual” because the only thing they knew how to do was a check up and pulling out a tooth. But dentistry goes beyond tooth extraction. And the only time I have seen an actual dentist is in Kampala and neighboring urban areas, where dentist examine the oral conditions of a patient, recommend measures to take to prevent dental diseases and so forth.
Recognizing the challenges and reality of dentists in your community, what do you hope to do differently as a dental surgeon? I want to primarily teach people about the importance of teeth and oral hygiene. My mother was a midwife, and I used to go with her at the hospital. One day, a woman came and without telling the doctors what problem she had with her tooth, she asked them to remove the tooth. And I thought to myself, “you can’t just remove teeth. Learn about the problem causing the toothache, and find out whether it can be prevented or treated without removing the entire tooth.” As a dentist, the first approach is to teach people about everything regarding teeth and oral hygiene.
(UgandaPartners Photo)
Where do you hope to practice as a dentist? I would like to work in my home district of Arua because I see the greatest need for dentists there. I hope to work as a dentist, but I also hope to teach dentistry to the people there. I believe working as a dentist in Arua would help people in my community but I also think teaching them would make a greater impact. If I can do both, the better.
What has so far been the most positive aspect of studying at UCU School of Medicine?Professors/lecturers teach to make sure that we excel in our classes. Not many professors/lecturers love to teach. Some teach to fail students but I think our professors really love teaching us. I can see that they really care about us, and about the university’s good reputation.
Who do you look up to as you pursue this journey? My mother and father have been my inspiration in this field of medicine. My mother was a midwife; she passed away in 2014. And my father used to be a veterinary doctor. At UCU, I am inspired by Dr. Albert Kasangaki, the head of dentistry who also studied dental surgery and everything related to oral surgery.
Elizabeth Ekong and Faith Sebuliba at Uganda Christian University (UgandaPartners Photo)
By Brendah Ndagire
In 2006, Elizabeth Ekong and Faith Sebuliba were part of the pioneer group of students enrolled in the Nursing Program at Uganda Christian University (UCU). A dozen years later, they are close to leading it.
When they began, they did not think about the prospect of being considered the future leaders of UCU’s Nursing Program. Once they graduated with bachelor degrees in 2008, they got employed and started working as tutorial assistants for new students. As teaching assistants, they were intentionally mentored by the current founders and heads of UCU’s Nursing Department, Mrs. Jemimah Mutabaazi; and Dr. Karen Drake of Bethel University in Minnesota, USA. The mentorship process is geared towards sustaining the program leadership by putting it in the hands of Ugandans.
UCU nursing program growth UCU nursing has deepened from certificates, diplomas and bachelor degrees to offerings at the post-graduate (PG) level. The first PG program leads to a Master of Nursing Science. Other graduate degree programs are planned in midwifery, women’s health, and psychiatry as these relate to nursing.
As trailblazers, Faith and Elizabeth graduated with their Master’s in Nursing Science in 2011. They were appointed lecturers, teaching undergraduate students in nursing classes such as foundations of nursing, medical surgical, anatomy, physiology, research, and midwifery. With Mrs. Mutabaazi, they were among only four full-time lecturers in all nursing classes for a long time. In their full-time lecturer roles, “we were expected to be an all-round teachers,” Elizabeth said. Today, they still work as lecturers as well as being online PhD students of nursing through Texila American University.
Faith with some of her students, Magdalene Kokor (right) and Kemigisha Misk (left) – (Uganda Partners Photo)
What makes UCU’s Nursing Program different from other programs in other universities in Uganda is that the Bachelor of Nursing curricula at UCU includes foundation courses like world views, Christian living (New and Old Testament), Christian ethics and others that ground students in reflecting and managing their future clients as individuals that deserve the best of care.
“To me, as a nurse, it is really important to strengthen my professional as well as my Christian ethics,” Elizabeth said. “As a Christian it is important to know what kind of professional ethics I am going to portray as I practice nursing.”
“All we are and what we do is the result of our faith. It is not all about being like any other nurse or teacher, but being a Christian nurse and teacher begins with serving the Author and Giver of this life we have, and inviting others to be part of that service in our communities.” Faith Sebuliba
Passion to serve Reflecting on lessons learned as lecturers, Elizabeth and Faith both remember how they started their passion and inspiration for teaching and becoming nurses.
Faith remembers the time when she was a 6-year-old child and damaged her eardrum. She had accidentally put a stick in her ear. While she was at the hospital, she loved the nurses who took care of her in the entire healing process.
In earlier years, teaching wasn’t Elizabeth’s passion. “I had been a student and saw how teachers treated students, and I remembered that when I finished my first diploma in midwifery, I never wanted to be a teacher. Over time, I learned that I can be a teacher with a difference. This means valuing students and the work we are doing. And that’s what I wanted to do as a nursing teacher.”
Speaking about the challenges facing UCU’s Nursing Program, they have seen the main obstacles of being under-staffed due to limited funding and lower student enrolment. The program currently has some part-time staff and “the challenge with that is we are unable to stretch part-time staff. They only give you the time they have available. Our hope is that we are able to hire and have full-time lecturers in the future,” Faith said.
Regarding low student enrolment, since the program is full-time, many prospective candidates are not able to apply for full-time classes. “Many of them are already working and cannot afford to hold their work and study full-time. The enrolment numbers have been going down over the years, so our responsibility is to make sure that these number start increasing,” added Faith.
Elizabeth in class with her student Esther Gidongo. (UgandaPartners Photo)
The main question they ask themselves is how they can keep providing good quality education and also attract a good number of students in the nursing program. In future, they are looking at revising the nursing curriculum, modifying their teaching methods to include more dialogue, and the possibility of having both online and classes on campus for undergraduate students.
“We (also) intend to increase work-based learning so as to create an impact on the employability of our graduates, and strengthen employability skills for professional nurses,” Elizabeth said.
Partnerships are key Partnerships are one way of increasing the number of students coming through the bachelor and master degree pipeline. Two years ago, partnerships were forged with Bwindi and Kagando Schools of Nursing, which both offer Diplomas in Nursing. The two women intend to maintain this partnership, with the hope that if diploma graduates are interested in getting their BA in nursing, they would come to UCU.
They also hope to continue the tradition of grooming other students. And part of doing this is having an inclusive education. According to Faith, “students have different learning needs. Our responsibility is to come down to the level of students, and make sure that every student is included in the conversation we are having on a particular subject.” Being humble as a teacher also is important. Teachers can learn from students.
Success viewpoints What does success look from the two mentored nurse perspectives?
For Elizabeth, success is “when students graduate and excel in every sphere of their lives. I understand that teaching is not about me, but about what kind of graduates we put out in our communities. What makes me happy is when I see a nursing graduate having a job… [and] when our graduates are confident in what they are doing in the field.”
For Faith: “We want to see as many people come to the program and when they go out there, they are relevant to the communities they are serving.”
They are excited about the future of nursing in Uganda. According to Faith, nursing in Uganda was previously the career for someone who couldn’t qualify for university learning.
“People have looked at nursing as some kind of diversion in career,” Elizabeth said. “If you failed in this field, you can be a nurse. This led to so many people in Uganda to disrespect the field and the nurses themselves.”
Having PhD graduates within Uganda’s nursing field would enhance the profession’s credibility. “The more qualified nursing graduates are, the more chances there are that Uganda’s healthcare system is going to improve,” Faith said.
This is pertinent to their responsibility as nurses and lecturers themselves, to change the perception of nursing and nurses at UCU and in Uganda.
“We want to let people know that the nursing field is for academicians and professionals who want to give quality nursing services to the communities in Uganda,” said Elizabeth.
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The Nursing Department at UCU is grateful for the special partnership they have with Bethel University. And these two women are specifically thankful to God, Uganda Partners’ support, and UCU leadership for investing in their growth as lecturers. If you are interested in supporting UCU’s Nursing Department or its students, contact the Uganda Partners’ Executive Director, Mark Bartels, at mtbartels@gmail.com.
John and Christine Kiganda, long-time UCU supporters, pose at an October Friends of UCU event with Justice James Manage Ogoola, left standing, and UCU Deputy Vice Chancellor/Development and External Relations, David Mugawe.
Christine Kiganda’s grandfather was on the staff at Bishop Tucker Theological College in the 1920s. That’s part of the reason that she contributes to Uganda Christian University. A bigger reason, however, for both her and her husband, John, is in his words:
“Somebody helped us. We should do the same.”
Those people, according to Christine, who obtained some of her education in the United States, “didn’t know me.” Likewise, she commented while writing a 500,000-shilling ($133) check to UCU on October 25, she and students she helps at UCU today will likely never know each other.
The Kigandas are strong advocates of learning, including education for the deaf. They were among 40 mostly Ugandans who attended a “Friends of UCU” appreciation event in the Mukono campus Principal’s Hall. Christine and John operate an energy business called Battery Plus Limited in Kampala. They donate in spite of the fact that none of their three biological children went to UCU.
“The best giving is regular giving,” the Rev. Canon Dr. John Senyonyi, UCU Vice Chancellor, told the Oct. 25 participants.
The Vice Chancellor and David Mugawe, Deputy Vice Chancellor for Development and External Relations, outlined the financial needs, including the new School of Medicine and plans for a new UCU Kampala campus. Margaret Kiwanuka, UCU Development Officer, echoed appreciation to donors, distributed notebook gifts and announced the formation of a Friends of UCU WhatsApp group.
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Friends of UCU can contribute monthly or annually. Information about how to contribute through UCU Partners, located in the USA, can be obtained from Mark Bartels at mtbartels@gmail.com. Information about contributions directly to UCU can be obtained by contacting Margaret Kiwanuka at mkiwanuka@ucu.ac.ug or 0794770842.
Name: Uwimbabazi Sarah
Name: Murezi Mereth
Name: Monday Edson
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