Alvin Ahabwe, second-year student at UCU School of Medicine
By Patty Huston-Holm (Last of four May 2022 stories related to theology and medicine studies)
When I met Alvin Ahabwe and before I could get my first question out, he gently touched the wrist of my mildly shaking left hand and asked, “What’s going on here?”
“Essential tremors,” I responded, adding, “It’s a neurological condition I’ve had for 25 years.” I later sent him a Web link.
The compassionate inquiry from this second-year student at Uganda Christian University (UCU) School of Medicine (SoM) belied his years. Before sharing his story on this warm, overcast day in Kampala, he got a small piece of mine and enabled me to mentally fast-forward five years, visualizing Alvin as a competent, caring doctor.
On this day in March 2022, Alvin Ahabwe from Mbarara, in western Uganda, spoke of why he wanted to be a physician, the difficulty of his first year of medical school because of Covid-forced, on-line learning and about the role Christianity plays in his chosen profession.
Alvin, one of five children to a mom who teaches secondary school and father who is an NGO social worker, knew early that he wanted a service-to-others career. Medicine was a natural choice.
“I saw people dying from chronic conditions like HIV because they didn’t realize medicine could help them live longer,” he said. “I see how lifestyle causes hypertension and even cancer.”
The SoM year-two study in pathology reinforced Alvin’s early observations about how food and exercise – and accurate health information – impact the quality of life and lifespan. The young man, fresh from high school, persevered in those 2020-2021 lockdown-enforced semesters of virtual learning fraught with data costs and voice interference worsened by rain.
“UCU’s IT people helped us with the on-line platform, and we received good communications through WhatsApp groups,” he said. “But the blended learning we have now is definitely better.”
Receiving medical training from medical professionals during the pandemic was an added lesson in the value of vaccinations to guard against the coronavirus and a real-world example of combatting fact over fiction. Belief in science, however, does not mean shaken faith in Jesus Christ.
“I put God first,” said, Alvin, an Anglican.
At that, he early recognizes how Christianity and health care can clash.
“Take abortion,” he began, and continued, “If a person may die because of (full-term) pregnancy, there’s an ethical dilemma.”
The just under two years of learning has been a time of altered beliefs, adaptation and reinforcement of Alvin’s educational decision, he said.
“I looked at surgeons on TV – shows like Grey’s Anatomy and the Good Doctor – and saw how systematic medicine can be,” he said. “At first, our exposure to corpses was frightening, but now we can drink tea in the same room.”
Alvin is concerned about the quality of health care in his country. He is concerned, too, that money contributed doesn’t get down to the level of critical need and that many Ugandans study medicine and practice in other countries.
With an easy smile, he asserted, “I’ll stay here when I’m finished.”
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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.
By Muduku Derrick Brian (3rd of four May 2022 stories related to theology and medicine studies)
When I watched Mercy Bikala, 19, enthusiastically lead community worship at the School of Medicine of Uganda Christian University (UCU), I imagined she was a full-time musician. Her eloquent voice, delivered with confidence and enthusiasm, encouraged everybody, including me, to sing along to the hymns and praises.
Shortly after the service, I confirmed that Bikala does music as a part-time activity while passionately aspiring to become a doctor. She is a second-year student pursuing a Bachelors of Medicine and Bachelors in Surgery. She says spirituality, including that expressed through music, is vital to her today as she studies, and tomorrow as she works.
“I turn to God when my energy is low,” Bikala said. “My faith in Christ is what fuels me to study and it makes the whole process have meaning.”
Bikala adds that the Christian virtues of honesty, righteousness, sympathy, stewardship are pillars that make a doctor complete and wholesome. She saw that violated during Covid-19 with some medical practitioners increasing prices for already hard-pressed patients and benefitting from the excess funds.
Bikala says that she was excited to hear that she was accepted into UCU because of its reputation as a Christ-centered institution.
“Here, there is Community worship twice a week,” she said, referring to the medical school on the Mengo Hospital site. “I feel revitalized when I engage in this activity. I get the energy to continue with my endeavors of becoming a medical doctor.”
Scientists have often tried to create a clear distinction between Christianity and science. However, Bikala says that there are things in nature that even science has failed to explain.
“Science is attempting to explain things that God has done,” she said. “There is a limit because there are things scientists have failed to get answers to.”
She urges fellow medical students to become knowledgeable medical personnel who are sensitive and spiritually mature so as to engage in works that uphold the name and glory of Christ.
Bikala says that she ventured into medical school because she wants that value addition to the nation.
“I want to attain skills that will enable me save lives of our people in society,” she said. “For me, that is where I shall derive my happiness.”
UCU having a well stocked laboratory has made it easy for Bikala to explore more about aspects in her medical field. She says that she has been able to utilize the various equipment like the microscopes and slides to enrich her medical knowledge.
“The microscopes aid me in learning more about micro-organisms like bacteria and fungi, which I study under micro biology,” she said.
Given that she is still in her second year of study, Bikala says that she is eagerly looking forward to the clinical years (Year 3, 4 and 5) of her study, where the students are able to engage in even more practical aspects.
Bikala says that she wants some improvements made by the government to aid the work of medical practitioners in Uganda.
“More funds should be put into medical research,” she said. “Why import vaccines and yet we could have been able to make our own from within?”
When it comes to music, Bikala prefers the rap genre. Bikala’s other interests include reading and learning new languages; Spanish is her current focus.
She studied at Naalya Secondary School for her Ordinary level and later proceeded to Uganda Martyrs Secondary School in Namugongo for her Advanced level. She hails from Bududa District, which is located in the eastern region of Uganda.
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.
Dorcas Chizaram Okeke, a first-year student at UCU School of Medicine.
By Jimmy Siyasa (2nd of four May 2022 stories related to theology and medicine studies)
As a young girl, Dorcas Chizaram Okeke was thin and weak – a common face at the school sick-bay. At times, she wrote her promotional examinations while receiving intravenous treatment. She had “self-pity.” This early personal condition and two incidents spurred her on to become a health care expert.
The two instances were: 1) her relationship with a malaria-suffering schoolmate, who would later drop out because she was taking frequent sick leave; and 2) another schoolmate who died after a long struggle with leukemia.
These early health encounters contributed to the decision of Chizaram, of Nigeria, to pursue a Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery at the Uganda Christian University (UCU) School of Medicine (SoM).
“Some diseases are curable,” the first-year student said. “Sometimes doctors just observe a patient and are able to tell what is wrong and then treat it. I wanted to be able to do that someday. Whenever I see someone facing a problem that I am unable to help them solve, I feel so bad.”
Chizaram’s lifelong ambition is to set up a large wellness center, where patients or clients can access rehabilitation services with an unusual twist – music therapy.
When she joined UCU in 2019, Chizaram underwent pre-year, which is a yearlong, mandatory orientation/ assimilation University program for non-Ugandan students. During that period, she undertook a short course in para-counseling, for which she attained a certificate. She believes with this skill, she is able to help her peers who suffer mental health challenges, such as depression, anxiety and addiction.
Chizaram, one of the 60 entry-year medical students, sees UCU as the best place to receive a quality education. The low number of classmates allows closer lecturer attention and builds a stronger community among peers who encourage each other to participate in the twice-weekly community worship.
On this March Day and following community worship, she expressed appreciation for the newly assigned pastor at the Mengo (Kampala) hospital campus. Chizaram, a worship choir member, upholds the institution’s strong focus on both the spiritual and intellectual formation of students with the music twist.
“I was attracted to UCU because of its Christian moral foundation,” she said. “I think that is partly why I have never heard of UCU students rioting…you study when you are peaceful, without fear of waking up one day to damaged or lost property from a student strike.”
Further influence to come to UCU came through two of her older siblings who studied at UCU. One of them, Shalom Okeke graduated cum laude.
For Chizaram, music and Christian expression of spirituality go hand in hand. As with most youth in the age of Contemporary Christian Music (CCM), she enjoys pulsating rhythms, and melodies move her spirit. She likes to “dance for the lord” while the bassist grooves. She likes the soft pads of the piano, and not silence, to accompany meditation. Her preference for music-infused worship may partly be attributed to her evangelical and musical family background, having been born to a Nigerian Anglican Bishop, Rt. Rev. Henry Okeke, the Bishop of Ideato, one of the Dioceses under the Church of Nigeria Anglican Communion.
Chizaram says there is something about charismatic congregational worship that “pulls the heavens down” for her. On a bad day, she said, “I listen to music and feel emotional relief.”
As a non-Ugandan student studying in Uganda, over 2,400 miles away from her home country, Chizaram is grateful that through music ministry, she easily made/met her first friends in Uganda. Shortly after enrolling at UCU for the pre-year, she joined a university choir called Mustard Seed Worship Team (MSWT). Here, she found her ideal “worship environment” with vocals, drums, guitars, keyboards, and more. She participated in MSWT band activities, including presenting at community worship, university graduation, and Sunday service, among others.
After completing the pre-year at Mukono, she moved in September 2021 to the SoM academic and training site – rich with career learning, but devoid of the rich music and sound equipment/ facilities that the main campus has.
Chizaram yearns for the music she had that first year, noting, “I wish the university could provide music equipment; the one thing that draws young people to fellowship is music.”
Besides the music void, Chizaram loves her university experience. It does not feel foreign because she lives in a Christian community where Ugandans are joined by students from Cameroon, Liberia and Pakistan, among other countries. She hopes to graduate four years from now.
She attended Holy Innocents Juniorate convent in Nigeria, for both ordinary level and High School. An Igbo by tribe, Chizaram hails from Imo State, Nigeria.
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.
UCU School of Medicine students pray during community worship on their campus at Kampala’s Mengo Hospital.
By Patty Huston-Holm with Muduku Derrick Brian and Jimmy Siyasa First, there were five. Then 10. And on a spring day and under a white tent shelter below darkening skies, there were 50. On the Ides of March 2022, half of the 100 blue plastic chairs in the pavilion were filled by Uganda Christian University’s (UCU) School of Medicine (SoM) doctor hopefuls.
“I pray, Jesus, that you will cleanse our hearts,” a young woman began before bowed heads, concluding, “Father, we pray that you bring your spirit in this place.”
According to the Rev. Ocen Walter Onen, the 28-year-old UCU-Mukono chaplaincy priest assigned to the medical school, participation in community worship at the Mengo hospital location has been growing, albeit slowly, in the past five months. Spirituality for UCU’s future doctors became a priority following a discussion among the university’s theology and divinity leaders in the fall of 2021.
Rev. Ocen Walter Onen, UCU chaplaincy intern and newly assigned at the UCU School of Medicine.
Previous to Rev. Walter’s assignment, the Rev. Alex Kamoga was straddling responsibilities at the UCU Kampala campus with the SoM location, but he was often stuck in traffic jams, delaying the service. At that, Rev. Alex had little time for one-on-one counseling.
“We realized we had a population of students not receiving the Christian services that those in other programs did,” Rev. Walter said. “Medical courses are full of stress and these students have the same frustrations and temptations that others do.”
The Rev. Eng. Paul Wasswa, UCU’s chaplain, initiated the discussion among the clergy. Coming out of Uganda’s Covid lockdown, he expressed his concern about the need for added spiritual infusion for the current 230 students who would someday become pediatricians, surgeons, dentists and other medical professionals.
“The work of the chaplaincy is more than coordination; it includes teaching, but most importantly, it includes discipleship and pastoral care,” he said. “Effectiveness in chaplaincy work requires consistent presence on every campus.”
UCU School of Medicine students pray during community worship on their campus at Kampala’s Mengo Hospital.
According to Rev. Wasswa, community worship exists for teaching, reinforcing a sense of Christian community and a reminder of God’s presence. When it comes to addressing student problems, the UCU chaplaincy “does not work in isolation,” but engages the counseling staff, he said.
The five-year SoM program began in 2018 with the vision of adding to Uganda’s health care system more physicians that were not only highly skilled, but also encompassing Christian values and practices. SoM planners were aware that some professionals mentoring and teaching students would not be believers in Jesus Christ. They were, likewise, aware of the science vs. religion debate that continues today, globally.
“Science and theology are complimentary in wisdom, but God is the ultimate creator of that knowledge and wisdom,” Rev. Walter said. “Without our Lord and Savior, the work within the medical discipline would not exist…when you go to a hospital, you ask Jesus to treat you through a doctor.”
At the UCU main campus in Mukono, as well as at Kampala, students have easier access to clergy guidance. Additionally, the Mukono UCU students engage in sports, student leadership groups and other activities to relieve stress and youth pressures related to drugs, alcohol and sexual activity that can lead to pregnancy out of wedlock.
“I tell them that I am single, too, and have the same pressures that I overcome through my faith and understanding of scriptures,” Rev. Walter said. “Romans 12 addresses that we need to be a living sacrifice.”
In Apostle Paul’s Romans 12:1, sacrifice references service or offering to God.
“God has a plan for all of us,” Rev. Walter said. “If you partner with God, you are headed for prosperity.”
In this day’s message and as mid-day Islam chants echoed in the background, Rev. Walter referenced Luke 11:1-4 and the Lord’s prayer, reminding students that “our Father is in heaven” but that “He also is everywhere.”
Such is among the messages that Rev. Walter delivers to the 3-5 students, mostly female, who come to him privately, with problems and questions at the SoM campus. His messages are about faith, strength to have it, forgiveness and understanding. One lesson he repeats is the importance of Christian character in a world where “beauty can fade.”
On this particular day, he closed his message with a story about a man who borrowed a spear from his brother with the intent of using the weapon to stop an elephant from destructive behavior. When the elephant took off with the spear, the lending brother was angry and not forgiving.
“There is power in forgiveness,” Rev. Walter said. “There is power in the Word.”
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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.
Bernard Okello poses with his family after UCU graduation on October 22, 2021; children hold the plaques he earned for UCU performance.
By Eriah Lule A full-time job rarely gives space for good grades at school. But that may not be the only challenge. Previous school failure, age and family responsibility are three more.
Bernard Okello, age 38, working, married with two children and a former school dropout defied the odds.
Okello in graduation gown
In addition to his full-time teaching job at Global Junior School in Mukono, Okello was able to concentrate on his studies at Uganda Christian University (UCU) and receive a First Class in Bachelor of Arts in Education. He was part of the university’s 22nd graduation ceremony held at the institution’s main campus on October 22, 2021.
Okello says his wife was instrumental in helping him pull off this feat. Jackeline Okello decided that her husband’s salary would pay his tuition and that she would meet the rest of the financial needs of the family.
“I had only one option – to support my husband because any opportunity he chased after was for the wellbeing of our family,” said Jackeline, a nursery school teacher. The two have been married for 13 years.
When Okello got the green light from his wife, he embarked on a journey to upgrade from holding a certificate to a degree in education. Okello had graduated with a Grade Three Certificate in Education in 2004.
Resilience The challenges Okello faced in his early life, he says, helped to mold him into a resilient man.
He grew up in an impoverished and dysfunctional family in Alebtong district, northern Uganda. At no time did his basic needs come on a silver platter. In fact, at one point, Okello dropped out of school during O’level.
“I lost my mother at a tender age,” he said. “My father rarely had time for us, so we had to struggle, sometimes, to meet our basic needs.”
The third born of four boys of Michael Otim, a primary school teacher, and Rose Otim, says his major challenges as a boy were lack of tuition to keep him in school and knowledge to lobby for available scholarships.
He was hopeless for a while, until a scholarship opportunity came his way, enabling him in 2001, to join Canon Lawrence Primary Teachers College Lira in northern Uganda. It is here where he got a Grade Three Certificate in teaching.
In 2009, Okello joined Unyama National Teachers College in Gulu, northern Uganda, from where he graduated in 2012, with a diploma in teaching. For the next two years, he taught at a school in Gulu.
In 2017, the Okellos relocated to Mukono, after he got a teaching vacancy at Global Junior School. The choice of Mukono was not by mistake. The Okellos looked for a school near a university, so that it would be easy for him to pursue his degree course.
Indeed, Okello soon got admitted to UCU’s undergraduate education program offered via a modular, blended (on-line and in-person) program. He says the modular, blended-learning arrangement gave him the opportunity to concentrate on his work better, since the sessions for face-to-face were during school holidays.
And, it’s not only the transcript that Okello says he walked home with, upon graduation at UCU in 2021. UCU imparted in him strong Christian morals that he had always admired. As a result, he notes that some of his workmates at Global Junior School as well as his family have been beneficiaries of the virtues implanted in him during the three years of his undergraduate study.
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.
Sinah Rother (left) dribbling past an opponent while still a player in Germany
By Michael Kisekka On February 19, 2022, when the Uganda Christian University (UCU) women football team won a game by 5-0, it was not an ordinary victory for the squad.
That victory for the UCU Lady Cardinals was against the defending champions, the Lady Doves. That game also marked the debut of Sinah Rother, a 19-year-old German footballer who recently joined the UCU side.
“That victory was a statement and a warning to the other teams about what we are capable of doing,” Sinah, who plays on the right wing, said. The Lady Cardinals and the Lady Doves are among the teams in Uganda’s top flight women’s football league.
“When I completed school in Germany last year, I looked for an academic institution of higher learning in Africa with a good female football team and I was directed to Uganda Christian University,” she said.
Sinah Rother
Sinah said she was motivated to come to Uganda by her coaches in Germany, who told her that the Federation of Uganda Football Associations (FUFA) Women Super League was competitive and physical enough for her.
‘‘I wanted to play and compete in the best team in Uganda and that is how I ended up with the UCU Lady Cardinals,’’ she said.
When she arrived in January 2022, Sinah was told to register with FUFA, in order to be eligible to play football for the UCU Lady Cardinals.
“I had to get a football work permit and acquire a license to register as a female player with the FUFA Women’s Super League,” Sinah recalls.
Despite the hurdle, she is aware of how important the opportunity is. “Getting a chance to play for the UCU Lady Cardinals is a big opportunity for me and an experience of a lifetime life,” said Sinah, who wants to help the team win more trophies. Her coach, Simon Asiimwe said the team will benefit from her technical ability and game reading capability.
“I was overwhelmed by the support and the love the ladies showered me with. It made me feel at home and has enabled me to settle in fast,” she added.
Sinah’s biggest challenge, though, are the higher temperatures in Uganda, compared to the cold temperatures she is used to back in Germany, where she plans to return in two years.
“We were all excited when we got to know Sinah was joining the Lady Cardinals,” said Mercy Nabuloobi, the assistant team captain. “When we observed her train with us on the first day, we straight away knew that she was a great addition to the team.”
Hassifah Nassuna, the team’s captain, said Sinah’s exceptional talent will “help the team win the trophy this season.”
A second born of two children of Thomas Rother and Anke Rother, Sinah started playing football at the age of six with VFL Rheda. She then joined FSV Gütersloh and, later, DSC Arminia Bielefeld, where she has been for the past three years.
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.
Laura Jean Murungi on her graduation day on October 22, 2021
By Yasiri J. Kasango As October 22, 2021, approached, students who were expecting to graduate at Uganda Christian University (UCU) were busy clearing with different offices to get their names on the final graduation list. Laura Jean Murungi, a nursing student, had passed all her papers, so she assumed she would be on the list.
For her entire time at campus, Murungi was a beneficiary of the Government of Uganda loan financing scheme for needy students. In the arrangement, government advances the student a loan to meet their tuition needs at a university, and it is paid back when the student gets a job after graduation.
Murungi as a student at UCU.
When Murungi walked into the UCU finance office to get clearance for her graduation, she was shocked to learn that she owed the university sh450,000 (about $126). How the debt arose, she had no idea, but quickly attributed it to miscalculation on the part of the Higher Education Students Financing Board that was dispensing the money to UCU.
Having learned about the debt, she had only one option: To look for the sh450,000 that she owed the university. The timeframe to realise the money from the Higher Education Students Financing Board was short. Murungi and her parents had been victims of the economic destruction of the Covid-19 pandemic, so they hardly had any finances. As Murungi pondered disappointment in missing graduation, someone refereed her to the UCU Financial Aid office.
“Mr. (Walter) Washika advised me to apply for a UCU Partners grant to clear the balance,” Murungi says. Washika is UCU’s Financial Aid Manager.
A few days later, she received communication that her prayers had been answered. Benefactors of the UCU Partners non-profit based in the USA had reduced Murungi’s fees balance at UCU to zero. That communication meant Murungi was to graduate with her colleagues who joined UCU in 2017.
“I am so grateful to God,” Murungi said. “I would love to thank the UCU Financial Aid office’s level of transparency and financial assistance to students. I thank UCU Partners for paying off my debt.”
“I am passionate about saving lives and caring for the ill,” Murungi says, indicating that since childhood, she has always dreamed of becoming a nurse. “This is a dream come true for me.” She joins the workforce in a specialty where the numbers do not favor the internationally required ratio to manage Uganda’s population.
According to the International Council of Nurses and the World Health Organization, a nurse-to-patient ratio of 1:3 for emergency units; 1:2 for intensive care units; and 1:8 for other wards is recommended. However, statistics in Uganda indicate that the nurse-to-patient ratio is about 1:1,884. At this rate, the system could harvest a burnout on the part of the nurses.
However, before Murungi gains the status of a registered nurse in Uganda to improve on the nurse:patient ratio, she first has to fulfil the mandatory government requirement of a yearlong internship. And that is what she is currently doing. After her internship, Murungi looks forward to working in one of the hospitals in Uganda.
Background Murungi is the only child of John Atuhaire and Samantha Kugonza of Buddo in Wakiso district, central Uganda. In her primary and secondary school, her parents were paying her fees.
She attended Sir Apollo Kaggwa Old Kampala for primary education and St. Mary’s Kitende in Wakiso district for her secondary education (both O’level and A’level), before joining UCU’s Faculty of Public Health, Nursing Midwifery to pursue Bachelor of Nursing Science.
(The nursing students pay semester tuition of Ugx 2,104,000/= ($579.7) and other fees of Ugx 638000/= ($175.8) without accommodation.)
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.
Lilian Lyavaala, left, acting coordinator of UCU’s new writing center, with student, Nassozi Gelda, outside the Foundation Studies building on the Mukono campus.
By Patty Huston-Holm At 9 a.m. Monday, April 4, 2022, an email from Lilian Lyavaala popped up. It read: “I am glad to inform you that we now have office space for the Writing Center.”
I smiled as I suspect Lilian did. This was one more step in establishing a specific Uganda Christian University (UCU) space with a specific purpose – quality writing. The center’s designated area is up the first flight of steps of the Hamu Mukasa Library on the main campus in Mukono.
Just one week prior, March 28, while sitting in plastic chairs under a tree near the Foundation Studies building, Lilian and I mildly celebrated her appointment as the center’s first “acting” coordinator as we joked that we couldn’t even find someone who had a key to unlock the designated space for the center and if we could, there wouldn’t be furniture to sit upon there.
The UCU journey to better writing is decades long. Like most universities, writing at UCU has been taught in foundation (general education) courses and seminars and strongly emphasized in research and lectures about avoiding plagiarism.
But a center?
That trek was accelerated with the late summer 2021 arrival of Prof. Tom Deans, American Fulbright Scholar in Uganda and Director of the University of Connecticut (USA) writing center. In collaboration with UCU academic staff, he drafted a plan. The five-page plan talks about a “hub” where students and staff can get peer coaching. While reinforcing the value of all types of writing for various purposes, Deans commented in a November 2021 article that “students won’t grow as researchers unless they are writing papers that involve sustained research.”
Hub of the UCU writing center, located inside Hamu Mukasa Library on the Mukono Campus
With cautious excitement, Deans and Lilian talked about the center, which would be the first for any university in Uganda, while being interviewed in a late February podcast through the UCU School of Journalism, Media and Communication. In that interview, they described centers as “welcoming places to meet students wherever they are” and writing as the “core of human learning.”
Now, it was early April. Things appeared to be moving. A UGX 26 million ($7,500) budget for computers, tables and chairs was approved, but money not allocated. That budget did not include funding to pay the center’s coordinator and tutors. In mid-April, a $10,000 donation, contingent on a matching $10,000 from UCU, and from the Muriel Lile Trust of Fenton, Michigan, USA, through the Uganda Partners NGO appeared to seal the deal. On April 25, a letter from David Mugawe, Deputy Vice Chancellor, Finance and Administration, confirmed the UCU $10,000 match. The writing center, under the UCU School of Education, has a $20,000 budget for 2022-2023.
Dr. James Busimba, head of UCU’s Department of Languages and Literature, which is the umbrella for the writing center, said that the door for writing tutor applications and student/faculty users of the tutors is open.
“The room is available,” Dr. Busimba said. “We are grateful that we have come this far and are hopeful.”
Lilian is likewise excited.
“There is a big gap in writing practices,” she says. “Students in secondary (high school) are only taught to pass their exams. The university should overhaul this mindset and strike a balance. It’s important to transform minds to let students know how they can and should use writing in all careers.”
Once the UCU center is fully operational as defined by Deans as “when the first student walks in,” there will be a coordinator and tutors among the furnishings. The design calls for a coordinator to work 15 hours a week. The interim coordinator is Lyavaala, a UCU lecturer since 2010. During the most-recent semester, she was teaching to students of Law, School of Medicine, IT, Computer Science and Civil Engineering.
“I begin my classes by telling my students why writing is important,” she says. “Then, I take them through the whole writing process. Writing is not spontaneous, but gradual. One has to think of what one wants to write, gather information, draft it, making the necessary changes and then coming up with the final draft, while focusing on the audience. At this stage, the students also get opportunity to unlearn what they learned wrong.”
Across the different faculties and schools Lilian Lyavaala teaches or has taught, she finds the best writers from all, but especially students studying law, medicine and engineering. Their classes are fascinating to teach, since most of them are self-motivated.
“They seem to understand that they need to write lab reports and document findings and that scientists need to be able to present findings that everyone can understand,” she said.
For Lilian, reading and writing were her passions since childhood. Her parents said she was spelling out words at an early age. She would sit for hours, listening to her grandmother tell stories. In primary, teachers had her lead reading classes. Her love of language helped her attain her master’s degree in Literature in 2018 at UCU, where she also had earlier attained her bachelor’s degree in English Language and Literature.
“You don’t have to be as passionate about writing as I am to be a good writer,” Lilian says. She echoed what Deans asserted during his time on campus in that the tutors don’t necessarily have to be perfect writers but “capable and care about writing.”
“Everybody can write,” she said. “It’s time we stopped saying otherwise.”
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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.
By Eriah Lule When scholars meet, the number one item on their agenda is to critique one another’s work. A recent meeting at Uganda Christian University (UCU) was not a departure from that ritual.
Dr. Emilly Comfort Maractho, Director of APC
In fact, the two days ended up not being enough for them to achieve their intended objective and, therefore, the convener of the symposium, Dr. Emilly Comfort Maractho, called for a more periodic gathering so they are able to “evaluate each other’s scholarly progress.”
Maractho convened the symposium under the auspices of the African Policy Center, a UCU think tank that brings Christian truth and goodness into the public realm. She is the director of APC.
Maractho said that such workshops provide “space to evaluate ourselves as scholars and also improve our work,” noting that scholarly gatherings enable researchers to acquaint themselves with each other’s research fields. She argued that it is only that way that the researchers in the same field will “connect” to be able to present better findings.
The symposium was held courtesy of sponsorship of the Next Generation Social Science Research Council (SSRC), a USA-based, non-profit organization that is dedicated to advancing research in the social sciences and related disciplines.
More than 10 scholars from the Ugandan universities of Makerere, Kyambogo, Uganda Martyrs and the Mbarara University of Science and Technology (MUST) presented their research papers.
Assoc. Prof. Aaron Mushengyezi who launched the symposium, saw it as an opportunity to further position UCU as a “research-based university,” adding that such a move will improve the global ranking of the university, as well as its visibility.
Prof. Apuuli Phillip Kasaijja, an Assoc. Prof. in the Department of Political Science and Public Administration at Makerere University, who was the event’s keynote speaker, urged the researchers to endeavor to do work that influences policy – lest their work will be in vain.
Summary of what some participants said
Dr. David Ngendo Tshimba, a scholar from Uganda Martyrs University
Dr. David Ngendo Tshimba, a scholar from Uganda Martyrs University, who presented a paper titled Political Violence in the Rwenzori Borderland Revisited: Isaya Mukirane and the Rwenzururu Secessionist Movement, 1962-64, said such workshops introduce researchers to “like-minded people who offer constructive criticism for our work so that we can improve as scholars.” He added that “every scholar is always hungry for growth, and we all grow through research.”
Dr. Resty Naiga, a lecturer in the Department of Development Studies, Makerere University
Dr. Resty Naiga, a lecturer in the Department of Development Studies, at the College of Humanities and Social Sciences, Makerere University, presented a paper titled Local Water Conflicts in Uganda: Options for Peace-building, Policy and Practice. She said that such a meeting of scholars helps to grow in their work, as well as offering opportunities for mentorship.
Dr. Robert Ojambo, a Senior Lecturer of Political Science at Kyambogo University
Dr. Robert Ojambo, senior lecturer, Political Science, at Kyambogo University, presented a paper titled The Contest for Living Space between Refugees and Local Communities in Kyangwali Refugee Settlement in Bunyoro Sub-region in Western Uganda. Uganda is home to more than 1.5 million refugees, a majority coming from neighboring countries that are facing civil unrest.
Dr. Pamela Kanakhwa, a lecturer in the Department of History, Archaeology and Heritage Studies at Makerere, presented a paper on Landslides, Disaster Management and Land Conflicts in Eastern Uganda. She said the symposium broke a long spell of silence that had been occasioned by the Covid-19 pandemic and its associated restrictions on gatherings. “I have learned a lot in the symposium, and I am inspired to think more about my work,” Kanakhwa said.
Dr. Specioza Twinamasiko from MUST, said such workshops help them to network and also motivates them into coming up with new research ideas to find solutions for the problems that affect society. Twinamasiko presented a paper on Women Agency to Oil Development–Induced Land Conflicts in the Albertine Graben, Uganda.
Wasswa Timothy Kisuule, a graduate intern with the APC, applauded the symposium for its insightfulness on various aspects of social challenges that had affected society and had not been paid attention to. “I learned a lot from the scholars and I think more students should be invited to such workshops to boost their confidence in research and presentations,” he said.
Cedrick Joseph Wabwire, a lecturer at UCU’s School of Social Sciences and a staff member at APC
Cedrick Joseph Wabwire, a lecturer at UCU’s School of Social Sciences and a staff at APC, said the symposium created a platform of knowledge sharing, as well as an inspiration to the young academics. “Such workshops position UCU as a hub of knowledge sharing, increasing its brand visibility, as well as strengthening partnerships among various institutions and the academics themselves,” he said.
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.
Vice-Chancellor Assoc. Prof. Aaron Mushengyezi symbolically breaks the ground to commission the construction project.
By Jimmy Siyasa and Ivan Tsebeni State-of-the-art lecture rooms, meeting rooms for student functions and study spaces are some of what will await students of the Uganda Christian University (UCU) Kampala campus soon, following the start of the construction of the facilities early this year. The breaking of the ground for the construction of the facilities expected to cost sh2.5b (about $703,340) was done early 2022 at the campus’ new premises in Kampala.
According to George William Kazibwe, the director of the firm tasked with constructing the facilities, the classroom blocks will collectively hold a population of 900 students.
An artist’s impression of the new structure campus at Kampala campus
Vice-Chancellor Assoc. Prof. Aaron Mushengyezi, therefore, invited parents to embrace the new development as an opportunity for the university to offer high-quality education to their children. “We urge all parents to bring their children to Kampala campus because our new home and structures will grant the students a worthwhile learning experience,” he said.
Dr. Godwin Awio, former director at the UCU Kampala campus and now head of research and publications for UCU post-graduate studies, expressed joy about the construction of the new structures, saying a permanent home is indicative to the parents and students of the “stability of the university.”
Vice-Chancellor Mushengyezi said by acquiring the land for the new premises, the university will save sh600m (about $168,801), which it was paying annually in rent. The university had been a tenant in the premises for close to two decades.
Awio noted that previously, when they shifted their location, the enrollment at the campus reduced because a new location often affected some students.
“When you change premises from time to time, the market reads you as being unstable, and your competitors can take advantage of that, to take away your students,” he argued.
Awio explained why the campus had not been able to set up some facilities.
“We have been renting for the past 18 years and, therefore, we were limited in many ways,” he said. “For example, we could not set up certain facilities here because the land was not ours. But when you own the land, you can customize it at will.”
David Mugawe, the Deputy Vice-Chancellor for Finance and Administration, acknowledged the continued support and advocacy from the Church of Uganda and not-for-profit organisation UCU Partners, as well as students whom he said have been patient with the university.
Assoc. Prof. John Kitayimbwa, the Deputy Vice-Chancellor for Academic Affairs, said the development will help enhance learning at the university which marks 25 years of existence this year.
Teefe Zacharia, a local leader in Mengo, is highly expectant of good business from the neighbours of the university.
“The campus will bring socio-economic development to our area because the business community will pick interest in establishing hostels for students, as well as fast food businesses,” he said. “Additionally, it will decrease the crime rate in our village since we now have additional security, courtesy of the university in the area.”
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.
Bishop Michael Okwii receives a new vehicle from Uganda’s Vice-President Jessica Alupo (right) who represented President Yoweri Museveni at the consecration on March 6. Behind Okwii wearing a miter is Archbishop Stephen Kaziimba.
By Ivan Tsebeni When the House of Bishops of Uganda’s Anglican Church voted the Rev. Michael Okwii Esakan as the second bishop of a diocese in eastern Uganda, not everyone received the news of this February 2022 event with joy.
Okwii’s joy of victory was short-lived as a section of Christians in Kumi Diocese petitioned court, seeking to revoke his election. The three Christians argued that the process of electing Okwii was not conducted according to the laws of the Church.
However, three days to the set date of consecration of Okwii on March 6, 2022, court dismissed the case for want of evidence, giving the greenlight for the ceremony.
“I will not join any camp in Kumi; I will not promote hostility,” Okwii said at his installation on March 6, adding that his approach to leadership is through “dialogue and resolving issues amicably.”
It is understandable when one hears Bishop Okwii preaching peace and dialogue. When Okwii was elected, two camps emerged in the diocese, one for and another against him. The people who were against the election of Okwii argued that the rightful person for the seat was supposed to be the Rev. Charles Okunya.
Okunya had, in fact, been elected in November 2019 as the would-be next bishop for Kumi to replace the Rt. Rev. Thomas Irigei who had reached the mandatory retirement age of 65 years.
However, the Archbishop of the Church of Uganda, the Rt. Rev. Stephen Kaziimba, noted that Okunya was disqualified from becoming the bishop because, after a review of the records, it was established that he was 44 years old, a year younger than the age of becoming a bishop. He had told the House of Bishops that he was older.
At his installation in March, Okwii, an alumnus of Uganda Christian University (UCU) and a former lecturer of the institution, promised to strengthen prayer teams, entrench truth-telling and form reconciliation committees that will be tasked with mediating conflicts to avoid litigation.
He is aware that these are just a drop in the ocean of the responsibilities that await him as he shepherds the diocese.
“I have come in good faith, and with open hands and heart; I will be a bishop for everybody,” Okwii said.
Okwii’s remarks seemed to be a direct answer to the request by the day’s preacher at the consecration, the Rt. Rev. Alfred Olwa. Olwa, the Bishop of Lango Diocese, is also the UCU Council chairperson.
“I want to appeal that today, as you receive the second bishop of Kumi Diocese, you must move forward and grow in your faith in Christ,” Rev. Olwa told the congregation that gathered at St Philip’s Cathedral in Ngora district in eastern Uganda.
The first task before the new bishop is reconciling Okunya and a section of aggrieved Christians with the Church. In fact, Okunya in April 2022 resigned from diocesan and priestly duties in Kumi. A few days later, he was seen at Sunday prayers with a faction of aggrieved Christians and clergy who had renounced the Anglican Church.
Background Okwii received a Bachelor of Divinity and Diploma in Theology from the Bishop Tucker School Divinity and Theological College (now UCU) in 1987. He later graduated with a Post-Graduate Diploma in Management from the Uganda Management Institute in 2003 and also earned a Master of Arts in Applied Theology from Trinity College, Bristol, UK.
Okwii taught, first, as a part-time lecturer at the Bishop Tucker School of Divinity and Theology in 2001 and, later, in 2009, as a full-time lecturer in the school.
At Bishop Tucker School of Divinity and Theology, Okwii taught Pastoral Psychology and Sociology, Missions, Gender Studies, and Pastoral Care and Counselling, among others. He also served as director at UCU Mbale College between 2009 and 2010.
Born on February 10, 1965, into a Roman Catholic family in Atoot, Ngora district, Okwii got saved on June 3, 1986, at a fellowship. It was here that he joined the Anglican Church, despite knowing that a change of faith would be an unwelcome move before his father.
Four years later, in 1990, Okwii was ordained a deacon at St. Peter’s Cathedral, Soroti, in 1990 and a priest in 1991. He has served in many capacities in the Church, including as parish priest and Cathedral Vicar.
His last posting before becoming bishop was as the Archdeacon of Soroti and parish priest of Asuret. Okwii is married to Christine, with whom he has six children, five of whom are alive, and one grandson.
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.
Ruth Aturo in action for the UCU Lady Cardinals in Njeru, central Uganda.
By Ian Asabo The captain of Uganda national women’s football team, Ruth Aturo, has realised her dream of playing professional football after signing for Finnish club Kotkan Tyoaen Palloilijat.
Aturo, a goalkeeper of the national football team, joins Kotkan Tyoaen Palloilijat on a two-year deal from the Uganda Christian University (UCU) women’s team, the Lady Cardinals. She featured for the UCU Lady Cardinals for three years, helping the team to win trophies in 2018 and 2019.
The 26-year-old graduated with a Diploma in Business Administration from UCU in 2019. However, she continued playing for the Lady Cardinals.
“I am grateful to the university for providing me with the opportunity to play the game that I love, at the highest level in the country,” Aturo said, noting that she would not have found it easy to join a club in Finland if she had not got a chance to play for the Lady Cardinals. She was in UCU on a sports scholarship.
Ruth receiving her award for the Best Goalkeeper at the 2018 COSAFA Women’s Championship.
It was while at the Lady Cardinals that Aturo became a household name, with the Uganda football association naming her Player of the Year in the national league in 2018.
Like many student-athletes, Aturo faced the challenge of balancing performance in class and on the pitch.
Her challenge was even tougher, however, given that she is the captain of the national women football team, meaning she had class, club and national football team issues to concentrate on. However, to her, the answer remained in “being consistent, working hard and remaining focused.”
“While in Finland, I will be far from home but it’s an exciting experience that I cannot let pass,” she said. “My ultimate goal is to make it to the highest level, and this is a step in the right direction.”
Born on July 19, 1995, in Soroti, eastern Uganda, Aturo initially started playing as a center forward. However, later, she discovered that she could perform even better between the posts.
She began playing football in Senior Two at Soroti Senior Secondary School. From there, she joined Kawempe Muslim Secondary School in central Uganda, for A’level. It was her performance in the women’s soccer team of Kawempe that caught the attention of scouts who connected her to a scholarship offer at UCU.
She says it was at UCU where she was able to harness and grow her skills, and maximize them to the full potential, something which would later prepare ground for her to captain the national team.
Sam Lukaire, the Sports Administrator at UCU, is happy that the investment the university has made in sports is finally paying off.
“The right coaching through the sports program provided by the university has had an impact on the athletes, enabling such moves to happen,” Lukaire says.
He encourages Aturo to continue working hard to reach her full potential. Aturo’s deal was completed towards the end of December last year, but her travel was delayed until end of February. She says she used that time to watch videos about her teammates at Kotkan Tyoaen Palloilijat on YouTube, to try to understand how they play and their football philosophy.
Her longtime teammate at both club and national team level, Hasifah Nassuna, acknowledges that Aturo’s next step in football is only the beginning of her exposure to playing football at the greatest level.
“I am happy for Ruth. It is definitely not going to be easy as it only gets harder,” Nassuna said. “But I’m confident in her abilities as a goalkeeper and a leader on and off the pitch.”
As she arrives in Finland, Aturo is loaded with big dreams, hoping to not only etch her name in the global footballers’ hall of fame, but also to leave a legacy as one of the greatest ever Lady Cardinal players.
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.
Students collecting food packs at the UCU chaplaincy in July 2021 during a government-ordered Covid-19 lockdown. Again, during the Lent period in 2022, needy students were receiving food packs at the chaplaincy, a practice continuing after the Easter season.
By Muduku Derrick Brian Acaye Innocent Oscar has always had a supportive father who paid his tuition fees and provided money for upkeep on time. It was the reason in 2018 that he applied for the Bachelor of Science in Economics and Statistics course at Uganda Christian University (UCU).
All was well as Acaye reported to university. However, hardly two years into his course, his source of funds got cut off. “My bread winner got another partner and started to prioritize another family at the expense of ours,” Acaye said.
Acaye said he did not just lack the money for tuition, but also was “hungry most of the time,” something that he says started to affect the level of his academic output.
He wasn’t alone. He is among 100 UCU-Mukono campus students existing mostly on water at any given point in time. When members of the UCU community discovered that some students like Acaye who live in hostels go without food because they cannot afford daily meals, they created the food bank through the Chaplaincy office. This act coincided with the Lent period, when Christians, in preparation for Easter, fast and give alms.
The Rev. Canon Eng. Paul Wasswa, the Chaplain at UCU, says that the food bank was introduced “to stand with students especially those who sleep in hostels and run out of food from time to time.”
Wasswa adds that students with challenges of food are more easily compromised and end up in relationships they are not prepared for, just because they “want to survive.” He says once people get to know of the desperate situations of such students, they begin to involve them in sexual immorality and drugs in exchange for food.
For Acaye, his downward spiral away from his goal to be a data analyst started in 2020, when his financial situation forced him to take a dead year. As others frowned over the closure of learning institutions in 2020 due to the ravaging effects of the Covid-19 pandemic, to Acaye, it appeared to be a blessing in disguise. He expected to use the closure period to collect some money for tuition. However, the effect of the lockdown on the economy did not give him a chance to earn anything meaningful to use for university expenses. Acaye accumulated debts at UCU from the previous three semesters.
According to Wasswa, though the idea of the most recent food bank came up during Lent, the collections are expected to continue beyond the Easter season. For now, all collections towards the food bank are deposited with the chaplaincy. From there, needy students go and sign for whatever food items are available.
When Acaye went to the chaplaincy to collect his portion, he says he was given “two kilograms for each package of rice, beans, maize flour and sugar.” He also got two packets of spaghetti.
This is not the first time that the office of the chaplain is coordinating a donation of food to students.
“When we got a report about students who are stranded in hostels and in need of food, the chapel council raised some money to help them out,” Wasswa said last year. The Chaplain has been praying ever since for contributions to help these neediest students.
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. Those wishing to support the UCU food bank can make that known with the contribution.
Andrew Bugembe, member of the initial UCU podcast team, shown in a recent photo in Mbale.
By Patty Huston-Holm Andrew Bugembe’s early experience with audio journalism involved walking outside the Uganda Christian University (UCU) gate and, with his phone, recording what random people along a dusty street thought about topical sports issues. He, thereafter, walked back on the Mukono campus and shared his “African English” recordings with five friends who used this information raw or as background for stories in UCU’s student newspaper, The Standard.
“I wasn’t good at writing; I wasn’t good at sports,” Andrew, who hails from Mityana in central Uganda, admitted. “The credit I got for this work was ‘thank you,’ and that was enough. God puts you where He can use you.”
Sitting on a black, wrought-iron bench between the newspaper and communications offices in the third month since post-Covid, in-person learning resumed, the final-year student in UCU’s School of Journalism, Media and Communication (JMC) shared his comfort and enjoyment of being behind the scenes.
Thus, as UCU launched in January 2022 its first podcast – the only university podcast in Uganda – Andrew was the guy splicing the audio and monitoring the analytics of who was listening and from what devices.
“It was exciting,” he said during a March 2022 discussion. “I didn’t even know the word ‘podcast’ until I was tapped to be a part of it last year.”
The UCU podcast training for a small group of students began through David’s United Church of Christ in Canal Winchester, Ohio, USA, in June 2021. Students used the church’s podcast platform to conduct interviews on topics such as Black Lives Matter, Hate Speech, Street Preaching and Fake Pastors.
Geoffrey Ssenoga, UCU podcast supervisor, with a UCU original podcast team member, Christiana Ampeire, talking outside the student newspaper office
Under the supervision of veteran broadcaster and UCU lecturer, Geoffrey Ssenoga, and with support by the School of JMC head of undergraduate studies, John Semakula, UCU started its own podcast.
By early April, students had recorded and produced 17 podcasts under the umbrella of the new on-line Standard newspaper with the theme “Lighting our Way.” With a combination of fun (male-female differences, etc.) and serious (Ankrah Foundation, etc.) topics, the initial target audience is students.
“Students are always excited about new ways of applying their knowledge and skill,” said Geoffrey, a lifelong journalist with most of his work in television. “We were teaching radio, but during the Covid shutdown, the practical application of that was mostly non-existent. Podcast recordings via Zoom allowed students to learn this form of media while practicing coronavirus safety protocols.”
As the School of JMC revises its curriculum for the Council of Higher Education, podcasting – the fastest-growing media channel with two million globally – is included.
Stephen Ssenkaaba, award-winning journalist who helped start New Vision’s podcast in 2019
While not necessarily listening to recordings in the initial phase of UCU’s podcast, two Ugandan professionals, New Vision’s Stephen Ssenkaaba and Max Adii, are lauding them. Together, they started the New Vision podcast three years ago. Fresh from a research project on online strategies for emerging markets as part of a fellowship in Michigan, Stephen became fascinated with podcasting and pitched the idea upon his return to Uganda.
“I came to understand how podcasts were relevant to people in Uganda and Africa where the culture revolves around talking, and having conversations,” Stephen said. “After I pitched to the Editorial Board, I was charged to work with our radio expert, Max. We got it rolling.”
“More and more, media audiences are shifting to on-line content,” Max said. “Podcasting is Internet-based – allowing our audience potential to be people all over the world.”
Data indicate podcasting is especially popular with those under age 35 because of the content’s 24-7 accessibility, generally casual delivery by interviewers and ability to stop and start a 15-to-30-minute recording. To date, podcasting is less expensive and less regulated than radio.
Max Adii, a key member of the New Vision podcast implementation team
Commenting from Oregon, USA, where he is studying for his Ph.D. in Media Studies, Stephen said “a one-size-fits-all” podcast should not be the goal in today’s cafeteria of media genres. At that, younger listeners lean towards light-hearted, celebrity podcast content, while those older tend to want to supplement what they don’t “have time to get sitting and reading a newspaper or listening to radio at home,” he added.
“Podcasts done right take the listener into a situation,” Max said. One of his favorites that does that is a 12-episode New Vision podcast that tells the story of an undercover reporter who became part of the slave trade in Dubai.
Nicollette Nampijja, original UCU podcast team member
Student Nicollette Nampijja, one of the first UCU Podcast interviewers, expressed appreciation for UCU’s launch into the podcast medium. Despite her experience speaking in front of classmates in secondary school, her “heart was beating” for the first recording she did at UCU. Now, with three podcast interviews under her belt, confidence of the 22-year-old has soared.
“The UCU podcast has added excitement for students while giving them hands-on experience in a cutting-edge part of our industry,” Geoffrey said. “That we added the podcasting piece to what we teach and did it in the midst of coming off a pandemic lockdown speaks volumes about where UCU is going and can be.”
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.
Joshua Genrwot, a UCU student, owns 22 acres of a tree farm
By Agatha N. Biira In 2017, after sitting for his A’level examinations, Joshua Genrwot had eight months before embarking on his university education. What was he going to do with all that time? Grow trees.
That tree farm business has, in 2022, bestowed on him a new virtue – being aggressive. In addition, Genrwot says he has also learned to do most of the things in his farm by himself, so he can apply the skill on days a worker drags his feet.
“I have also now learned to be patient because, at the start, agriculture will not give you quick money, but a slow profit,” said the third-year student in the Bachelor of Science in Civil and Environmental Engineering program at Uganda Christian University (UCU).
Mango trees on Genrwot’s farm
His path was not one many youths his age would take, but maybe they should. He had witnessed many successful tree farmers. Since he is a student, he knew he would not need to devote a considerable amount of time in running the venture, knowing that trees need minimal care.
Genrwot started withfive acres of land. The farm, which has eucalyptus, mango and avocado trees, is located in the northern Uganda district of Gulu.
Three years later, in 2020, Genrwot was already reaping rewards from his toil.
“For the eucalyptus, we were reducing the number of trees and branches so as to leave enough space for them to expand and grow,” he said. “The excess trees were cut and sold off as poles.”
He says he harvested about 800 poles, which he sold at sh15,000 (about $3) each. He also harvested 300kg (661 pounds) of avocado sold at sh6,000 (about $1.6) per kilogram and 200kg (441 pounds) of mangoes that he sold at sh5,000 (about $1.4) each kilogram.
Since fruit trees are harvested seasonally, Genrwot says he harvests about 500 mangoes and between 700 and 800 avocadoes per season. He uses the proceeds from the sale for his upkeep at the university.
The benefits Genrwot has reaped from his farm drove him into expanding it more than four times, from the initial five acres to now 22 acres of land. The eucalyptus trees now sit on 15 acres while the fruit trees occupy five acres. The remaining two acres are occupied by the people who maintain the farm.
Eucalyptus trees on Genrwot’s farm
“We have also started rearing some animals, mainly goats and sheep, under the trees, to help eat away the undergrowth in the tree farm,” Genrwot says.
The demand for timber in the civil engineering field, especially construction, gave Genrwot the hope that he was starting a beneficial venture. He says he now networks with colleagues who are already in the profession, as he tries to get market for the timber when his trees eventually mature. The maturity period for eucalyptus is seven years.
He has long-term plans for the farm.
“I’m considering planting more long-term trees, such as the teak and pine trees and also adding more fruit trees,” Genrwot reveals.
Before he achieves his plan, Genrwot has to overcome the challenges he faces on the farm – pests and diseases that attack the fruit trees – and finding ways of ensuring that the farm workers are productive, even when he is away, concentrating on his studies at the university.
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.
Vice-Chancellor Aaron Mushengyezi addresses the staff during the annual thanksgiving in December 2021.
By Yasiri J. Kasango Long-term and improved employment contracts are becoming more common at Uganda Christian University (UCU). The University Council resolved to offer staff long-term contracts at a meeting it held last year. The action benefits 344 employees, who are full-time staff members at the UCU Main, Kampala, School of Dentistry and Medicine, campuses.
While short contracts for employees hired to work 40-hour weeks have been commonplace for at least a decade at UCU, for the last two years, employment has been more tentative. UCU staff have been operating on short contracts, with some running for three months. The shortened employment agreements and in some cases job curtailments were more common with the disruptive effects of the Covid-19 pandemic on the institutions of learning globally.
Staff members attending the annual thanksgiving.
In March 2020, Uganda closed all schools, including higher institutions of learning. Schools were only opened for in-person learning for final-year learners seven months later. It was not until March 2021 that schools were opened for in-person learning, only to be closed again three months later, due to the emergence of the second wave of Covid-19 in Uganda.
The lockdown on academic institutions affected UCU since students who are the source of revenue were not learning. During the university’s end-of-year thanksgiving ceremony held on December 17, Vice-Chancellor Assoc. Prof. Aaron Mushengyezi announced that the University Council had passed a resolution to give the university staff long-term and better contracts.
In a bid to attract and retain more competent staff, the university has also restored most of the other benefits, including medical, that the staff were entitled to before Covid-19 struck.
The contracts awarded are in three categories, ranging from two to five years. The University Council also has approved the issuance of staff performance-based contracts with annual financial reward incentives.
The Director of Human Resource, Florence Nakiyingi, confirmed the changes, saying senior teaching staff were given a contract ranging from four to five years, while the lower cadres received three years. During thanksgiving, Mushengyezi commended staff for what he called “resilience, devotion, and determination” during the pandemic.
The UCU staff have welcomed the restoration of long-term contracts.
“We are grateful to God because we know that after the storm, some people were unable to get back to their work; but we did, and have better contracts,” said Ruth Manzede, the admissions assistant.
The long-term contracts will help the staff create better long-term plans for themselves and their families and enhance loyalty to the institution.
“The new contracts can enable a manager or anyone to plan effectively for the office in the period they have been given to serve,” said Walter Washika, the Financial Aid Manager.
Harriet Asiimwe Iraguha, a staff member, gives glory to God that she has a job. She said the pandemic has led to many job losses and pay cuts.
“I’m not any better than those that have not received contracts or those who were told to wait a little longer,” she said. “I give glory to God that I have a job.”
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.
Cecilia Okoth, UCU alum and New Vision Investigative Reporter
By Patty Huston-Holm with Israel Kisakye, Vanessa Kyalimpa and Yasiri J. Kasango In mid-May 2021, Cecilia Okoth broke a story about how health care workers were charging money for the government’s free vaccination against Covid-19. The next month, she wrote about hospital patient expense, treatment and lax safety regulations regarding coronavirus.
UCU Vice Chancellor Assoc. Prof. Aaron Mushengyezi exchanges signed copies of the Memorandum of Understanding with AIIJ Executive Director Solomon Serwanjja.
Expose’ stories like these in the height of the pandemic are nothing new to this New Vision investigative reporter. In 2018, she uncovered a scam involving cancer patients and wrote about a possible solution to the stigma of HIV-AIDS in men. In 2019, she reported about “brokers” who lure public hospital patients to private facilities and how Karimojong girls were trafficked, with some ending up with the Al-Shabaab terrorist group.
These are only a few of the investigative journalism pieces authored by Okoth, a 2010 graduate of Uganda Christian University (UCU) and a speaker for a March 2022 event focused on engaging more women in deep, fact-finding news stories. The occasion was co-sponsored by the UCU School of Journalism, Media and Communication (JMC) and the Kampala-based African Institute of Investigative Journalism (AIIJ) with the nonprofit, Konrad Adenauer Stiftung (KAS), in Nkoyoyo Hall of the UCU Mukono campus.
The School of JMC and AIIJ have a new Memorandum of Understanding that seeks collaboration in research and training of investigative journalists in the country.
Prof. Aaron Mushengyezi, Anna Reisman, Solomon Serwanjja and Monica Chibita cut cake to mark International Women’s Day, aligned with the investigative journalism event at UCU in March.
“We are doing a lot of research in areas for journalism within Uganda and we think that UCU offers us that margin, but also think that UCU would love a space where they take their students for internships and could benefit from the guest lectures that we’ll have,” said Raymond Mujuni, of AIIJ and an editor and talk-show host at the Nation Media Group in Uganda.
Before an audience of 100, Okoth served on panel of journalists and media scholars who discussed press issues under the theme “Women and Investigative Journalism: An untapped opportunity.” Other panelists were Dr Patricia Litho, a communications specialist and trainer; Dr. Annette Kezaabu, the Head of Postgraduate Studies at the UCU School of JMC; and Anna Reismann, the country representative KAS Uganda and South Sudan. Mujuni moderated the discussion.
“In our early time of investigative journalism, we didn’t have such training to equip the young female journalists,” Okoth said at the event. Later, she shared how, as her career seemed to be stagnant, she stumbled on a deeper story she saw at a routine press conference.
“When I arrived, I immediately noticed an anomaly,” she recalled of the press event. “Many patients were lying on the verandas at the institute. I later learned that patients had to bribe medics to access the radiotherapy machine which was known to be free of charge. That was the story I wrote after a three-month investigation. My career has never been the same.”
In an interview after the March 2022 event, Okoth shared her thoughts about challenges and opportunities, especially for women. Investigative journalism is tough enough, but tougher for women as the difficult assignments often go to men.
“The onus is on a woman to fight and prove that you can equally accomplish a ‘man’s’ task,” she said. “Investigative journalism involves unearthing well tucked secrets by the powers that be or highlighting the injustices and abuses of power. It is giving a voice to the voiceless. However, in trying to accomplish this, you will rub some people the wrong way or even get frustrated along the way, or face threats.”
Investigative pieces require time, patience and stamina for the reporter, and a budget for a newsroom – all four of which can compromise the quality of the work, according to Okoth. The content of the investigations can be “very disturbing” psychologically with risks from perpetrators reporters are researching to expose wrongful deeds.
“As journalists, we are told that no story is worth your life,” she said. “So, you have to know when to retract when an assignment gets dangerous.”
At the same time, deeper fact-finding stories provide opportunities not only to clear up corruption, but also to gain recognition as reporters. Okoth has received accolades, such as the August 2018 editorial innovations award, 2019 runner up in the Uganda National Journalism Awards explanatory reporting category, and 2020 Nominee for the International Centre for Journalists (ICFJ) Knight International Journalism Awards. She also has had several training and mentorship opportunities globally.
“As a field journalist, I have seized the opportunity to transform the lives of people I have been assigned to report about,” Okoth said. “The stories I have covered have helped start uncomfortable conversations that have created awareness or led to policy change.”
Another panelist, Dr. Kezaabu, implored lecturers to mentor their students on life skills, adding that “the skills taught in class can be compromised if we don’t teach or mentor our students on how to focus on their life and conduct themselves.”
“Go for it if it’s your passion, if it’s your conviction, go for it,” added panelist, Dr. Litho, encouraging upcoming female journalists to break the bias. She added that ladies should not be relegated to soft stories like beauty contests.
“As journalists, we are often told, you are as good as your last story so that technically means your best story is one that you have not yet done,” Okoth, mother of a 16-month-old son, said. “This pushes me to work harder…Plus, being a mother shouldn’t deprive someone of career goals. You can definitely achieve both.”
In addition to hearing speakers, attendees watched a documentary film known as a Thousand Cuts about the life of Maria Ressa, a female investigative journalist who put her life at stake to hold the Philippine President accountable for killing innocent people under the disguise of drug abuse.
The March activities were attended by UCU Vice Chancellor, Assoc. Prof. Aaron Mushenygezi; Deputy Vice Chancellor for Academics, Assoc. Prof. John Kitayimbwa; Deputy Vice Chancellor (Finance and Administration), David Mugawe; Dean for the School JMC, Prof. Monica Chibita; head of the School of JMC undergraduate studies, John Semakula; and AIIJ executive director Solomon Serwanjja.
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.
Hanze University: UCU Vice Chancellor, Assoc. Prof. Aaron Mushengyezi (in suit) poses with students chosen for a six-month exchange program with Hanze University of Applied Sciences in the Netherlands.
By Muduku Derrick Brian Uganda Christian University (UCU) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Tokyo Christian University, Inzai, Chiba, Japan, to conduct joint research and exchange programs.
UCU Vice Chancellor Assoc. Prof. Aaron Mushengyezi signed on behalf of his institution, while Dr. Randall Short signed on behalf of Tokyo Christian University. Dr. Short is the Vice President for International Affairs at his institution.
Previously, UCU selected six students for a six-month exchange program with Hanze University of Applied Sciences Foundation in the Netherlands.
Mushengyezi said UCU has prioritized exchange programs because they “expose our students to new challenging environments and ways of doing things and cultures.”
He noted that UCU intends to extend the partnerships to other universities in different parts of the world so that students get as much exposure as possible.
Tokyo Christian University meeting: Pamela Tumwebaze, the Head of Department of the Honors College at Uganda Christian University, during a zoom session with a delegation from Tokyo Christian University.
According to the MoU, UCU and Tokyo Christian University will run an exchange program for students and staff, conduct joint research activities and publications, participate in joint seminars and academic meetings and also share academic materials and other information.
Frank Obonyo, UCU’s Communications Manager, said UCU found it easy to partner with Tokyo Christian University because of the latter’s Christian foundation.
“Tokyo Christian University evolved from theological development,” Obonyo said of Japan’s only evangelical university fully accredited by the Japanese government. “Their strong belief in Christ centeredness made it is easy for us to partner with them since we are similar in many ways. Our students and staff will benefit from the global network and international space, which will ultimately widen their scope and view of things.”
Tokyo Christian University is a premier evangelical institution with a protestant history that spans up to 140 years. The university aims to provide a Christ-centered liberal arts in education for both men and women in Asia, focusing on educating the heart and the mind for leadership, service, evangelism and mission. UCU’s mission is to equip students for productive, holistic lives of Christian faith and service.
Pamela Tumwebaze, the Head of Department of the Honors College, said UCU has a lot to benefit from the partnership.
“Through the exchange program, some of our students will get the opportunity to travel and study in Japan in the same way Japanese students will come and study at UCU,” she said.
Tumwebaze added that UCU intends to help students from Tokyo particularly in the English language.
“We are working closely with the head of languages and literature at UCU, Dr. James Taabu Busimba, to help the Japanese to master the English language,” she said.
Muzahura Owen Ivan, one of the leaders in the UCU Guild Government, said students are excited by the partnerships.
“Some students see this as a golden chance to travel and get to experience the new academic cultures and lifestyle,” he said. “The Guild Government fully supports the partnerships and will help in raising awareness among students so they can embrace the opportunity.”
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.
Screenshot of Peggy and Christy during a virtual interaction
By Peggy Noll What do a Ugandan Honors College student in her first year at Uganda Christian University (UCU) and a retired American English teacher and former missionary have in common?
More than you might imagine at first glance, as Christy Asiimwe and I are discovering in our new roles as mentor and mentee, through a program started early in 2021 through the Honors College at UCU.
In one of our virtual monthly meetings, I told Christy that I always learned more as a teacher than I did as a student, by way of affirming she had made a good choice to work as a teaching assistant at her father’s school during her off-semester. I think the same might be true now, where I, as the mentor, may benefit more than Christy, the one being mentored!
After three or four virtual conferences of about an hour each and intermittent emails, I have already been encouraged in at least three areas of mutual interest.
First, in our initial encounter on zoom, it was Christy who suggested that since we did not know one another, we might start by giving our testimonies. As my husband and I have prayed over the years for UCU to be a genuinely Christian university and not Christian in name only, I was thrilled that over 10 years after our departure, I would meet a student serious about her faith as well as her education.
Again, at my request, Christy sent me a copy of the devotion she had written for her students based on John 15:9-17, “Why do you think God created man? To love Him and to be loved by Him.”
Next, we were able to meet online by zoom or Google Meeting only because Christy, not I, had the skills to set up the meeting. I told her that when we arrived in Mukono in 2000, there were only two computers on campus, both dial-up, one in the VC’s office and the other in the library. Just 20 years later, she as a first-year student has computer access and skills we could not have imagined then.
In yet a third area of overlapping interests, Christy’s long-term goals include working in education, possibly curriculum development, and becoming a servant leader in that sphere. The week before the conversation where she shared these goals, our son Peter, who heads an NGO that runs a hospital for the poor in Oaxaca, Mexico, had sent me online a recent draft of his newsletter to proofread, in which an interview he had organized and written up was titled, “Servant Leadership with Friar Carlos Eduardo.”
I challenged Christy to think about how she would define “servant leadership” and forwarded the interview to her as an example of someone in faraway southern Mexico with a desire similar to her own to follow Christ as a servant leader.
At my request, Christy sent me the link to ACE, the Christian curriculum used by her father’s teaching center outside Kampala, where she is currently helping him. In our conversation about the books she was reading with her students, she mentioned several titles by the English author Patricia St. John. Again, I had some background knowledge of the author I could share with her. St. John was a long-term missionary in North Africa. She was also invited to visit Rwanda and write an account of the East African Revival, which she titled Breath of Life. I have a copy here on my shelf in Pennsylvania, with an Introduction written by the Rev. Festo Kivingere! In a timely coincidence, I was able to send Christy a book I thought she would enjoy, the autobiography of the same author titled An Ordinary Woman with Extraordinary Faith.
Many, many years ago, my father, who spent most of his career working as a lawyer for the U.S. government in Washington, D.C., was invited to leave his post to teach at a law school which he chose to do because, as he explained to me then, he had learned a lot in the practice of law that he would like to pass on to young people at the start of their careers.
Being a mentor for Christy brought that conversation back to my mind. I feel I learned a lot teaching English language and literature at a community college in the U.S. and, added to the privilege of living and teaching at UCU for 10 years, I now might be able to pass on some small bit of what I have learned to the next generation of students at the University still so close to our hearts. In the process of being a mentor, I am being blessed by hearing about Christy’s hopes and plans for her future.
If you are reading this article and are asked to be a mentor, I would urge you to consider saying “Yes,” and I predict you will be the biggest benefactor in the relationship!
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.
Pamela Tumwebaze, head of UCU’s Honors College, with Kwebeiha John Wycliff, a year-two Law student in the mentorship program.
By Patty Huston-Holm with Laura Cenge and Nicole Nankya One dictionary definition of “mentor” is “experienced and trusted advisor.”
Pamela Tumwebaze, head of the Uganda Christian University (UCU) Honors College, can recall having many, including the Rev. Prof. John Kitayimbwa, Deputy Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs (DVCAA). It was him, in fact, who propelled her to her current job title and got her thinking about making mentorships a deeper part of the Honor’s program.
Tumwebaze remembered an early 2021, end-of-day conversation in her role as the DVCAA Executive Assistant. The university had been in Covid-related, government-ordered lockdown for nearly a year. The university’s financial status, exacerbated by no students and no tuition, required leadership decisions about cuts. The head of the Honors program was leaving to work on his PhD, making that program a prime candidate for the chopping block.
“He (Kitayimbwa) told me the Honors program was going to be shut down,” recalled Tumwebaze, who, like most workers on the Mukono campus at the time, was near exhaustion from doing multiple jobs – theirs and for those not around due to travel restrictions and inability to be paid.
She recalled: “I said ‘I’ll do it.’ He said I couldn’t. But the next morning he said he thought about it, and that I could. He believed in me.”
Such encouragement is part of what a good mentor does. Good mentees do all they can to substantiate that faith.
The UCU Honours College is a leadership development initiative started in 2002, with a focus on Christian principles, as well as creativity and critical thinking. Undergraduate students from all programs are eligible to apply if they have a 4.0 of 5.0 grade point average or higher. In addition to reinforcing the value of academic knowledge, the UCU Honors College program addresses the value of “soft skills”, such as public speaking, work ethic, team building and engaging in relationships, including those with mentors.
Written assignments, oral presentations and service projects with informal mentorships have long been a part of the College. Formal mentorships are new.
Fresh on the job as the Honors College head in January 2021, Tumwebaze realized mentorship was going to be a key component of the program, but implementation with no in-person learning required a virtual strategy. By mid-year, she had a plan that she launched with two students each for four mentors – two Americans (one being Peggy Noll, the wife of UCU’s first Vice Chancellor) and two Ugandans (Johnson Mayamba and Dennis Wandera) living in the United States.
The plan included expectations that mentors be academic and/or career professionals approved by Pamela and willing to be encouragers and coaches. Mentees are expected to be timely and provide learning needs.
Virtual mentorships had expected challenges of student Internet access and understanding that mentors were in different time zones. With students back in session, the number of mentorships has grown to 30 in-person and virtual faculty, alum and other professionals for 96 Honors College students. All program areas are represented with the largest single number from Law.
“I’ve always been a bit of a dreamer, willing to try new things,” said Tumwebaze, who has UCU degrees related to literature and is working on a third, a master’s in strategic communication. “Covid taught me to re-create myself.”
A mother of two, Tumwebaze shared that to help support her family during the pandemic, she bought used clothing in Kampala, kept it in her car and sold it to friends. At the same time, she put energies into teaching a literature class and leading the Honors College, encouraging students at a time when she knew many felt hopeless and even suicidal.
“In spite of what I knew was going on in their lives, I encouraged them to look around and serve others,” she said. “We are all broken. I tell them to trust God to open their eyes and help someone else while also helping themselves.”
Those service projects have included cleaning up trash, educating new mothers in a rural village and reinforcing reading for children.
“When Christ calls us, we shall need to show how we helped someone,” she said. “Look for your gifts and use them in His name.”
In mid-March, one such gift is tacked on the bulletin board of Tumwebaze’s second floor office in a building known as “M Block” next to Nkoyoyo Hall. The childlike drawing of a rainbow was made by her almost-four-year-old son for his appreciation of her visit to his school.
Another gift this day was Honors College student, Steven Nsenga, seated by the door. He is a soon-to-be graduate with a Bachelors in Human Rights, Peace and Humanitarian Intervention in the Faculty of Social Science. He is concerned about refugees.
And he is, Tumwebaze pointed out, assigned to a mentor who gave her this job – the Rev. Dr. John Kitayimbwa.
TOMORROW: UCU Standard intern Nicole Nankya tells more of the story of student and mentee, Steven Nsenga.
WEDNESDAY: Words of virtual mentor Peggy Noll of Pennsylvania, USA.
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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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