Category Archives: UCU School of Education

UCU recent education alumna shows resilience in covid lockdown times

July 16, 2021News, Students, UCU Alumni, UCU School of Business, UCU School of EducationPatty Huston-Holm

Charlotte Mbabazi attends to a customer in her shop on Wandegeya-Bugujju Road.

Story and Photos by Michael Kisekka
Fiercely independent, Charlotte Mbabazi disliked depending on her parents. For that not to happen, she started saving part of the pocket money that her parents gave her while a student at Uganda Christian University (UCU). Those savings became a pillar for her livelihood after school.

At the time Mbabazi graduated with a Bachelor of Arts with Education degree in 2020, just like everyone else, she had not anticipated a lockdown due to the devastating effects of Covid-19. The lockdown meant she could not get a school to teach since schools had been shut in Uganda.

The 25-year-old, however, had a fall back plan. It was the sh5m (about $1,300) that she had saved while at UCU. She had the money, but no idea where to invest it. After some thinking, she started a retail shop. Everything was on standstill at the time, but people still needed groceries. So, she thought the answer would be a grocery shop. The location was on the Wandegeya-Bugujju road, adjacent to UCU. She used the sh5m to pay rent, renovate the shop and purchase the groceries to sell.

At the time, businesses were folding because of the impact of the lockdown in Uganda. She did not tell her parents as she set up the business for two reasons: 1) She hadn’t shared that she was saving their money; and 2) selling groceries was considered something for the lowly educated. In fact, Mbabazi’s peers often mocked her about her choice of business.

“People will always talk, regardless of what you do,” Mbabazi said. “But you have to remain focused and aim at achieving your goal.”

When she eventually broke the news to her parents, she said they were more than delighted. In fact, they even supported her with more capital to increase her stock in the shop.

As with all businesses, Mbabazi’s, too, was not short of challenges. She said she faced competition in the business, especially given the fact that she was just a beginner. Eventually when she opened the shop, Mbabazi worked on all days of the week, exposing her to burnout. However, her never-give-up attitude kept her afloat. She soon found ways to work around the obstacles.

“I had to find out how people who owned retail shops around me operated their businesses and how they sold their commodities,” she said. “I also found time to interact with customers, which gave me opportunity to get direct feedback and improve on how to handle the customers.”

When everyone at her home became aware of her new business, Mbabazi enlisted the services of her younger sister, Mary, with whom they would keep the shop in turns, so she gets some rest days. In effect, she feels the training she is giving her sister will be helpful if her sibling chooses to take that path one day.

Mbabazi says she has been able to manage her own finances, which has enabled the grocery shop to celebrate its first birthday. With the business, she has also been able to manage her own finances, thus reducing the financial burden on her parents. Being self-employed is something she always dreamt about; she is glad that her business is growing slowly and steadily.

In fact, Mbabazi has applied to pursue the Master of Human Resource Management at UCU and she hopes to meet the tuition requirements from the proceeds from the business.

While an undergraduate student at UCU, Mbabazi contested for the position of the Guild President, but lost. Even with the loss, she believes she learned invaluable lessons in the campaigns, which she hopes to put into practice in the near future as she seeks an elective office in the country.

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No hurdles could stop Masagazi from PhD dream

July 1, 2021News, UCU Alumni, UCU School of EducationPatty Huston-Holm

Dr. Joel Masagazi Yawe of Uganda Christian University (UCU) during his PhD graduation

By Yasiri J. Kasango
Some people put the label “school dropout” on Joel Masagazi Yawe because after his A’level completion he stayed home for two years. The negative label was ill-placed as Masagazi faced hiccups in his education journey. The biggest barrier – not unlike many young people – was lack of tuition funding, blocking him from further education.

Masagazi opted to do farming with his parents – Mr. and Mrs. Mukasa Kabanda – so he could raise the money that he needed for university tuition. The Kabandas were primary school teachers in Mityana district, found in central Uganda. Once he started his university education, Masagazi did not close his books until he achieved the apex qualification, a PhD. He got his doctorate in education management from the University of South Africa (UNISA) in May 2021.

The 43-year-old is currently a lecturer in the Department of Education at Uganda Christian University (UCU). For overcoming a very torturous education journey, Masagazi’s children adopted the title “doctor” in their everyday reference to their father. To Bukirwa Mary Precious, Nankabirwa Annah Leah and Kabanda Joel Masagazi, their father is now “Dr. Daddy.”

In 2002, Masagazi, who was 24 years at the time, joined UCU to pursue a Bachelor of Arts in Education. To supplement the income for his tuition, Masagazi combined both work and study, like many other needy students at UCU often do. The work-and-study program was introduced by the university to help needy students raise money for their fees.

“I worked both in the cafeteria and at the library to raise my tuition,” Masagazi said.

Oftentimes, he found it hard to balance work and books, but had limited options. He worked very hard during day and always spared time at night to read his books. He also had an understanding with his supervisors at work, who allowed him to attend classes and only work when he was free.

In September 2005, Masagazi reaped from his sweat, earning a Bachelor of Arts degree in Education.

“I was overwhelmed with joy,” he said. “I couldn’t thank God enough that I had graduated despite the hurdles I had had with paying tuition fees.” He said his parents, too, were excited that he had not disappointed them.

Masagazi attended Turio Primary School in Mityana and Kasubi Church of Uganda Primary School in Kampala. Mityana and Kampala are in central Uganda. For his secondary education, Nyakasura School in western Uganda was his choice.

Upon completion of his bachelor’s degree course, Masagazi was employed at UCU as the alumni relations officer under the Department of Development and External Relations. He also was a tutor in the Department of Industrial Art and Design.

Since Masagazi was not content with just a bachelor’s degree, he continued searching for education opportunities. Two months after graduation, he was admitted for a Master of Human Resource Management course at UCU. Two years down the road, he was a holder of an MA. But he felt he was not yet done with school.

When he applied at a university in Australia, he said he realized that the tuition fees he needed to pay were enough for him to survive in Uganda for the rest of his life. He was admitted, but he did not bother to attend any lectures.

Masagazi later joined UNISA in 2014, where he had an opportunity to study as he worked. For the six years Masagazi was at UNISA, he says on most of the days, he woke up at 4 a.m. to attend to his books. He says he was lucky that his family, especially his wife, Susan, understood the amount of sacrifice he had to make to achieve his dream.

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UCU appoints new deans, heads of departments

May 24, 2021Bishop Tucker School of Divinity and Theology, Faculty of Agricultural Sciences, Faculty of Engineering, Design & Technology, Faculty of Public Health, Nursing and Midwifery, SRPGS, UCU School of Business, UCU School of Dentistry, UCU School of Education, UCU School of Journalism, Media and Communication, UCU School of Law, UCU School of Medicine, UCU School of Social SciencesPatty Huston-Holm

Some new UCU Deans and Heads of Departments present for announcement at a May 2021 function at the Hamu Mukasa University Library. Photo/ Israel Kisakye

By Jimmy Siyasa
The Uganda Christian University has announced a change of the guard within its faculties and departments.

The announcement was made by the university’s Deputy Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs, the Rev. Dr. John Kitayimbwa, during the farewell for some of the outgoing leaders and the unveiling of the new guard. The ceremony took place on May 10 in the Learning Commons Room, located at the Hamu Mukasa University Library.

The Rev. Dr. John Kitayimbwa unveils a list of some new deans and heads of departments. Photo/ Israel Kisakye

“Covid-19 has shifted the demands,” UCU Vice Chancellor Associate Professor Aaron Mushengyezi said as he urged the new leaders to be creative in their work. “And so, as we come in to lead, please take note, you are not going to lead with the ordinary tools your predecessors have led with. You will require new tools because wholly duplicating what your predecessors did, may not work.”

Due to the “new normal” presented by the Covid-19 pandemic, Mushengyezi said all programs will have a digital equivalent.

“Covid-19 has changed the academic landscape,” he said. “And so, one of the main tasks for you is to pioneer and continue to consolidate e-learning.”

The university’s council chairperson, the Rt. Rev. Can. Prof. Alfred Olwa, congratulated the new leaders and thanked the outgoing for their dedication and hard work.

The newly appointed Head of the Department of Literature and Languages, Dr. James Tabu Busimba, was delighted by his new role at UCU. Busimba recently retired from a public university, Makerere, after clocking 60 years.

“I think serving in an institution that has one of its core values as Christ-centeredness is such a golden opportunity,” Busimba said. “I am grateful to God.”

According to the Rev. Dr. John Kitayimbwa, the Deputy Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs, who unveiled the new team, the UCU Statute for Appointment of deans and heads of departments mandates that the appointments are ratified by the University Senate and then submitted to the institution’s human resource board for consideration.

Comments from some of the leaders
“To me, serving in Uganda Christian University is building the kingdom of God,” Professor Martin Lwanga, former Dean, School of Business, said. “It is a privilege, and some of us are still available to serve at this great institution.”

Eriah Nsubuga, the Head of the Fine Arts Department, said: “It is unusual times. But an opportunity for us to reengineer how we do things. And one thing I like about UCU is that they care for their staff.”

“This year, we are changing direction as a university,” said Prof. Kukunda Elizabeth Bacwayo, the dean of the School of Research and Post Graduate Studies. “We shall provide a bigger amount of funding to professors, to lead various teams of researchers.”

The changes that were announced in May 2021

Faculty/ Department	New Head of Department	Predecessor
School of Research and Post-Graduate Studies	Dr. Emilly Comfort Maractho (Now the Director- UCU Africa Policy Center) Also Head of the Department of Journalism and Media Studies, until contract expires on 31 May 2021	Reverend Professor Lawrence Adams
Faculty of Social Sciences	Mr. Kasule Kibirige Solomon
Department of Social Work and Social Administration. (Expired contract )	Mr. Kasule Kibirige Solomon	Contract renewed
Faculty of Education and Arts
Department of Languages and Literature	Dr. James Taabu Busimba	Mr. Peter Mugume
Honors College	Ms. Pamela Tumwebaze	Reverend Abel Kibedi
Department of Art and Design	Dr. Eriah Nsubuga	Dr. Joel Masagazi
Department of Education	Dr. Mary Kagoire	Dr. Joel Masagazi
School of Business
Department of Management and Entrepreneurship	Mr. Martin Kabanda	Mrs. Elsie Mirembe Nsiyona
Faculty of Health Sciences
Department of Public Health	Dr. Edward Mukooza	Dr. Ekiria Kikule

ASSOCIATE DEAN APPOINTMENTS

Faculty	New Dean	Predecessor
Faculty of Social Sciences	Rev. Dr. Andrew David Omona	Prof. Mary Ssonko Nabachwa
School of Business	Mr. Vincent Kisenyi	Assoc. Professor Martin Lwanga
School of Medicine	Dr. Gerald Tumusiime	Has been acting Dean, but now is the substantive Dean
Faculty of Engineering, Technology & Design	Assoc. Prof. Eng. Eleanor Wozei
School of Law	Dr. Peter David Mutesasira	Dr. Roselyn Karugonjo Segawa
Faculty of Education and Arts	Rev. Can. Dr. Olivia Nassaka Banja	Effective date: September 1, 2021

CONTRACT RENEWALS

Faculty	Dean/ Department Head	Renewal Date
Faculty of Journalism, Media and Communication	Professor Monica Chibita	To be communicated
Department of Communication	Dr. Angela Napakol	Effective date: June 1, 2021
Bishop Tucker School of Theology	Rev. Can. Prof. Christopher Byaruhanga	Renewed in December 2020
Faculty of Health Science	Dr. Miriam Gesa Mutabazi	Renewed but not communicated

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Why UCU ranks among the 50 most beautiful Christian campuses globally

March 8, 2021News, UCU School of EducationPatty Huston-Holm

Monkeys are a unique feature of Uganda Christian University.

Story and photos by Esther Byoona and Jimmy Siyasa

The sight of monkeys freely swinging from tree to tree, shaking up and enlivening the evergreen foliage, is hard to miss for anyone visiting the Uganda Christian University (UCU) main campus in Mukono. The interaction between students and the monkeys plays out best on Sunday afternoons. Usually, part of the menu for students on Sundays are bananas – something the monkeys seem to be keenly aware of as the primates play like court jesters for a king, hoping to be rewarded with the yellow fruit.

Monkeys are likely part of the reason why UCU was designated one of the 50 most beautiful Christian campuses globally in 2017 by Christianuniversities.org, an online independent resource. As if to buttress the findings by Christianuniversities.org, a year later, in 2018, timeshighereducation.com ranked UCU among the top 10 most beautiful campuses in Africa.

UCU’s lush green terraces and beauty spots sometimes are dotted with mangoes and guavas that fall off the fruit trees. The fruits become food for the monkeys and various species of birds.

The birds sometimes fly waist-high. They land with a peace that tells of their guarantee for safety. During the Advent semester, which happens during wet season in Uganda (September to December), the misty hills of UCU cut an impression of quasi-winter in Africa.

This is the same period doves are seen in beautiful array, pecking at grains underneath the greenery, in front of the Nsibambi university hall. Viewed from the main gate, located at its extreme lower front view, the crown of Hamu Mukasa library also deceptively appears to have snowflakes dangling above it at dawn, during the wet season.

Hamu Mukasa, the largest building on the UCU Mukono campus, houses the library.

Even when the dry season strikes, between February and June, UCU’s beauty does not fade with the weather. Magnificent buildings, such the Hamu Mukasa Library, stay stunning, in and out of season. The library is the largest facility in the university, covering 5,582 square meters.

The Bishop Tucker building, which will make a century of existence in 2022, is another magnificent feature at the university. The building is belted by green ribbons of lush grass and well-tended flowers, on both sides of an isle made of ever-clean, concrete paving. The building, looking like a smaller version of the centuries-old Fiesole Cathedral in Italy, is the most iconic on the university main campus.

Mariam Naigaga, a second-year student, pursing a Bachelor of Arts in Education, says UCU has such a beautiful campus that is conducive for learning.

“The garden near the university’s main gate is really beautiful and inviting,” Naigaga said.

The Rev. Jessica Hughes, from the US, working with the chaplaincy and theology department in UCU, also praised the university’s beauty.

The Bishop Tucker building that houses the UCU main administrative block, including the Vice Chancellor’s office, was built in 1922.

“I admire the way the UCU campus is always improving and I love the beautiful garden that was put at the main gate, as well as the new developments coming up within the university,” she said. Hughes finds the UCU landscape beautiful.

Mary E. Chowenhill, a lecturer at the Faculty of Business Administration, said the variety of plants in the university gives a beauty to behold.

“The hibiscus in the UCU compound has beautiful flowers and originally was planted with the idea that the hedges would be flowers,” she said.

Despite being located within Mukono town, UCU sits on a huge chunk of land, thanks to former Buganda Kingdom Chief Hamu Mukasa, who donated it to the Church of Uganda in the early 1900s.

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UCU markets student artwork to boost sales during pandemic

February 16, 2021News, UCU School of EducationPatty Huston-Holm

UCU Student Mark Wandera with one of his pieces during the exhibition

Story By Fiona Nabugwere and Majorine Kiita
Photos by Paulyn Alupo and Dalton Mujuni

By 8 a.m. on a hot Friday morning, the Technology Park area of the Mukono campus of Uganda Christian University (UCU) was a beehive of activities as 3rd year students of the Bachelor of Industrial Fine Art program make final touches on their art stalls.

It was December 8, 2020. The students had decorated the area with stunning art pieces ready for the 2020 UCU Annual Fine Art Exhibition. Their master art ranged from ceramics, pottery, and fashion to interior design assembled according to different themes and styles. The 2020 exhibition was a wonderful display of creativity, effort and talent.

Kevin Kambere, one of the students who exhibited pieces, said he created his best piece – a family of giraffes on canvas – using fiberglass and bark cloth. He chose a giraffe to represent the African family.

Kelvin Kambere exhibiting his art — Kevin Kambere exhibiting his art

“I molded clay and laid it on the floor before creating designs in different shapes,” he said. “Then I cast the mold. When it was complete, I introduced the bark cloth sliced into small pieces and thinned to reduce the thickness. I dipped the bark cloth into glue for about 2-3 days to ease the manipulation before putting it on the mold and leaving it to set.”

Kambere spent sh900,000 ($244.95) to make the fiber glass giraffe sculpture and about sh200,000 ($54.06) for the bark cloth piece.

Another student, Mark Wandera, used pencils, pens and watercolors to draw human figures in a style he calls expressionism. One of those pieces depicted a boy eagerly catching water into his mouth.

“I am a freelance artist, and people like the human figures in my work,” Wandera said. “My art pieces can be put anywhere in galleries and sitting rooms where there is no (outside) water to spoil them.”

Solving a Problem in Society through Art was the 2020 exhibition theme.

The late 2020 event drew fewer than normal buyers because it was two days vs. the normal seven and entry inside the Mukono campus was restricted due to Covid-19. Another barrier to sales was a shorter preparation time for students. But being able to do artwork and display it after a virus lockdown brought hope to the young artists.

Mercy Chekwemboi, a fashion student who focused on decency in dressing while still looking elegant and stylish in an African print dress called “Ekitengi,” displayed a detachable dress that could be worn in several different ways. She said time was her biggest challenge in preparing for the exhibition.

“I failed to get a suitable floral material to make the duvet,’’ she said.

To ease student frustrations and offer added opportunity for sales, UCU offered to allow students’ best pieces to remain with the university for another 12 months. During that time, the university would help market and sell those pieces from a gallery in the art department area, from different churches and during university events. One of those events is planned for March 2021 at All Saints Cathedral, Kampala.

“It’s true the students did not have enough time to create as many art pieces like in the past years because of the pandemic,” said Grace Ashe, a lecturer for Painting, adding, “But still they have displayed impressive work.”

According to Rita Namwebe, the acting Head of the Department of Industrial Art and Design, students can retrieve money from sales as they occur and pick up artwork not sold after a year.

Obinna Ikenna, a student who majored in sculpture, said he was glad that the university had granted them this offer. “I am giving them my best piece, which I made under the theme ‘unity among family’,” he said. Chekwemboi loaned a hand-knitted mat to the university to sell it for her.

But Esther Blessing Ageno, who majors in interior design, was concerned that the University may not get the best price for their products. “I spent almost a week working on this piece so it won’t be fair to just give it at a price I am not happy with,” she said.

Esther Ageno assembling her stall during the exhibition in January 2021

During the preparations for this year’s exhibition students faced several other setbacks including challenges in blending colors and patterns plus breakdown of machines.

Art student Abel Nshemereirwe had a process challenge with cracking in ceramics. He illustrated through his zebra-themed ceramics pieces three methods of making ceramics: pottery wheel method, slab method and slip-casting method. He explained that using a pottery wheel produces more durable and attractive ceramics compared to the slab method.

The department of Industrial Fine Art and Design offers a number of course units that include painting, drawing, computer graphics, ceramics, interior design, and fashion and fabrics. In addition to an exhibition, lecturers award students with grades.

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