Tag Archives: #students

UCU computer student leads best pitching team at national hackathon

June 10, 2024Faculty of Engineering, Design & Technology, News, Science and Technology, Students#News, #students, Science and TechnologyPatty Huston-Holm

Charles Muganga presenting his team's pitch at the Agri-Tech Hackathon — Charles Muganga presenting his team’s pitch at the Agri-Tech Hackathon

By Kefa Senoga
Charles Muganga, a final-year student in the Bachelor of Computer Science program at Uganda Christian University (UCU), finds himself deep in agriculture some days. Misunderstanding about what soil nutrients can yield the best crops and how data can clarify that brought him and other peers there.

When the fertility of the garden soil is poor, farmers get low quality produce. Many working the fields devise means of increasing the productivity of the soil, such as using fertilizers to add more nutrients. To apply the necessary fertilizer, a farmer must know what nutrients are deficient and what their soils need. The smallholder farmers add fertilizers based on experience, what is available on the market or what other farmers recommend. Because of the lack of knowledge of the genetic makeup of the soil, blanket application of fertilizers can lead to wrong nutrients applied to the soil, under fertilization or overfertilization.

Muganga (left) interacting with one mentor at the hackathon

Muganga and other Bachelor of Computer Science students came up with ideas that could empower farmers to increase productivity and profitability by understanding the soil data. The idea was presented at an agricultural technology event — the The Agri-Tech hackathon — hosted in Kampala in May at the Uganda Institute of Information and Communications Technology (UICT).

A hackathon is an event where, mainly computer programmers, come together to solve a problem or identify new opportunities through software programming. The May event brought together hundreds of young innovators from various universities to design digital tools that could help address critical challenges within Uganda’s agricultural sector.

“We came up with a simple testing kit with a data-driven advisory model that can test for the nutrients in the soil and advise the farmers on what kind of crops to plant,” explained Muganga, who teamed up with computer science students from other universities to develop the concept.

Muganga (second-left) and his team being awarded for the best pitch

The agricultural technology hackathon was held in collaboration with government stakeholders including the Ministry of Information and Communications Technology and National Guidance, the Ministry of Agriculture, Animal Industry and Fisheries, and the Uganda Communications Commission (UCC).

Muganga elaborated that their solution also caters to monoculture farmers who grow a single crop year after year on the same land. He described how their soil-testing kit, which is AI-integrated, can provide farmers with clear guidance, in lay language, on the most effective methods to use to continue sustaining high productivity.

“The AI is intended to avoid using technical terms such as “magnesium” and instead simplify the information for farmers. It will explain the type of manure and the quantity required in practical terms, such as recommending 50 kilograms (110 pounds) of cow dung or chicken droppings,” Muganga explained.

According to government statistics, in 2022, agriculture accounted for about 24.1% of Uganda’s Gross Domestic Product and contributed 33% of the export earnings. About 70% of Uganda’s working population is employed in the agriculture sector.

According to Uganda’s statistics agency, the Uganda Bureau of Statistics (UBOS), between 2016 and 2020, there was an 8 percent increase in households participating in subsistence agriculture, with many more people switching to the sector during the pandemic as a result of job losses. The country also has an aging farmer profile — 55 percent of the heads of the households that practice farming are over 40 years, while 20 percent over the age of 60 years.

The solution that Muganga, as team leader, and his colleagues pitched earned them a reward of sh2.2 million (about $577).

Joyce Ssebugwawo, the state minister for ICT, addressing students at the event

This hackathon that focused on utilizing technology to address agricultural challenges saw the students from different schools develop digital solutions to tackle challenges in four key agricultural areas — soil health, inputs (seeds and fertilizers), value chain issues (logistics and post-harvest handling) and water management.

The digital solutions incubated at the hackathon are expected to solve key agriculture sector challenges, for instance low uptake of improved agriculture inputs, limited access to suitable financial products and low access to reliable weather information, among others.

Uganda’s Minister of State for ICT, Joyce Ssebugwawo, who attended the hackathon, said innovations, such as those pitched at the event, have the potential to offer long-term solutions for problems in agriculture.

“We must acknowledge the persistent challenges that have hindered our progress like limited access to markets for agricultural products and gaps in technology infrastructure which continue to pose obstacles to our development efforts,” Ssebugwawo said.

The next step for Muganga and other incubators is to actualize their ideas for the benefit of Ugandan farmers.

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UCU main campus launches coffee club

June 5, 2024News, Students, UCU School of Business#News, #students, coffee, UCU School of BusinessEdwin Byarugaba

Lydia Natasha Muheire eager to taste the latte she brewed

By Irene Best Nyapendi
The allure of the aroma, taste and alertness boost of coffee has beckoned students of Uganda Christian University (UCU) for quite some time. Recently, they have bowed to the pressure, pleasure and habit through a university coffee club.

Led by Daniel Karibwije, a lecturer at the UCU School of Business and a patron of the Coffee Club, the organization is being launched more broadly in June. The launch of the club follows UCU’s signing of a memorandum of understanding with Uganda’s coffee agency, the Uganda Coffee Development Authority (UCDA). UCDA is mandated to regulate, promote and oversee the coffee industry in Uganda.

Richard Miiro Mutebi prepares to taste coffee at the UCU Incubation Hub.

As a lover of coffee, Karibwije says he was disappointed by the absence of good coffee on the UCU main campus, which sparked the idea for him to start a coffee club. In late April, members of the club received barista training, an espresso machine, a grinder, and other resources from UCDA to help them get started.

The club intends to create a platform for students to engage in coffee brewing, host student barista competitions and promote a coffee-drinking culture among the youths in the country. In Uganda, many of the people who grow coffee seek to export it, and they rarely consume it themselves.

The UCU Coffee Club is located at the UCU incubation club, where anyone can go to learn how to brew coffee or enjoy the beverage. As the club prepared for its June launch, they planned to promote coffee drinking to faculties and those attending graduation ceremonies, among other outreaches.

The club is not just for coffee drinkers; it’s open to anyone who wants to taste or learn about brewing coffee.

During his teenage years, Karibwije said he regularly interacted with a neighbor working for a coffee exporting company and many foreigners. This sparked his curiosity about their love for coffee. He wondered why they were fond of the beverage. As he acquired more knowledge and consumed the drink, he learned the benefits and health risks of coffee. The beverage has been known to improve brain function and protect against diabetes while causing headaches.

For over 25 years now, on a normal day, Karibwije drinks two to three cups of coffee.

“I love my coffee dark, without sugar or milk and I usually brew it myself,” he explained. “I also drink coffee brewed by other baristas.”

As a member of the UCU Coffee Club, Lydia Natasha Muheire, a third-year student pursuing Bachelor of Science in Accounting and Finance, has discovered a new passion – brewing coffee.

UCU Coffee Club Members share a light moment with the team from UCDA joined by Daniel Karibwije (center in checked shirt)

Muheire’s previous exposure to coffee was limited to helping her grandparents collect coffee beans in the plantation.

“I don’t like milk, but mixing it with coffee transforms it into my favorite drink,” Muheire said. “That’s how I fell in love with cappuccino and latte – they offer a delightful aroma and flavor combination.”

Muheire added: “I was excited to join the coffee club, having always admired baristas and thought about becoming one.”

Richard Miiro Mutebi, a member of the UCU Coffee Club, was born to small-scale coffee farmers. To him, coffee is something he turned to whenever he wanted or needed to be up later than usual.

“I haven’t always been a coffee enthusiast,” Mutebi said. “However, I often turned to coffee when I needed to stay up late at night because it’s known to boost alertness.”

Uganda is among the highest coffee exporters globally, and second in Africa. Despite being one of the largest coffee producers in Africa, Uganda’s coffee industry remains largely untapped by its citizens, with only 5% of its coffee being consumed locally. Globally, the highest exporters of coffee are Brazil, Switzerland, Germany and the Netherlands.

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Tragedy propels Save the Mothers alum into advocacy for maternal health

June 3, 2024News, Students, UCU Alumni#News, #students, Mbale, UCU Alumni, UCU Save the MothersPatty Huston-Holm

Boaz Mbagaya (left) poses with staff at the Mbale People’s Hospital that evolved from People’s Life Care Foundation, the non-profit that he founded.

By Pauline Luba
In 1984, as Boaz Mbagaya reported back to school, he was not at peace. His expecting mother was ill, and Mbagaya worried for the worse. That very week that the 18-year-old reported to school, he was called back home. His mother and the unborn baby had died.

Mbagaya’s mother lost her life to complications she developed during childbirth. That incident left such an indelible mark in the life of Mbagaya that he made an immediate decision to lead the fight against maternal and child mortality.

“We should do everything in our power to stop mothers from dying,” said Mbagaya, who grew up in a family of 16 children.

Because there were many children, most of them had to support themselves and their father, George Mbagaya, and raise money for their school fees. Boaz Mbagaya supported his father by farming and brewing local gin, which they later sold for fees.

Mbale People’s Hospital, a non-profit facility in eastern Uganda.

After secondary school, Mbagaya joined Makerere University in Uganda, to pursue a course in Mental Health and Community Psychology. He pursued the Master in Public Health Leadership (MPHL) under the Save the Mothers program at Uganda Christian University (UCU) — a course that would later provide him the platform to fulfill his earlier passion for healthier expectant mothers.

With this program, Mbagaya believed he could do something to change the narrative of the high mortality rate, especially in rural Uganda.

“The course helped me see the many challenges that the community faces,” said Mbagaya, who also studied clinical medicine at Mbale College of Health Sciences.

During the MPHL program, students would move to different geographical areas to learn about maternal needs.

According to the Save the Mothers website, the program offers the Master of Public Health Leadership to working professionals from a wide range of disciplines, and not only the health discipline. Save the Mothers East Africa hosts the MPHL at UCU.

The program started at UCU in 2005, with the aim of training multi-disciplinary professionals and contributing to improving maternal and child health in developing countries. The students pursuing the course study on a part-time basis over two years, completing the modular program with an intensive community outreach project.

According to the 2022 Uganda Government statistics, the Maternal Mortality Ratio is at 189 per 100,000 live births while the infant mortality stands at 34 per 1,000 live births. Globally, according to the United Nations, by 2020, there were 223 deaths per 100,000 live births.

Upon completing school, Mbagaya started a non-profit facility, the People’s Life Care Foundation, to help him promote and strengthen the health care system in Uganda. That foundation gave birth to Mbale People’s Hospital, a facility located in eastern Uganda. Mbagaya is currently the Managing Director of the facility.

Among the many outpatient and inpatient services provided at the facility is obstetrics and gynecology. Mbagaya also has broken sweat, trying to combat obstetric fistula. According to the United Nations Population Fund, obstetric fistula is a tragic childbirth injury, where a hole develops between the birth canal and the bladder and/or the rectum. It is caused by prolonged, obstructed labor without access to timely, high-quality medical treatment.

The hospital began identifying mothers suffering from obstetric fistula for treatment. Some of the patients would even be transported to the hospital. So far, according to Mbagaya, 14 women have undergone reconstructive surgery and gotten rid of the hole.

“There was a 51-year-old who finally got help after living with the condition for a long time,” Mbagaya said. He noted that many of the women who got medical relief had lost hope while some had lost their husbands to other people.

Barter trade
According to Mbagaya, whenever his mother got pregnant, she would offer goodies to the midwife, in anticipation for “better attention” when she went to the health facility to give birth. Mbagaya narrates that even when the health personnel visited his mother at home after delivery, she would offer them foodstuffs. It is this gesture, Mbagaya says, that, many years later, pushed him into accepting produce as exchange for services rendered at the Mbale People’s Hospital for those who do not have the money to pay the fees.

He said he noticed how many people in the community were farmers and had produce, all of which had monetary value. Therefore, he set up a system where people, especially in the event of emergencies, could pay with produce, instead of money, which they didn’t have. As long as people put items that quantify the service they would be receiving, all would be well. This arrangement made Mbagaya popular among the people.

“I once spent a month only eating the foodstuffs that had been offered to me in exchange for healthcare,” Mbagaya, now age 57, said.

He hopes that one day, one of his four children will also develop interest in medicine and follow in his footsteps, to ensure the legacy of the family, as well as the hospital continues.

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‘I needed the PhD to bolster my capacity’

May 30, 2024Faculty, News, Students, UCU School of Social Sciences#News, #students, UCU School of Social SciencesPatty Huston-Holm

In April 2024, Martin Kizito, a senior lecturer at UCU, earned a PhD from the University of Pretoria in South Africa

By Irene Best Nyapendi
Martin Kizito’s mother wanted her son to be a teacher. Kizito dreamed of being a political scientist.

Despite his uncertainty about the career choice clash and some guilt over disappointing his mom, Kizito stuck to his aspiration and applied for a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science at Makerere University.

To further cement his political science goal, Kizito joined student leadership at Makerere. As a leader, he had a “baptism by fire” when an accident claimed the life of a student and he was tasked with the duty of informing the student community. He wrote the letter, and because the student was popular, some students cited foul play in the death. When students conducted a demonstration over the demise, Kizito was accused of inciting that action.

That experience caused Kizito to move away from his childhood ambition of politics. It is also at that point that he discovered that it was within his means to resurrect the wish of his mother — becoming a teacher. Kizito turned his attention to performing well, so he could be retained as a teaching assistant at the university.

For that to happen, he needed to get a first-class degree. And he did. Makerere University thus retained Kizito as a teaching assistant. And, Kizito, who was recently a recipient of a Doctor of Philosophy, never looked back.

In July 2008, he started working at Uganda Christian University (UCU) on a part-time basis, becoming a full-time staff member a year later.

In 2016, when Kizito was appointed the Head of the Department of Public Administration and Governance at UCU, it dawned on him that the university had begun to entrust him with big assignments, and, therefore, he needed to return to school to pursue a doctorate, to achieve the academic readiness for large tasks.

“Being head of department meant I built the standard for the rest so I felt challenged,” Kizito said. “At some of the committees where I represented UCU as head of department, almost everybody was a professor.”

At the time, Kizito had a Master’s in Public Administration and Management (Makerere University), a Postgraduate Diploma in Monitoring and Evaluation (Uganda Management Institute) and a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science (Makerere).

A few months into his role as head of department, Kizito was also appointed co-ordinator of the Master of Research and Public Policy program at UCU. Additionally, he was asked to represent UCU on the steering committee of Partnership for African Social and Governance Research.

He also was involved in the establishment of the Master of Governance and International Relations program, as well as the review of the programs of Master of Research and Public Policy and the Master of Public Administration and Management.

At the time, he was teaching two undergraduate programs: Bachelor of Governance and International Relations and Bachelor of Public Administration and Management.

“I would feel that God had granted me opportunities, but I needed the PhD to bolster my capacity,” Kizito said. “I told myself fortune favors a prepared man, so I wanted a PhD to be ready to maximize any opportunities that would come my way.”

“My parents loved education. So, I knew that a PhD would make my mum proud because many people really want to see their children get the best from school.”

His hunt for a scholarship yielded fruits in 2020 with admission to the University of Pretoria in South Africa.

While grateful, his physical studies in South Africa meant sacrificing time away from his wife, Angella, and five-year-old daughter. Additionally, during his second year, he needed to return to Uganda when Angella, now in recovery, was diagnosed with cancer.

“It was a tough time, moving to different hospitals, taking care of my wife during the day, and having to study at night to catch up with university deadlines,” he said.

This slowed down his progress, making him graduate after four years instead of three.

Kizito’s research focus was on developing a model for enhancing evaluation influence on policy design. A design that effectively contributes to a better policy environment, evidence-based policy design, and implementation in Africa.

In his research, he looked at the African Peer Review Mechanism, a system that evaluates how well countries are governed, as stipulated by the constitution of the African Union. He noticed there were not many studies about “African ways of evaluating things,” which could help leaders understand how to turn evaluations into actual policies.

The study recommends inclusive participation in evaluation input, activities aligned with government plans, institutionalizing government-wide reporting on National Plan of Action implementation, and establishing a well-domesticated legal framework.

After his April 2024 graduation, Kizito now envisions providing advisory services and contributing to the development of short courses on policy-related matters.

“I believe there are many individuals that need this knowledge but cannot commit to a PhD program due to time constraints, so developing a short course in policy-related matters is paramount,” he said.

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Tanzania exchange program exposes UCU students to world of community work

May 23, 2024News, Students, UCU Alumni, UCU School of Social Sciences#News, #students, Community work. water, food security, UCU Alumni, UCU School of Social SciencesPatty Huston-Holm

Community-Based Monitoring course (CBM) students test the safety of water in one of the villages.

By Irene Best Nyapendi
Seven Uganda Christian University (UCU) students have had a resume-building experience during a five-week internship at a university in Tanzania. The students participated in a Community-Based Monitoring (CBM) course at Mzumbe University’s main campus in Morogoro, Tanzania, from March 30 to May 5, 2024.

CBM is a co-creation course facilitated and co-ordinated by the Institute of Development Policy (IOB) – University of Antwerp, Belgium and Mzumbe University.

The course, which brought together students from the United States, Uganda, Tanzania, Belgium, Bangladesh, DR Congo, Cameroon, Ghana, Peru and Indonesia, was aimed at equipping students with skills and knowledge in community-led development and sustainability. It was delivered through theoretical sessions, skills labs and action labs, where students worked directly with local communities to identify development challenges and use evidence to influence designing of alternative interventions by duty bearers.

The students who participated in the CBM course

The UCU team included Amenyo Sarah, Bigala Cathryn, Baraka Peter, Lubega Daniel, Mubeezi Simon and Vincent Manimani, who are students of Master of Development Monitoring and Evaluation; and Sagal Macrina, who is pursuing a Postgraduate Diploma in Development Monitoring and Evaluation.

The invitation to the UCU School of Social Sciences was based on the collaboration that IOB-University of Antwerp has had with UCU.

The facilitators were led by Prof. Nathalie Holvoet from the University of Antwerp. Other facilitators included Dr. Sara Dewachter (IOB-University of Antwerp), Doreen Kyando (Mzumbe University), Dr. Alellie Sobrevinas (De La Salle University), Solomon Mwije (UCU), and Dr. Christina M. Shitima (Mzumbe University)..

Dr. Waiswa Jeremy, the UCU Head of Postgraduate Studies and Research – School of Social Sciences — noted that the students who participated in the program this year formed the inaugural cohort.

According to Waiswa, the course enhances students’ skills and enables them to implement the theories they learn in class.

“While we teach theoretical concepts in the classroom, this program provides students with the opportunity to put their knowledge into practice,” Waiswa said. “This helps our students concretize their understanding and allows them to test theoretical frameworks in real-world scenarios, discerning what works and what doesn’t.”

Cathryn Bigala, presenting research findings during the CBM program

Solomon, a UCU lecturer, said during the program, they undertook three CBM projects on education, water and food security.

He explained that by working on real-world projects, UCU students developed essential skills in presenting their findings and engaging with the communities.

He said those who participated are expected to become change agents and share knowledge with colleagues. The students learned about how local communities in Tanzania are addressing issues related to development challenges. They acquired skills in data collection, analysis and community engagement.

What beneficiary UCU students said
Cathryn Bigala, a second-year student pursuing Master of Development Monitoring and Evaluation, said her most memorable moment in Tanzania was visiting villages to meet respondents affected by food insecurity and water scarcity.

The findings revealed that poverty and natural disaster situations like pests, floods, and elephants that destroy crops have devastating effects on locals.

Sagal Macrina, presenting research findings during the CBM program

“This has caused fear among the locals, and as a result, people have abandoned farming for quarrying as an alternative to fend for their families,” Bigala said.

Through the program, Bigala says she acquired practical skills in community data collection and analysis, respondent interviewing, and monitoring development projects at the community level.

Bigala noted that the program prepared her to think critically about community concerns, be an advocate for the underprivileged, and collaborate with individuals from diverse cultural backgrounds.

Sagal Macrina, a finalist pursuing a Postgraduate Diploma in Development Monitoring and Evaluation, says she participated in a CBM water project to test water safety, identify unsafe water sources, and present results to the community.

“During the water project, we implemented a flag system to indicate safe and unsafe water sources,” Macrina said. “We put green flags to indicate safe water sources and also put up red and orange flags to indicate the unsafe water sources prompting government action, where necessary.”

The program also helped her develop interpersonal and communication skills.

“Through the program, I learned better communication skills as I had to present findings to the community and other stakeholders,” Macrina noted.

Simon Mubeezi, presenting research findings during the CBM program

She also appreciated the experience of working with peers from diverse cultural backgrounds, which broadened her worldview and helped her appreciate the nuances of working in a multicultural team.

Simon Mubeezi, a second-year student of Master of Development Monitoring and Evaluation, said he acquired skills in research methodology and data analysis.

By engaging directly with the local community through data collection, he says he gained insights into the farmers’ adaptive and coping strategies to climate change and their agricultural practices.

“This program showed me the importance of integrating local knowledge with academic research to effectively address food security concerns,” Mubeezi noted.

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UCU alum’s innovation reduces post-harvest losses

May 21, 2024Faculty of Agricultural Sciences, News, Students, UCU Alumni#News, #students, Sio Valley Technologies, UCU Alumni, UCU Faculty of Agriculture, vegetablesPatty Huston-Holm

Jean Paul Nageri (middle) with his award for Most Innovative Export company early this year. Third Right is Uganda’s Prime Minister Robinah Nabbanja while second-right is the Head of the European Delegation to Uganda, Ambassador Jan Sadek. Second-left is Uganda’s Minister for Investment, Evelyne Anite.

By Kefa Senoga
In 2017, the father of Jean Paul Nageri planted more than 100 acres of bananas in Busia, eastern Uganda. As is usually the norm, towards harvest time, a middleman promised to buy all the bananas at harvest. The harvest time came, but the middleman never showed up. The result? Most of the bananas either got rotten in the garden or were sold at a give-away price.

The pain of that loss was so unbearable for Nageri that the next year, he was in the laboratory, working out a solution to mitigate the gravity of the depletion his father suffered. He suspected there was a solution, but did not know exactly what it was. And the tests in the laboratory led him to something that was more like putting into practice the course he had studied at Uganda Christian University (UCU), where he received a Bachelor of Agricultural Science and Entrepreneurship.

Nageri explaining his innovation at a conference.

Nageri sought to extend the shelf life of many fruits and vegetables by slowing down their rate of spoilage while being kept at room temperature without any form of refrigeration – a move that democratizes food storage and removes barriers to enable everyone to keep food fresh, regardless of whether you have a cold room or not. In Uganda, room temperature is about 25 degrees Celsius (77 Fahrenheit).

So, how does Nageri’s innovation work?

He explained that using the skins of oranges, mangoes, bananas and other fruits in the lab, he was able to extract compounds, which he later turned into powder. The powder is blended with water, which is then used for coating the fruits and vegetables. The coating, which he has named Ka Fresh and is produced by his firm, Sio Valley Technologies, is edible.

“Most of the knowledge I am applying now is what I obtained in class at the university,” he said. “I am working with other scientists who are also applying the same knowledge in biotechnology.”

Nageri with his jam products during his university days

For this innovation, Sio Valley Technologies was early this year awarded the Most Innovative Export company at the third annual Uganda/EU Business Summit. Nageri received the award from Uganda’s Prime Minister Robinah Nabbanja. The Head of the European Union Delegation to Uganda, Ambassador Jan Sadek, was also present at the awards gala.

The World Food Program estimates that as of last year, more than 333 million people in the world were facing acute levels of food insecurity; they did not know where their next meal would come. The situation is compounded by the fact that the cost of delivering food assistance was at an all-time high because of the increase in the prices of food and fuel.

Despite the hunger situation, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations estimates that 30-40% of total food production is lost before it reaches the market. But with the Ka Fresh solution, Nageri aims to overcome this challenge, so that farmers can have more bargaining power over their produce while in the market without fear of it getting rotten while on the shelf.

Some fruits and vegetables that have been coated with Nageri’s solution, he says, are now able to stay fresh for up to three times their natural shelf life. Nageri says tests in the laboratory have indicated that tomatoes that have been coated with Ka Fresh, for example, are able to stay for more than 70 days under room temperature without refrigeration.

Nageri’s innovation should come as good news for exporters who are currently scratching their heads for solutions to the rising cost of air freight. Currently, according to the World Bank, it costs 12 to 16 times more to transport a commodity through air than sea and yet exporters opt for air transport because some commodities cannot last the more than 30 days it takes most of the ships to travel from African ports to Europe.

The journey to the Ka Fresh innovation saw Nageri team up with a friend, Lorna Orubo, to make tomato jam as a student at UCU and then mayonnaise, as his final-year project to meet the requirements for the award of his degree.

“If you are building the right solution to a challenge, capital will always follow you and the right people will always want to surround themselves with you,” Nageri says, noting that for now, he is more focused on fine-tuning his innovation than looking at what he stands to benefit from it.

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UCU engaged in phase 2 of Uganda’s yellow fever vaccination campaign

May 16, 2024News, Students#News, #students, Health, Uganda, vaccinations, yellow feverPatty Huston-Holm

Esther Kisakye, one of the first recipients of the vaccine at UCU

By Irene Best Nyapendi
In April, Uganda underwent the second phase of a vaccination campaign against yellow fever disease that is spread through a bite from an infected Aedes mosquito, informally known as the “tiger” mosquito because of its black and white markings.

The campaign, which covered 53 districts, including Mukono, where the main campus of Uganda Christian University (UCU) is located, took place from April 2 to 8.

At the launch of the administration of the vaccination at Mehta Primary School in Lugazi Municipality, Buikwe District, on April 4, 2024, Dr. Yonas Tegegn Woldemariam, the Uganda representative with the World Health Organization (WHO), said they expected to reach at least 90% of the intended population in this second phase of the vaccination. The campaign targeted vaccinating 14.4 million people ages 1 to 60.

The first phase of the vaccination took place in June last year, targeting 13.3 million people. A total of 9.4 million people were reached during the first phase, according to Dr. Tegegn Woldemariam.

In 2017, a global strategy called Eliminate Yellow Fever Epidemics (EYE) was developed by WHO and a coalition of partners such as the United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF) and Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, to eradicate yellow fever by 2026. It is expected that by the end of 2026, almost 1 billion people ages 1-60 in high-risk African countries will be protected against yellow fever.

USA citizens over age 1 must have the yellow fever vaccination certificate to enter Uganda. Americans pay around $200 each for the yellow fever vaccine. Some other countries that require proof of yellow fever vaccination for entrance include Algeria, Angola, Australia, Bahamas, Nigeria and Kenya.

Since 2010, Uganda has had an escalating number of yellow fever outbreaks with confirmed cases reported in the northern parts of the country. In 2020, there were cases in parts of northwestern and western Uganda. Most recently, in 2023, yellow fever outbreaks were recorded in some central parts of the country.

UCU students waiting to be vaccinated at Allan Galpin Health Center

According to WHO, a single dose of the yellow fever vaccine provides lifelong protection without any need for booster doses. A total of 80-100% of the vaccinated people are immune to the disease within 10 days and more than 99% within 30 days.

With some exceptions, the yellow fever vaccine is free only for Ugandan children less than a year old. For others, government health facilities charge Sh102,000 (about $27) per yellow fever vaccine.

The UCU Allan Galpin Health Centre was one of the facilities earmarked for free vaccination during the second phase in April. Abdul Wahabu Kakooza, a Nursing Officer in charge of vaccinations at Galpin, urged members of the community to embrace the vaccination. He said signs and symptoms of yellow fever may be confused with malaria, leptospirosis, viral hepatitis, other haemorrhagic fevers, infection with other flaviviruses (such as dengue), or poisoning.

According to Dr. Stephen Mulindwa, the Health Officer for Mukono District, 520,000 people were vaccinated in Mukono District. He urged more people to get vaccinated.

“People should beware that yellow fever can damage the liver and kidney, and this may lead to death,” Mulindwa said. “The vaccine is safe, and people should embrace it.”

In April, 1,000 students, staff and some community members were vaccinated at Allan Galpin.

Voices from the UCU Community
Esther Kisakye, a UCU year-three student pursuing a Bachelor of Science in Accounting and Finance, was among the first individuals to receive the yellow fever vaccination at Allan Galpin.

“I urge the public to get vaccinated to keep safe from yellow fever,” Kisakye said.

Emmanuel Isabirye, a Teaching Assistant at UCU who got vaccinated, believes that vaccines have helped combat diseases like polio. He emphasised that yellow fever is a severe illness and should be taken seriously.

Dickson Tumuramye, Head of the UCU Honors College, said that since the yellow fever vaccine is now mandatory for international travel, he was left with no choice but to comply.

“I saw the campaign as an opportunity to get a free vaccination,” Tumuramye said.

For his children, he gave consent for them to be vaccinated at their school.

“I realised that if we did not get vaccinated, it would potentially cause challenges in the future, such as when we want to travel or when schools start asking for vaccination cards,” he said.

On the other hand, some members of the UCU community believe the Uganda Ministry of Health could have done more awareness ahead of and during the administration for more-informed response.

“The Ministry of Health did not sensitise enough about the vaccine and its potential side effects,” said Eriah Lule, the Communications Assistant for the UCU Alumni Association, explaining some of the cause of vaccine hesitancy. Those side effects include headaches and low-grade fevers.

Hope Akello, a resident of Mukono district, did not get vaccinated, questioning the cost.

The Government ran advertisements in the media about the campaign. During the official launch of the weeklong campaign on April 4, the Permanent Secretary at Uganda’s Ministry of Health, Dr. Diana Atwine, urged the population to reject misinformation surrounding vaccines. She reassured the public of their safety and efficacy, emphasising that “immunisation efforts are crucial in safeguarding public health and reducing disease prevalence.”

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‘Life was hard’ – Rev. Dr. Mulindwa, new PhD recipient

May 14, 2024Bishop Tucker School of Divinity and Theology, News, Students, UCU Alumni#News, #students, Bishop Tucker School of Divinity and Theology, PhD, South Africa, UCU AlumniPatty Huston-Holm

Rev. Dr. Richard Muwonge Mulindwa during his graduation in South Africa

By Kefa Senoga
For the first time in 15 years, the Rev. Dr. Mulindwa Richard Muwonge is not in a university class. He is also not chasing after a deadline for a class assignment. And this is because he recently completed his education, earning a Doctor of Philosophy in Biblical and Religious Studies from the University of Pretoria in South Africa.

Mulindwa, the Church Relations Manager at Uganda Christian University (UCU), joined Uganda’s Kyambogo University in 2009 to pursue Bachelor of Arts in Development Studies. Upon receiving that award, he immediately enrolled for Master of Science in Public Health at UCU and thereafter, Master of Divinity, also from UCU.

Now, there is a PhD for a boy whose parents passed away before he was 12 years old and his grandmother-guardian just four years later. This is nothing short of a miracle for the youth who could hardly afford to eat. When Buule Samson and Mary Katusabe departed, the role of looking after their son rested with the latter’s grandmother who died by the time the grandson was age 16. At the time, he had just completed Senior One at Lugazi High School in central Uganda.

UCU Deputy Vice Chancellor for Finance David Mugawe (left); UCU Chaplain, the Rev. Eng. Paul Wasswa Ssembiro (center); and the Rev. Dr. Mulindwa (right) at the GAFCON conference in Kigali last year.

“After the death of my grandmother, I became independent and survived on my own. Life was hard, tough and full of struggles,” Mulindwa said, explaining how he took up odd jobs to raise money for his school fees.

However, he was only able to raise money for Senior Two. By Senior Three, he was no longer in position to raise the amount of money required for his fees.

“When the school where I was studying got wind of my dilemma, they employed me,” Mulindwa said. “I was cooking porridge at school, cleaning classrooms and doing casual work. In return, I would not pay school fees.”

He notes that despite his commitments at school, he would find two days in a week to work in some garages to earn more income.

Through that arrangement, Mulindwa was able to stay in school up to the second term of Senior Five, when he dropped out because the school got a new headteacher who cancelled the work-study plan.

Mulindwa kept out of school for the next seven years. During this break from formal education, he found support from the family of the Rev. Capt. Titus Baraka. Their paths crossed when Baraka became the parish priest of Mulindwa’s home area in Mukono district.

With the support from vision for Africa, Mulindwa pursued a certificate program in motor vehicle mechanics at the Nakawa Vocational Training Institute. He was later employed by the Mukono diocese as a driver and mechanic.

Mulindwa says he seized the opportunity of working in the diocese to get a bursary in the church-founded schools to continue with formal education. He joined Mukono High School to complete Senior Five and later moved to Kisowera Secondary School for Senior Six.

“Studying as an old man was a challenge as I often got mocked,” he recalled. “But I had to swallow my pride and go for what I wanted.”

His bachelor’s degree at Kyambogo University was sponsored by Good Samaritans from the USA, the Master of Public Health Leadership at UCU was sponsored by Save the Mothers while the Master of Divinity was through a scholarship from the Bishop Tucker School of Divinity and Theology.

He plans to use his PhD to advance the mission of spreading Christianity through teaching, learning and research to contribute valuable insights to the church, engaging in pastoral work, preaching the gospel, and serving as a role model to inspire others to pursue further studies.

Mulindwa’s area of research was marriage, with a focus on “the drivers of infidelity among members of the clergy in the Church of Uganda.”

He believes that without the patience of his family members — wife Deborah and children — he would not have completed his PhD program. Despite being sponsored for his education, in many instances, he still had to contribute some funds towards the expenses, thereby depriving his family of some of their basic needs.

He notes that balancing family time with work, and studies was not easy for him. But he did it. Mulindwa also serves as the chaplain for Makerere College School.

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Non-profit empowers youth through basketball

May 1, 2024News, Sports, Students, UCU School of Social Sciences#News, #social work, #students, sportsPatty Huston-Holm

Ekirapa Zachariah playing for the UCU Canons.

By Pauline Luba
A decade ago, the paths of Bwambale Kennedy, who was preaching the gospel, and Ekirapa Zachariah, who had a passion for playing basketball, crossed. At the time, Bwambale was using music, art and sports to help youth identify their purpose in life. Ekirapa’s great skills in playing basketball made him a natural fit for Bwambale’s programs.

But it was not through basketball that Bwambale first met Ekirapa. The latter had been interested in joining the music classes of the former. It was from there that Bwambale convinced Ekirapa to try out his skills in basketball, too. At the time, Ekirapa was a Senior Two student at Blessed Victor Senior Secondary in Mityana district located in central Uganda.

Since that meeting between Ekirapa and Bwambale, the two have influenced youth behaviour change for years through Holy Street Basketball, an academy that they started. The initiative also helps nurture talent, restore hope and transform lives, especially among children living in slums in Kampala. After setting up the academy, they began reaching out to families during holidays to interest the parents in letting their children learn basketball.

Ekirapa is one example of talent nurtured through the academy. Despite being one of the founders of the academy, Ekirapa also has been one of its beneficiaries. Presently, the 24-year-old plays basketball for the UCU Canons, a basketball team of Uganda Christian University (UCU). The UCU Canons, one of the most successful basketball teams in Uganda, plays in the country’s premier basketball league, the National Basketball League (NBL), with several championships under its belt.

The Holy Street Basketball academy focuses on training the youth on skills in basketball by professionally-trained coaches. It also holds regular camps and tournaments, where the children showcase their skills and promote healthy competition.

During the camps, the academy also conducts workshops to promote self-esteem and training in life skills. According to the organization’s website, the workshops address topics such as communication skills, teamwork, nutrition, health and conflict management, among others.

“The academy will produce the best players in Uganda. It’s going to change basketball in the country,” Ekirapa, who was raised by a single mother, said during the interview. The Holy Street Basketball Academy is part of the Holy Street Outreach International, a non-profit organisation. Bwambale is the Executive Director of the non-profit, and Ekirapa is a volunteer.

Auma Angella is another of the success stories of the academy. In 2020, Akello Daphne went to train in basketball with Auma, her 13-year-old sister. Often, Auma would sit by the side, watching her sister on the court. However, Auma’s consistency in going with her sister for the training drew the attention of the coaches, who urged her to join the court too. She hesitated. However, after the coaches gave Auma a nudge, on August 1, 2020, she tried out her skills in basketball. Just after three months on the court, the coaches in the academy had noticed the talent that Auma possessed.

Because of that exposure, she got a full scholarship to study at St. Noah Girls Secondary School, Zana, near Kampala.

In October 2021, Auma was invited to Uganda’s Under-15 national basketball team for girls to participate in the Federation of International Basketball Association (FIBA) U15 Skills Challenge. The tournament took place in Uganda.

Last year, Auma’s school, Buddo Secondary School, won the Africa Schools Sports Federation 3×3 in Morocco. In the tournament, Auma was named the Most Valuable Player.

There are many other players who have secured scholarships through the skills they acquired at the basketball academy. Ekirapa is one of them. In May 2024, he joins UCU to pursue Bachelor of Social Work and Social Administration. He recently completed his Diploma in Arts and Design from the Michelangelo College of Creative Arts Kisubi near Kampala.

Ekirapa, the son of Ekirapa Godfrey, who is self-employed, and Ekirapa Harriet, a school bursar, is the third born of six children.

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UCU duo seeks to create affordable robotic wheelchair

April 29, 2024Faculty of Engineering, Design & Technology, News, Students#News, #students, Design and Technology, disability, Faculty of EngineeringPatty Huston-Holm

By Kefa Senoga
Sekamatte Solomon and Jamugisa Paul, final-year students at Uganda Christian University (UCU), have resolved to make their three years at the university count through an innovation they think will be useful to the Ugandan community. The duo is working on a robotic wheelchair to help people with disabilities to live more independently.

Using an already-made prototype, Sekamatte and Jamugisa have started the process of actualizing their initiative. According to Sekamatte, they chose the idea of a robotic wheelchair because “it solves problems of the everyday person.” The two are students of the Bachelor of Computer Science at UCU.

In Uganda, only two per cent of the 12.4 percent of persons living with some form of disability have access to assistive technology services, such as the conventional power wheelchairs.

“We realised that many people with movement impairments face difficulties with their movement due to the fact that some need attendants to push them in the wheelchairs while others must exert some effort to use the wheelchair,” Sekamatte says.

People whose neuromuscular structures and functions have been affected end up losing independence in the daily personal activities that they perform. As a result, they rely more on other people helping them to get along. However, Sekamatte and Jamugisa want to change, or at least reduce this trend by enabling effective communication between the person and the wheelchair.

The duo says whenever they present the prototype of their idea, many people wonder what makes it unique because similar wheelchairs have already been created and are available on the market.

However, they justify their concept by emphasizing that their goal is to make a low-cost robotic wheelchair. They argue that because the existing models have to be transported over long distances, by the time they get to Uganda, they are quite expensive, making it difficult for an ordinary Ugandan to afford.

To reduce production costs, Jamugisa says they plan to use locally-made materials in Uganda.

“We are planning to import limited things while manufacturing the wheel chair, for example the seat can be made locally, the steel, wheels and mortars can also be got locally,” Jamugisa says.

According to Sekamatte, they intend to use sensors as a safety precaution, aiming to implement obstacle avoidance capabilities in the wheelchair.

“If there is an obstacle like a car in front, the wheel chair should automatically stop moving,” he says.

He adds that they also have plans of adding a Global Positioning System (GPS) so that the wheelchair can be tracked. This is to enable the caretakers to easily monitor the movement of the people living with disabilities such that they can be able to assist in case of an emergency.

According to Jamugisa, the monitoring and control functions will be managed through a smartphone.

“We came up with a mechanism where the wheelchair can be controlled via bluetooth or via a mobile application” Jamugisa says.

He says they are considering adding a voice recognition application that could allow someone to command the chair using their voice, especially if they cannot use their hands.

“This is a gradual process that moves in phases because whatever you implement, you have to get feedback; if it is not satisfactory, we have to improve,” Jamugisa explains.

Both Sekamatte and Jamugisa have had passions for technology since childhood. Jamugisa shares his long-standing fascination with robotics. He says that when he enrolled for the course at UCU, he discovered that it’s possible to create some of the technology products in people’s daily lives.

Despite his intense love for technology, Sekamatte says he originally intended to pursue a career in culinary arts because he loves cooking. However, his father convinced him otherwise. Even then, he intends to return to school to learn how to cook some of the continental dishes.

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UCU Arua Campus wins regional quality award

December 30, 2022News#News, #students, UCU AlumniPatty Huston-Holm

The award that was given to UCU Arua Campus

By Kefa Senoga
Uganda Christian University’s (UCU) Arua Campus has won a prestigious regional award as the best higher institution of learning in West Nile for 2022. The West Nile Quality Brands Awards are given to entities that operate in the northwestern part of Uganda.

The criteria for selecting the awardees involved assessing their economic sustainability, operational effectiveness, level of technology adoption, progressive leadership and culture, as well as social and community contribution, commitment and perseverance.

While receiving the award at a hotel in the northwestern district of Arua on December 9, 2022, the UCU Arua Campus Director, the Rev. Julius Tabbi Izza, said it represents the voice of the community about what they know regarding UCU and that it tasks the administration of the university with continuing to offer quality services to the community.

“Four institutions were nominated alongside UCU and it was upon the public to vote, so this is a testimony regarding what the public knows about UCU and, it gives us confidence that the community loves what we do and that they trust us,” Tabbi said.

The nomination and voting processes constituted 70% of the brand score, while the results from the judging panel constituted 30%. The university campus garnered 63.32% out of 70% of the votes from the public.

The West Nile Quality Brands Awards was set up to recognize excellence among companies, businesses, start-ups and individuals who have made a positive contribution to the region. The awardees must demonstrate excellence in the service they offer, show evidence of innovation and customer service, as well as professionalism and inclusiveness in the work they engage in.

The awards organizers said the UCU Arua Campus was awarded for demonstrating its ability to equip students with quality, innovative skills, as well as providing hands-on skills courses that meet the market demands of professionals.

Taking advantage of its state-of-the-art online technology, the awards committee said UCU was the first university to embrace online learning for students prior to and during the Covid-19 pandemic, and that this helped many complete studies within the stipulated time. It added that all the achievements were possible because “UCU’s transformational leadership has enabled organizational learning.”

Albe Akasa, the president of the West Nile Quality Brands, said: “Winning portrays the trust that people have in UCU since these are largely people-centered competitions; it, therefore, shows that UCU is performing well, from the perspective of the people it serves.”

As part of the benefits that UCU is entitled to as a winner, the university’s profile and advertisement will be published in the awards Winners Directory Book. Also to be profiled will be a documentary showcasing UCU’s activities.

The UCU Arua Campus was established in August 2003. Formerly, it was St. Paul’s Regional Theological College, offering diploma and certificate courses in Theology, as well as training of Lay Readers.

The campus, which started with 80 students and 27 academic and non-academic staff now boasts a student enrolment of over 600 and about 100 staff.

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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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Community visits reinforce practical side of Ugandan health care

June 18, 2020COVID-19, Faculty of Public Health, Nursing and Midwifery, Students, UCU School of Medicine#CommunityService, #FamilyPlanning, #healthcare, #MedicalSchool, #Nolockdown, #Nurses, #students, #UgandaChristianUniversity, Mukono, Poverty, UgandaPartnersPatty Huston-Holm

UCU Nursing student Nankya Brenda Diana visits a village family

By Patty Huston-Holm

Four plastic cups of passion juice. Several crumbling, miniature queen cakes. Bananas. Two melting strawberry and vanilla ice cream cones – a relatively new treat on the Uganda Christian University (UCU) Mukono campus. Laughter.

For 15 of the university’s year-four nursing students, that’s how the ride in a burgundy and white bus in central Uganda’s scorching heat started.

Loosely called a “community visit,” this weekly trek supplements learning that takes place in classrooms and laboratories on the campus. The trips into remote villages enable students to see the practical side of health care in their final months before graduation. In years one, two and three, the book, lecture and Internet knowledge have been complemented with real-world experiences in hospitals and health centers.

Previous real-world experiences have included conversations with traditional healers and professionals dealing with mental illness and observing circumcision and critical care of accident and HIV/AIDS victims.

On this sunny, February 2020 pre-COVID-lockdown day, the student nurses and Elizabeth Nagudi Situma, UCU head of nursing in the School of Medicine, travel on bumpy, dirt-rutted roads 45 minutes away from the main campus. They serve and learn in village of Nakoba – an area too remote to be found on a map. With guidance by Situma, students listen, observe, record and advise two residences each at various locations within an approximate one-mile radius.

“I think it was more than worms,” student Nankya Brenda Diana said about one child’s protruding abdominal area. “When you push on the stomach, it feels like an organ or something out of place.”

Normally, she said, a child’s extended belly means intestinal worms. They contract them from uncooked food, walking barefooted among cattle feces or eating dirty mangoes. In her kit, she has mebendazole, a drug that she can provide to eliminate worms. The better resolution is prevention through proper sanitary practices. This time, however, Brenda is not so sure that the stomachs of a two-year-old and her four-year-old brother are filled with worms. She puts her suspicions in her report.

The mother, Helen, has six children, including two sets of twins. Giving birth to more than one child at a time is a much-esteemed blessing in Ugandan culture. In addition to discussion of hygiene related to chickens that roam freely in the family’s cooking and sleeping areas, a rudely constructed rain water pipe and lack of dedicated space for the household’s bathroom habits, Brenda is ready today to discuss family planning. Steven, the husband and father, is there to get advice, too.

Brenda, wearing a backpack and holding a clipboard, talks to the family in their Luganda mother tongue. Helen sits on a single stool, nursing the baby, as Steven and their other children, barefooted in torn and dirty clothes, lean against trees near their humble home. Across an unpaved, dirt road are more than 20 gravesites, signified by a few stones but mostly by rounded mounds of dirt.

Roughly a half mile away, John Damasen Ntwari has his second weekly meeting with Niyonsaba, a mother of seven who, along with her husband, escaped here from Burundi ethnic disputes in 2015. They are Tutsi who fear death still today from the richer, more powerful Hutu. In broken English, she explains that they want to go back someday. But the time is not yet right.

John Damasen Ntwari, president of the UCU Nursing Class of 2020, visits with a family in a remote village near Mukono.

“I am very happy to see John,” she says. She shares that her family is better off than most with two children enrolled in school. While her young daughter smiles broadly, Niyonsaba says her problems with allergies and a weak heart seem less than John’s last visit and the daughter has healed nicely from a vaginal repair.

John, who is president of the nursing class, scribbles notes as walking to his second site. There, 15-year-old Nabaweesi Zakiah emerges. As when John previously visited, she’s alone. Again, in clear English, she says her mother is away “just one day to visit a friend.” When she returns with school fees, Zakiah can return to school.

Situma emerges and deepens the questioning about what the girl eats, if she is alone, if she is afraid at night, and if anyone hurts her. She praises the surroundings that include a vanilla plant and trees plentiful with bananas and jackfruit. Zakiah carries a large knife to a tree, cuts down some matooke and carries it back to her small living quarters. A dog, kitten and chicken with babies scatter.

“It’s hard to know,” John said. “I’ve asked that her mom be here today, but she still isn’t. Maybe next time.”

For most of the UCU student nurses, including Brenda and John, the desire to work in health care stems from a young age when encountering a void in medical attention for a family member. In addition to this motivation, there is a government promise of a paid job for at least one year after graduation. They are placed around the country with a 750,000 UGX ($200) a month salary for 12 months.

Seat backs filled with ready-to-eat avocados. Fingers dipped into large, freshly opened shells of sweet jackfruit. Some laughter, but mostly vocalized thoughts about the conditions, causes and remedies for health maladies. That’s how a February six-hour day – but not professional careers – concluded.

“Ultimately, I want to work in cancer care,” John said. “But I’m prepared for anything.”

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