Mpyangu Denis Swanyi graduated with a Bachelor of Laws, on October 22, 2021. Photo/ Jimmy Siyasa
By Joseph Lagen At the height of the Covid-19 pandemic that included business and education lockdowns in Uganda, the Uganda Christian University (UCU) Financial Aid Office put out an advert, calling for applications for financial relief. For some students who were stuck and unable to pay their tuition fees, help was possible. The benefactor was Uganda Partners, a USA-based organization that provides material and spiritual support for students through sponsorship.
When Mpyangu Denis Swanyi, at the time a final year student at UCU, saw the advert, he did not hesitate to apply. As a result of that action, Mpyangu is a graduate. He was among the 468 students who received a Bachelor of Laws degree in 2021.
“I often wondered where my tuition fee would come from. Thank God, the angelic Uganda Partners was there in my time of need,” Mpyangu says, adding: “May the good Lord reward those kind hearts.”
The gesture by the Uganda Partners has tickled a charitable spirit in Mpyangu. He could not even wait for his graduation before rolling out his benevolent cause. At Mpyangu’s area of residence, Nansana, near Kampala, he has brought together youthful residents against a burgeoning evil.
“I initiated a community coalition called Nansana Division Coalition Against Drugs. The initiative offers peer-to-peer education and advocacy for a drug-free generation,” says Mpyangu, who hopes to use the knowledge he gained at school to build a better community and next generation.
He is also a frequent guest at one of the local community radio stations, Tiger FM, where he broadcasts the same lifestyle message and solicits volunteers for the same cause.
But why did Mpyangu choose UCU as his university of choice for his bachelor’s degree?
“With its Christian values and client centeredness,” Mpyangu says “there is no university in Uganda that is as friendly and welcoming as UCU.”
“I was further attracted by their excellent service and the good reputation their law faculty has built over time.” Of the 3,368 students who graduated on October 22, 2021, 14% received Bachelor of Laws.
Mpyangu says he was a big beneficiary of the cohesion among students at UCU, as well as staff members.
Coming from a large family of 15 children – both nuclear and extended – the third born in the family says raising the $1,000 tuition fees twice a year was not an easy task for his family. Mpyangu says on more than one occasion, he was rescued financially by Good Samaritans.
To practice law in Uganda, one must attain a Diploma in Legal Practice at Uganda’s Law Development Centre. Mpyangu has enrolled for that course. He says after the diploma course, he hopes to acquire a master’s and PhD in law one day to help him argue cases in court from a more informed point of view.
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.
Eyotaru Patricia graduated with a Bachelor of Laws at UCU, on October 22, 2021. Courtesy photo.
By Joseph Lagen When the Covid-19 pandemic struck in 2020 and with it, Uganda’s education lockdown, all hopes of completing school evaporated for Eyotaru Sandra Patricia. The Uganda Christian University (UCU) Law alumna says since she could not afford tuition, she saw no other way of completing the education race at UCU.
Indeed, when Eyotaru resorted to sharing her challenges with friends, she began to see light at the end of the tunnel.
“I was so downcast,” she said. “However, I was strengthened by my friends and family in the Umoja choir who constantly prayed and encouraged me until God answered our prayers.”
Singing with UCU’s Umoja and Chapel choirs provided Eyotaru a family of friends who, sometimes, also “served as a distraction from the stress and the challenges that came with worrying about my study and finances.”
Eyotaru’s prayers were fully answered when the UCU financial aid office made her aware of Uganda Partners, a US-based charity, which was able to pay her tuition balance. The 24-year-old was part of UCU’s graduation ceremony on October 22, 2021, receiving her Bachelor of Laws degree.
“Uganda Partners was like a guardian angel sent to me by God,” she says, adding, “They came to my rescue at a time when all my hopes of completing school had evaporated. May God reward the hands that gave through them.”
When schools were closed in March 2020, in Uganda, the government wanted to reduce concentration points which could spread the coronavirus faster. Such a move provided UCU the opportunity to test its online learning infrastructure. Students who were learning virtually were still expected to pay tuition, which was a challenge for Eyotaru’s family because her father, Rev. Johnson Andama, lost his job as an employee of UCU’s Arua campus.
Eyotaru says joining UCU was a good decision from many perspectives. In addition to what she learned in class, the new graduate says she was able to acquire vital social skills. The Christian values and moral virtues, she says, were the much-needed cherry on top.
“I came to the university as an introvert,” Eyotaru says, adding: “My time at UCU taught me how to compromise and live with people of various nationalities and ethnicities – each with their own lifestyle.”
As a result, some of the people Eyotaru met, she says, became as close to her as her family. Some even went as far as offering financial assistance to her during times she lacked necessities.
Now that she has completed undergraduate studies, Eyotaru is presently a volunteer at the Uganda Law Society’s Regional Legal Aid Project in Arua, her home district. She helps to provide pro-bono legal services to the underprivileged and the underserved in her community. She is waiting to enroll for a Diploma in Legal Practice at Uganda’s Law Development Centre (LDC). To practice law in Uganda, one must attain this qualification at the LDC.
“I hope to pursue a master’s in law someday, so that I can be able to help the marginalized access justice better,” Eyotaru says.
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.
Isaac Bagenda (left) with classmates on graduation day.
By Gloria Katya Growing up, an anguished Isaac Bagenda watched his siblings have asthma attacks. He was frustrated that he could do nothing to help them breathe and lead more active lives.
This early encounter with family members as well as observations of others with health challenges gave Bagenda the impetus to follow the path of medical practice. He was proceeding well toward his career goal as a Uganda Christian University (UCU) nursing student until Covid-19 emerged.
Bagenda’s dream was disrupted as the pandemic and subsequent government-ordered lockdowns since March 2020 hit his parents’ purses. He had no money to complete payment of the tuition fees to enable him graduate with a UCU Bachelor of Nursing Science.
When Uganda Partners, a USA-based organisation that seeks support for UCU students through sponsorship, indicated that it could financially support some disadvantaged students, Bagenda applied to be one of those. The UCU Financial Aid office approved.
“I got to know about the scholarship after it was announced by the UCU Financial Aid Office and I immediately picked interest since I had a big debt with the university,” he says.
The 23-year-old was among students who graduated at UCU’s 22nd graduation ceremony on October 22, 2021.
Bagenda on graduation day.
Joining UCU to pursue the Bachelor of Nursing Science course was itself a big achievement for Bagenda. He almost missed out on the course because his parents had made it clear to him that the cost was out of their reach.
Instead, Edward and Flavia Bagenda wanted their son to pursue a Bachelor of Science in Education at Kyambogo University. The parents, living in Mpigi District, central Uganda, argued that tuition fees in a public university like Kyambogo were more affordable for them – about half the cost.
However, Bagenda, convinced of a medical calling and at UCU, applied for and received a government loan for studies at UCU. The loan scheme was a partial funding with his parents providing the rest. Upon getting a job, the Uganda government expects Bagenda to repay his loan.
Bagenda, who received his lower-level education in Mpigi, completed Heritage Nursery and Primary School and St. Mark’s Secondary School Kamengo, where he studied O’level and at Gombe Secondary School for A’level.
With a nursing degree Bagenda will, as required, complete a yearlong, mandatory internship program in a hospital. Bagenda says he is eager to help mothers, especially those in labor wards, to have successful baby deliveries.
Bagenda says he hopes to return to school for post-graduate studies one day so he can acquire the skills necessary for him to be able to set up his own medical center, as well as share knowledge in the medical field as a lecturer in the nursing schools in 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.
Alvin Masagazi, who graduated with a Bachelor’s in Nursing Science on October 22, 2021, also is a freelance photographer. (Courtesy photo)
By Michael Kisekka Sh500,000 (about $140). That was the amount of money standing between Alvin Masagazi and his degree at Uganda Christian University (UCU). And Masagazi was not even aware that the debt existed. Unaware of a problem, he was preparing for graduation.
Alvin Masagazi in nursing uniform during internship (Courtesy photo)
“I was bewildered about how this had happened because I thought all my tuition was covered fully,” Masagazi, who joined UCU’s nursing program in 2017, says. “I couldn’t believe my name was not on the graduation list.”
He was even more shocked with the debt because he was on a government scholarship scheme that was meant to cover his tuition for all four years that he was to spend at the university. Somehow, he had the debt. And he had to pay it.
“I desperately needed the money, but my parents were not financially stable at the time the graduation lists were released,” Masagazi says, adding that he did not have anyone else to help secure the money.
Masagazi’s hope was fading; his heart was breaking. His parents were not in a position to rescue him. Then, a friend told him about the United States-based UCU Partners, a non-profit charitable organization committed to raising support for UCU programs, services, staff and students. The UCU Financial Aid Office had advertised about how the NGO could help, calling for applications from students who were due for graduation, but were financially distressed and had outstanding tuition balances.
When he applied for the tuition top-up, Masagazi was successful. On October 22, 2021, he joined 24 other people to receive the Bachelor of Nursing Science degree at UCU’s 22nd graduation ceremony.
He says the kind of generosity displayed by UCU Partners is something he wants to play out in his own life.
“When God grants me the resources, I also aspire to do the same for students who find themselves caught up in similar circumstances,” he said.
With the degree, Masagazi is confident he will be able to fulfill his passion of “saving lives”at the health facilities where he will serve while supporting himself and a family. First, he does a mandatory one-year internship program in a hospital.
“I am really excited and optimistic for what the future holds for me,” he said.
During his four-year academic journey at UCU, Masagazi practiced photography and was a student leader in charge of health in the university (2019).
Nurse Alvin Masagazi on graduation day (Courtesy photo)
“My love for nursing and helping people got me into that position in the cabinet and I worked hard to help and improve the health services during my term of office,” he says.
Masagazi is the first born of four children of Sam Lwanga and Christine Itetsire. He was born and raised in Gayaza, central Uganda. He attended City Parents School and Mugwanya Preparatory School for his primary education and then Buddo Secondary School for his secondary education. All the three schools are found in central Uganda.
For the six years at Buddo, for both O’level and A’level, Masagazi was on a scholarship because of his talent in music and sports.
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 Yasiri J. Kasango In 2017, when Hope Kyomugisha got admitted to Uganda Christian University (UCU), she was not sure how she would pay her tuition fees. With hope and a prayer, she made the trip to the university to pick up her admission letter.
To her surprise, she did not return home with only the admission letter. While at the university campus, Kyomugisha learned of a scholarship available through the Uganda Partners, a USA-based organisation that seeks material and spiritual support for UCU students through sponsorship.
Kyomugisha was fortunate enough to get the grant, which enabled her to pursue her Bachelors of Nursing Science course.
“This degree means a lot to me and my family because I am now going to get employment to be able to support myself and them,” Kyomugisha says. “I badly needed the scholarship because the tuition fee was high and my parents had other children they were paying tuition for.”
Her excellent performance earlier in her education journey, she says, played a key role in her winning the Uganda Partners scholarship. Partners took the responsibility of paying sh2,104,000/= (about $590) for her tuition and sh1,200,000/= ($338) for her hostel fees, during the four years of her study at UCU.
The 24-year-old says she was deliberate about her choice of the university. Since Kyomugisha said she was looking for an institution that was offering a Christian-centered learning and building a good character of the students, UCU was the natural choice.
She says UCU is a good learning environment. “The atmosphere offers a favourable environment for concentration and learning,” she says.
Kyomugisha’s elder sister, Deborah Namanya, also is a nurse. It is Namanya who inspired Kyomugisha to pursue the nursing course. The UCU graduate says she would always admire the grace with which Namanya and her classmates carried themselves at the Mulago School of Nursing and Midwifery in Kampala.
Kyomugisha dreams of becoming a nursing educator so she can train more people into the profession. However, before she achieves that dream, she hopes to first pursue a diploma course in health management and leadership, to make her more formidable in health administration.
Kyomugisha during her internship
Kyomugisha hopes to devote part of her energies in advocating the rights of expectant mothers in Uganda because she feels not all of them receive the recommended adequate care.
Kyomugisha’s entrance into medical practice was somewhat a baptism of fire. At the height of the spread of the coronavirus in Uganda, Kyomugisha, who had just started her internship as a nursing trainee, came face to face with what it meant to treat patients who had contracted Covid-19.
She says the experience was so terrifying to her and her parents, especially given the fact that the country was also losing medical practitioners to the pandemic. Uganda Medical Association, an umbrella association of medical practitioners in Uganda, says at least 100 health workers have succumbed to Covid-19 in the country since March 2020.
Background Kyomugisha is the second of six children of Boaz and Agatha Natumanya. She was born and raised in Sheema district, western Uganda. Kyomugisha went to Ishaka Town School for her primary education and then Bweranyangi Girls School for secondary education. From Senior One to Six, Kyomugisha studied on a half bursary at Bweranyangi Girls School. She says the school offered her the bursary because of her impressive academic performance.
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 “Academic Excellence Award presented to Bwamiki Johnson who attained First Class Honours Bachelor of Public Health.”
These were the words inscribed on the plaque that Bwamiki walked home with on October 22, 2021, after his graduation at Uganda Christian University (UCU).
Bwamiki was part of an elite class of 95 students from among more than 3,000 who got First Class Degrees at UCU’s 22nd graduation. The 24-year-old garnered a 4.4 Cumulative Grade Point Average out of 5.0.
For Bwamiki, this achievement was the icing on the cake. He believes that the good performance is an added attraction for employers, decreasing the burden of his search for a job – if he needs one. Right now, he doesn’t.
Bwamiki is elated because a business he began slightly more than one-and-a-half years ago is showing signs of booming. As the country prepared to enter its first lockdown in March 2020, due to the disruptions of the Covid-19 pandemic, Bwamiki bought a second-hand motorcycle. He spent sh1.5m (about $420) to buy the motorcycle, commonly referred to in Uganda as bodaboda, so he could use it to generate extra income to support his living expenses at the university.
That motorcycle turned into a cash cow for Bwamiki as the country entered a lockdown on studies, as well as movements. Those who operated motorcycles for commercial transport were allowed to transport luggage and foodstuffs for people. That is what he did.
From this, he was able to save some money, which enabled him to acquire a second motorcycle months later.
But how did Bwamiki manage to run the motorcycle business as well as concentrate on his studies, with so much precision to enable him walk home with a First Class Degree? He says since he had books to concentrate on, he hired a driver for each of the motorcycles. At the end of the day, each was supposed to deposit sh10,000 (about $2.8) from the earnings they made. The rest of the money was payment for the drivers. With that arrangement, all he did was to wait for his daily deposit.
Allan Kampame, a peer, credits Bwamiki’s thirst for learning and his proactive personality for the entrepreneurial ability.
Bwamiki with his mother and niece
“I wasn’t shocked when he started that business; he is always full of business ideas and he likes to put into practice what he has learnt,” Kampame, who is a UCU alumnus, said of Bwamiki.
His parents, Bwamiki Michael and Namutamba Betty, serve as a clinical officer and a pharmacist, respectively, in Bugiri, eastern Uganda.
“I was inspired by how my parents conducted their work as health workers,” Bwamiki said.
That inspiration is what drew him, in 2018, to apply to study public health at UCU. He said he opted to study at UCU because the institution’s “Christian identity instilled in learners gives them a competitive edge in the job market.”
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.
Two Canons players at the championship in Nairobi in November 2021
By Ian Asabo Uganda Christian University (UCU) has once again shown its dominance in continental sports after the institution’s two teams qualified for this year’s university basketball World Cup.
The UCU Canons, the men’s basketball team, and the Lady Canons, for the women, qualified for the World Cup after winning the 3×3 African Varsity Basketball Championships held in Nairobi, Kenya.
It was the third consecutive time that the Lady Canons were clinching gold at the continental championships, after their feat in 2017 and 2019. The men’s team, on the other hand went into the tournament in Nairobi in November 2021 as the reigning champions, having won gold in 2019, a feat which granted them a slot in that year’s World Cup. However, the World Cup, which had been slated for late 2019 at the Huaqiao University in Xiamen, China, did not take place because it coincided with the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic.
The International University Sports Federation (FISU) event, held at Kenya’s United States International University from November 6-7, 2021, attracted 28 teams from six African countries.
In the finals, UCU Canons beat Uganda’s Ndejje University while the Lady Canons defeated the Institut Supérieur d’Entrepreneurship et de Gestion from Senegal, who also were their opponents in the 2019 championship. In 2019, the UCU men’s team defeated the men’s side from the Institut Supérieur d’Entrepreneurship et de Gestion.
The next FISU World Cup will be held October 15-17, 2022.
The UCU teams and the coaching staff with medals at the Afro Varsity games in Nairobi, Kenya, in November 2021
The Canons team was represented in Nairobi by Titus Lual, David Deng Kongor, Fayed Bbaale and Rogers Dauma while the Lady Canons had Rose Akon, Priscilla Abbey, Shakirah Nanvubya and Nandutu Martha. Lual, Kongor and Akon were also part of the victorious team in 2019.
UCU Vice Chancellor Aaron Mushengyezi praised the team’s efforts in Nairobi and pledged to support them at the World Cup in China later this year.
“We are so proud of what both teams accomplished in Nairobi,” Mushengyezi said.
Canons captain Titus Lual said they won because of resilience and hard work.
“I want to acknowledge the efforts of both teams; winning all of our games proves our dominance and I can’t wait to play in China,” Lual said.
Head coach Nicholas Natuhereza thanked the Vice Chancellor and the administration for the support they provided to the team.
“The Vice Chancellor and the administration have always prioritized the basketball teams, even during the lockdown; this success is a testament that the faith shown was worth it,” Natuhereza said.
Speaking at the launch of the painting during the lockdown on in-person learning in 2021, Mushengyezi said the project also is intended to uplift the face of the institution, most especially in sports, through talent development.
“When we have the best sports facilities, it gives us an edge over other universities,” Mushengyezi said, adding that the institution has always been known to be a sports powerhouse.
The Director of Student Affairs, Bridget Mugume K. Mugasira, praised the efforts of the coach and the university sports patron, Sam Lukaire.
“Coach Nick and Sam Lukaire have been here for a long time and seen both teams grow,” Mugume said, crediting much of the success of the players to the duo.
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.
Some recognitions received by Miika, an animated film about a teen girl in Uganda
By Eriah Lule Miika is a 14-year-old fictional character living in northern Uganda. As the story goes, her family had enough of the tyranny of the government forces and she took matters into her hands to save the day.
This 3D short animated film by the same name as the main character, “Miika,” is the darling of international film festivals and written and directed by Uganda Christian University (UCU) alum Shevon Nsiimenta. Already, it has won the Best Animation Film Category at the CineOdyssey Film Festival.
And that is not all. Nsiimenta says her film that lasts a little over five minutes has received a nomination at two other festivals, was a finalist at the Auber International Film Festival and also got an Official Selection at yet another festival – the Flickfair Film Festival.
At the Los Angeles International Film Festival, Nsiimenta was a nominee for the Best First Time Female Director, and her film, “Miika,” got a nomination for the Best Animation Film. All this is happening before the film hits the cinemas. Nsiimenta says it should be released soon.
Shevon Nsiimenta, UCU alum and film maker
The inspiration for Nsiimenta’s storyline is from the experience of watching or hearing about women and children who always end up as the primary victims of war and tyranny. And Uganda has lots of tales to tell about civil strife and tyrannical regimes.
From 1986 to 2006, there was civil war in northern Uganda, orchestrated by the Lord’s Resistance Army, a rebel group and terrorist organization. As a result of the war, many women in northern Uganda suffered rape, torture, murder, forced marriages and domestic violence.
The regime of former Ugandan President Idi Amin, which was from 1971 to 1979, has been largely described as tyrannical. It is, therefore, not surprising that Nsiimenta’s film is set in northern Uganda during the reign of Amin.
Since Nsiimenta loves movies, it became the natural medium for her to use to document the haunting tales and offer lessons on how one can easily see the back of the resulting trauma.
Despite the haunting tale of desperation that Miika’s family faced, Nsiimenta explains that she wanted to pass a message that no matter the amount of horrors an individual faces, they can always turn tables on the oppressors.
“I chose a 14-year-old to deliver the family from its horrors because at that age, they are still innocently bold enough to take on the world,” says Nsiimenta, a 25-year-old graduate of Bachelor of Arts in Journalism and Communication at UCU.
Miika is a short form for Malaika – a name that means Angel in Uganda.
“Indeed, I wanted Miika to be the angel for her family,” Nsiimenta, a script writer, explains.
Perhaps, the success that “Miika” has so far achieved would not have been possible without the contribution of Kemiyondo Coutinho, a Ugandan playwright, actress and filmmaker based in Los Angeles.
In 2020, Kemiyondo launched an initiative to help up-and-coming Ugandan female filmmakers to bring their stories to life on screen. In a venture that saw her look to raise over $25,000 to be shared among five women to help facilitate the making of a five-minute short film, Kemiyondo reached well-wishers who were able to answer positively to her cause. That is how the production of “Miika” and other four short films got financed.
Nsiimenta is a daughter of the Rt. Rev. Dr. Sheldon Mwesigwa, the Bishop of Ankole Diocese in western Uganda and former Chairperson of UCU University Council. She attended Mbarara Preparatory School in western Uganda, before relocating to central Uganda, where she attended Kampala Parents School, Gayaza High School and, later, UCU. Nsiimenta says UCU instilled in her a sense of discipline, self-respect and smartness, virtues she has found useful in her professional and personal life.
But she also had something to learn from those who taught her. “I also had admirable women to look up to in my faculty. Prof. Monica Chibita and Dr. Emilly Maractho served as wonderful examples to base my image on at the workplace,” she says.
She currently works as the Executive Advertising Assistant at Roofings Uganda Limited, a manufacturer of steel and construction materials in 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.
NIRA officials (sitting before computers) serve applicants at UCU recently.
By Derrick Brian Muduku The National Identification and Registration Authority (NIRA) has hired some 50 interns from Uganda Christian University (UCU) to help in processing and issuing of the national identity cards (ID) to students and neighbors of the university.
The interns started the assignment with hands-on training for the first two weeks of December 2021 at the old football pitch on the UCU Mukono campus. After the training, the program is expected to run for three months.
Bridget Mugume Mugasira, the Director of Students’ Affairs at UCU, said when NIRA contacted the university for a possible partnership in processing national ID for students, staff and the surrounding community, they seized the opportunity.
Mugume said after striking the deal, NIRA tasked UCU with identifying 50 of its recent graduates to do the job.
“We advertised the slots and received 150 applicants,” she said. “We selected the best, based on their academic qualifications and intention to take up the work.”
Mugume expressed the university’s gratitude to NIRA for the partnership. She said the interns were tasked with the process of replacing lost identity cards, registration of applicants for new IDs, verification of birth certificates, checking on the status of people’s applications for the national IDs and sensitization of the public about activities that NIRA does.
“We are glad to be the pioneer university in implementing this project, which will not only benefit our students, but also learners from neighbouring schools.”
Gilbert Kadilo, the Public Relations and Corporate Affairs Manager at NIRA, said they began with the training in order to equip the interns with the necessary skills before deploying them. Kadilo also revealed that the registration exercise is targeting youth who have never registered or those who did register, but did not get their national identity cards.
Government began to process the national IDs in 2014 under the National Security Information System that later transformed into NIRA in 2015, after the enactment of an Act of Parliament.
Elisha Bruno, a graduate of Bachelor of Arts in Journalism and Communication and one of the graduate interns working with NIRA, said the opportunity would not only offer him the much-needed experience in the field of work, but also help him to establish connections with some of the staff at the organization.
Sidonia Atto, a third-year student of Bachelor of Education, said there were errors in the spelling of her name and her birthdate and that the presence of officials from NIRA at the university was a godsend opportunity to have the anomalies rectified.
A national ID is almost the solely recognized identification for Ugandan citizens. It is one of the requirements for nationals when opening a bank account, getting a SIM card and getting a Covid jab, among other services.
Pius Mukasa, a first year-student, said when he registered at 16 years, he was only given a National Identification Number and told to wait till when he clocked 18 years to get the national ID.
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.
Racheal Mirembe Sserwadda during guild presidential campaign in November.
By Ivan Tsebeni Racheal Mirembe Sserwadda’s victory to become Uganda Christian University’s (UCU) 24th Guild President was not a surprise to those who know her. The third-year student of Bachelor of Laws has been a school leader since her early primary days.
Sserwadda’s victory in the elections held on November 24, 2021, enter her into the annals of UCU as the institution’s third female Guild President in its 24 years of existence. Blessed Murungi was the first female Guild President in 2014. Two years later, in 2016, the institution got another female Guild President in Prisca Amongin.
Sserwadda, next to UCU Vice Chancellor Assoc. Prof. Aaron Mushengyezi, swears in as UCU’s 24th Guild President at Nkoyoyo Hall on December 2
“I have lost superlatives to describe how happy I feel,” Sserwadda said while addressing students during her victory speech. “This is your win; this is our victory; let’s keep resilient in the new normal.”
Sserwadda attributed her victory to God.
“From day one, God took the lead in everything I did,” she said “During the campaigns, I got to learn about many challenges that our people face. We shall work together to find solutions.”
Most challenges referenced by the new guild president relate to blended learning obstacles. She assumes office at a time when higher institutions of learning are just opening up for in-person education after almost two years of no physical learning because of the Covid-19 pandemic.
Sserwadda was declared winner of the contest by the Director of Students’ Affairs, Bridget Mugume Mugasira, after beating off a stiff challenge from Bravo Phillip Ayebare. Sserwadda polled 55.45% of the votes cast. She takes over the reins from outgoing Guild President Kenneth Agaba Amponda.
UCU Vice Chancellor Assoc. Prof. Aaron Mushengyezi said the institution had “demonstrated to the world that it is possible to have a peaceful, free and fair election.”
Sserwadda hopes to hinge her leadership on three pillars: Social welfare of students,
Former candidate Ayebare Bravo congratulates Sserwadda after the swearing-in ceremony.
accountability and security. She says her greatest reason for contesting for leadership positions is to positively impact the community in which she lives as she ushers it into the Silver Jubilee of existence of the university in 2022.
“I intend to introduce the use of suggestion boxes, particularly in areas around the university’s dining hall, sports complex and lecture rooms,” Sserwadda told TheStandard online, a publication of the university.
“I am also a sports enthusiast,” she noted, adding: “I will work hand in hand with the sports department at the university to facilitate sports activities. I believe that students should be encouraged to participate in aerobics.”
Born 22 years ago, Sserwadda says she has achieved whatever has come her way because of supportive parents. The first born of three children is a daughter of Sserwadda George William, a businessman in Kampala, and Naomi Nakaziba, a pediatrician.
For her primary education, Sserwadda changed schools three times, eventually completing at St. Lawrence Primary School, Kabowa, near Kampala.
From St. Lawrence, Sserwadda headed to King’s College, Budo, an elite school in Uganda, where she studied for the entire six years of secondary education, before joining UCU.
While in Primary Three at Hormisdallen Primary School in Kampala, Sserwadda was elected the Class Prefect. In Primary Six, Sserwadda was elected the school’s Sanitation Prefect. At King’s College, Budo, she was a student leader in the school’s water and sanitation club and, later, a house prefect of one of the dormitories at Budo.
At UCU, she is the leader of the Mustard Seed Choir. Sserwadda believes that the leadership positions have helped her to attain communication and listening skills – competencies that are critical for any leader to succeed.
“I have learnt that as a students’ leader, it’s good to be flexible. You must also strive to bridge the gap between the students and the school administration,” Sserwadda said, noting that such a move will help the school administrators and the students to co-exist harmoniously.
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.
Greenhill Academy teacher asks a question during the seminar
By Ian Asabo The Uganda Christian University (UCU) e-learning candle is spreading its light to other institutions in the country. Among the recent beneficiaries is Greenhill Academy, a group of Christian-founded primary and secondary schools in Kampala. Leaders from the Academy met with UCU e-learning staff for a virtual learning seminar in December 2021.
During the UCU visit, Greenhill Academy officials gained a better understanding of how UCU accommodated learners virtually during the Covid-19 lockdown when in-person learning was halted in the country. Since the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic in early 2020, Uganda has had two lockdowns, with some classes remaining closed to in-person learning from March 2020 to December 2021.
Greenhill Academy Rector Joy Veronica Maraka led the Academy’s staff who attended the seminar. The head of the UCU Online Distance Learning Department, the Rev. Jessica Hughes, provided insight into how classes are taught on the platforms, highlighting how the switch to online classes has improved her work. She said students prefer having small assessments, which makes it easier to track their progress during the semester.
“Online classes have provided flexibility in the way lectures are conducted because they can evaluate students through small quizzes and assignments, which enables critical thinking,” she told the delegation from Greenhill Academy.
The Rev. Dr. Hughesproposed the evaluation of students on a “more regular basis through videos, quizzes and questions that allow for more critical thinking to eliminate the aspect of cramming.”
During UCU’s 22nd graduation ceremony on October 22, 2021, Uganda’s First Lady and education minister, Mrs. Janet Museveni, said she was impressed by UCU’s “robust online education programme” and encouraged the university to share best practices with other institutions.
UCU’s Deputy Vice Chancellor in charge of Academic Affairs, the Rev. Dr. John Kitayimbwa, who also attended the seminar, said the university was ready to partner with Greenhill Academy.
“This is a great opportunity to find ways of changing the way teaching is conducted,” Kitayimbwa said, encouraging Greenhill Academy to take the lead and show other schools that online learning is the way to go, and that with it, “the possibilities of learning are endless.”
Kitayimbwa said the university has invested a lot in the networking, IT department and library database, which work in unison to provide a seamless experience for students. The university has invested about sh1.4b ($395,000) on e-learning, management information systems and networking, Kitayimbwa said.
Recently, UCU Partners donated $50,000 (about sh170m) to the university to help it expand the e-learning platform. Mark Bartels, UCU Partners executive director, said the organization contributed the funds following a call by the university’s Vice Chancellor, Prof. Aaron Mushengyezi, for external funders to support the eLearning infrastructure.
Greenhill Academy Rector Joy Veronica Maraka thanked UCU for hosting them, stating that they will “pick ideas from the session and follow in the footsteps of UCU in evolving education in 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.
UCU Faculty members and Mukono local government officials after the meeting
By Dalton Mujuni Koome Island, which is among the largest of 84 Ssese Islands in Lake Victoria, has fishing possibilities, stunning sunsets and more. What the Koome archipelago of 17 islands lacks for its 20,000 residents is technology. Until now.
Uganda Christian University (UCU) has partnered with a German university, Hochshule Neu-Ulm University of Applied Sciences (HNU), to provide solar energy to the islands. The development is a boost to Koome students who have struggled to participate in e-learning that was accelerated necessarily in the Covid pandemic. They faced challenges of access to electricity to power mobile phones, computers, radios and televisions.
Ugandan schools were in a lockdown for one year, from March 2020. When they were opened for in-person learning in March 2021, it lasted only three months, before they were shut down again in the first week of June 2021 due to a rise in the Covid-19 infection rates. Universities and other higher institutions of learning have since opened, with the rest of the schools expected to be opened in January 2022.
Prof. Elizabeth Balyejusa Kizito, Dean for the Faculty of Agricultural Sciences (right), explains relevance of the project to stakeholders
A recent Uganda Bureau of Statistics household survey shows that the rate of access to the national electricity has increased to 57%, of which 19% are on-grid and 38% off-grid connections.
The solar power project, named the “Implementation of Solar Mini-Grids for Digital Learning Models in the rural areas of Uganda” was launched at the UCU’s eLearning lab at the main campus in Mukono, central Uganda. The event attracted stakeholders from the Electricity Regulatory Authority as well as members from UCU faculties to harmonize strategies for the project’s implementation.
The project aims to install solar panels on poor households on the island to foster digital learning. The implementation of the project will unfold as a multi-disciplinary initiative involving all the faculties at UCU since each has a role to play in the transformation of communities.
Speaking at a press conference, Prof. Elizabeth Balyejusa Kizito, the Dean, Faculty of Agricultural Sciences at UCU, stressed that all the institution’s faculties are relevant in this project due to its diverse nature.
The agricultural officer in charge of Koome island, Obed Nsubuga, commended UCU and HNU for spearheading the project on the island.
Participants during closing prayer
Dr. Stephen Kyakulumbye, the team leader of Online Distance Learning at UCU, expounded on the modalities of the Distance Learning model intended to be introduced in Koome. He noted that if appreciated by learners, the model will improve diversity in learning, since teachers who are hesitant to cross Lake Victoria to the island will be brought closer to the islanders virtually.
The project is expected to be funded by HNU, to the tune ofEuros 1m. ($1.15 million), according to Inken Hoeck, the HNU Africa Institute representative at the conference. He said the project has already registered success in the southern African country of Namibia.
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.
Technicians connect solar panels on Nsibambi Lane.
By Ivan Tsebeni The Uganda Christian University (UCU) main campus has installed solar-powered lights as part of a movement to promote a green lifestyle.
The solar-powered lights were bought with support from Uganda President Yoweri Museveni. In February 2020, Museveni donated sh30m (about $8,400) and pledged another sh50m (about $14,000) towards the activities of the UCU students’ guild government during the year’s UCU Guild Run. The President’s contribution was especially welcomed in 2021 as the guild’s plans to conduct a run virtually vs. in-person struggled in a Covid-restricted environment.
“I’ll put in sh80m towards the cause, but I came with sh30m,” Museveni said. “I will pay the sh50m later.”
The President also pledged to help UCU on installing security lights on the Bishop Tucker Road.
One solar light installed at the new pitch at UCU main campus.
During the university’s 22nd graduation ceremony on October 22, 2021, Vice Chancellor Aaron Mushengyezi announced that Museveni fulfilled his promise of sh50m in August 2021.
Former UCU guild president Timothy Kadaga’s administration initiated the solar light project and dedicated part of the proceeds of the year’s guild run towards the cause. The annual UCU guild run is organized, in part, to raise funds for tuition support to needy students, and to set up security lights around hostels established near the university.
At the guild run event on February 22, 2020, Kadaga also made a request to the Ugandan Government to tarmac the Bishop Tucker Road from Mukono town to the university campus. The President agreed to help with the road paving in his remarks at the UCU October 2015 graduation.
Technicians offload solar panels from a truck near Nsibambi Hall of residence.
UCU director of projects Eng. David Kivumbi said that under phase one, 13 solar-powered lights are installed in three Mukono campus locations: on five poles along Ankrah Rise; on four poles on Nsibambi Lane; and on four poles in the university’s new soccer pitch.
Kivumbi said that after the guild government’s spearheaded first phase, a partnership with Mukono Municipal Council will enable phase two with solar lights fixed on Bishop Tucker Road from Mukono town to the main campus.
“If you move around the university, you will realize that the solar lights are working,” Kivumbi said. “Students have been taking selfies near the poles with the solar-powered lights.”
The UCU Guild Vice President for 2019-2020, Ezra Ambasiize Rwashande, noted that the idea of installing solar lights by Kadaga’s government was something that should inspire future student leaders to think of projects that improve the image of the university.
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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.
Jonathan Mbabazi at the UCU main campus on the day he picked up his academic regalia before the graduation
By Yasiri J. Kasango A business degree was not Jonathan Mbabazi’s first choice for his post-secondary studies. He had his eyes on medicine, envisioning a career of restoring health to patients.
However, when preparing to apply for the course at Uganda Christian University (UCU) in 2017, Mbabazi discovered that he did not have the financial resources to sustain paying the tuition for the five years he would be studying for the Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery.
He opted for Bachelor of Business Administration, whose tuition was comparatively cheaper and for fewer years. However, even with business courses, the 29-year-old had no stable source of income for the tuition. He established two enterprises – piggery and charcoal-selling – to help pay his bills.
Mbabazi usually had 10-15 pigs, whose piglets he sold at a profit. The married father of two says it was difficult for him to multitask in running his business, looking after his family and concentrating on class work. However, he says that God enabled him to surmount the challenge.
On many occasions, he lacked money to buy classwork handouts, something he says many of his classmates found affordable.
The onset of the Covid-19 pandemic and subsequent education shutdowns in 2020 increased Mbabazi’s worries about school. First, when physical learning was stopped in March 2020, to reduce concentration centres that would accelerate the spread of the coronavirus, Mbabazi resigned to fate, thinking he would not graduate on schedule. He also started making plans for how to get more money to cater for a longer stay in the course.
However, UCU quickly introduced online learning, to ensure studies were not interrupted.
“I thank God that UCU continued teaching during the lockdown. We managed to do coursework and also write our exams through the online platforms,” says Mbabazi, who studied at the Kabalega College Masindi, one of the affiliate institutions of UCU, located in western Uganda.
However, he says the online learning, though convenient for the circumstances, also offered a fair share of challenges.
“It was tough because one had to do a lot of research on their own, but I managed to complete my final semester,” he adds. Mbabazi was able to graduate on October 22, 2021, with a First-Class Degree.
He says he could not have had a better choice of an institution for his undergraduate studies. At UCU, Mbabazi says, Christian faith is extended to students through certain course units, such as World View, New and Old Testament. He believes this has enabled him to become more grounded in his spiritual life.
With the knowledge he has gained at UCU, Mbabazi intends to expand his business enterprises, and even establish more, in order to be able to provide employment to some youth in his community.
Background Mbabazi is the third born of 11 children. His parents – Moses Byaruhanga and Jackline Kugonza – live in Buliisa, western Uganda.
Before he joined UCU, Mbabazi pursued a diploma in business, specializing in accounting, from Uganda College of Commerce, where he, again, excelled with a First Class Diploma.
He attended Kibengeya Primary School from 1999 to 2005 and then Mukitale Development Foundation Secondary School from 2006-2009 for O’level. For A’level, Mbabazi attended Premier Secondary School Hoima from 2010 to 2011. All the schools are found in western Uganda.
Mbabazi is married to Charity Jovia Kobusingye, with whom he has two daughters – Smiles and Shanice.
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.
Boss John Bruce is the new Guild President for the Uganda Law Development Centre.
By Ivan Tsebeni Boss John Bruce, an alumnus of Uganda Christian University (UCU), has been elected the Guild President of Uganda’s Law Development Centre (LDC). In the elections held on November 8, Bruce garnered 69% of the votes cast, beating off a challenge from Mubarak Kalungi, who polled 31% of the votes.
LDC offers a postgraduate bar course, the Postgraduate Diploma in Legal Practice, a mandatory course for all lawyers intending to practice law in Uganda. LDC is the only institution that offers such a course in Uganda.
Bruce, a former UCU Guild Electoral Commission chairperson, says that the latest electoral victory is the biggest political milestone in his life.
During his one-year term of office at LDC, Bruce has promised to set up a hotline which students can use for giving feedback to the body’s management and student leaders. He also hopes to create strategic partnerships and alliances with organizations, to enable LDC to extend its brand reach.
“We are looking forward to utilizing the student leadership structures so that we can receive your concerns and the same will be passed on to the administration in a timely manner,” he told the students during campaigns.
Bruce joins former student colleagues at UCU who have in the recent past achieved victory in elections. Ezra Ambasiize, currently a fourth-year student of Bachelor of Laws at UCU, was recently voted the speaker of the fourth National Youth Parliament of Uganda. Immediate past UCU Guild President Agaba Kenneth Amponda also was recently elected the Speaker of the Uganda National Students Association, an umbrella body of student leaders in the country.
Bruce says the latest electoral victory is the biggest political milestone in his life.
Bruce’s triumph at LDC elicited celebrations at UCU. “The Guild Government, together with the entire students’ community, take this opportunity to congratulate @Bossjohnbruce upon being elected Guild President Law Development Center (K’la Campus). Bruce is a former Guild EC Chairperson,” the UCU guild government tweeted.
“Congratulations to UCU’s former Guild Chairperson Electoral Commission, Boss John Bruce, for being elected LDC Guild President,” read one of the posts on UCU’s Facebook page.
UCU Deputy Vice Chancellor in charge of Academic Affairs Dr. John Kitayimbwa said: “As a university, we are blessed to have our alumnus triumph in the LDC elections. Glory back to God.”
At UCU, Bruce will be remembered for overseeing an online voting process, as the university’s elections boss. The e-voting app, code-named e-Chagua, helped UCU, for the first time, in 2020, to change its student leaders even when the university was not fully functioning. Uganda had imposed a lockdown on in-person learning in schools as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. Out of that process,
Agaba Kenneth Amponda became the university’s new guild president in November 2020. In November 2021, Sserwadda Rachael became the second Guild President of UCU to be voted using the e-Chagua platform.
Bruce was born to Bernard Betambira and Beatrice Ndagano, of Ibanda district in western Uganda. It is in the same region where Bruce had his education before joining UCU in 2016, to pursue a Bachelor of Laws course.
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.
Jimmy Siyasa, pictured with his mom, was among the graduates at UCU’s 22nd graduation ceremony.
By Nickie Karitas Recent Uganda Christian University (UCU) graduate Jimmy Siyasa didn’t wait to have a degree in hand before applying what he learned in his journalism program. And it has paid off – in experience and money to support his next level of master’s degree studies.
On October 22, 2021, Jimmy Siyasa was among the more than 3,000 students who graduated at UCU’s 22nd graduation ceremony. He bagged a Second-Class Upper Division, with a Cumulative Grade Point Average of 4.38 out of 5.0. A First Class starts at 4.40.
In December 2021, he is enrolled in a UCU post-graduate degree path in Strategic Communication (MA). At the same time, he has been helping the UCU Partners NGO by producing videos and print stories for several months and is a writer in the UCU Office of Communications and Public Relations. He gets stipends for each.
Before all this, here’s his story.
Siyasa attended Mbuya Church of Uganda for primary education and St. Kizito SS Bugolobi for O’level. For his A’level, Siyasa attended Bishop Cypriano Kihangire Secondary School. All three schools are in Kampala.
UCU and Partners e-lab communications team member, Jimmy Siyasa, playing guitar in UCU’s Nykoyoyo Hall in 2017.
Jimmy Siyasa never dreamed of studying at UCU. In fact, he knew little about the institution as he thought about studies after high school. In Senior Six, while making choices for courses to study at a university, he opted for the Bachelor of Arts in Mass Communication and Bachelor of Arts in Education, in that order, at Makerere University.
In 2017, Makerere admitted him for his second choice, the Bachelor of Arts in Education, specializing in English and Literature in English. Siyasa’s father, Robert Waiga, insisted that his son live on campus for added security that an outside hostel wouldn’t provide. Siyasa was admitted to Mitchell Hall where, because of high demand for slots, students were asked to pay accommodation fees for the first semester in advance.
The lodging payment was the first of the many hurdles for the second born of the three children of Waiga and Celine Ayikoru. The family did not have the money to secure the slot. This setback caused Siyasa to ask himself whether he really should pursue a course in education, where he did not have much passion anyway.
One of the members of the church band that Siyasa was in suggested he consider applying at UCU. Siyasa did and was offered studies toward the Bachelor of Arts in Mass Communication.
“I heard of UCU from my friends at church,” the 24-year-old Siyasa said. “I also discovered that friends from my former school were already there. . . but I feared the expenses associated with private universities in Uganda.”
University fees in private institutions in Uganda tend to be higher than public institutions, largely because of no funding support from the government.
Now, Siyasa’s younger sister, Peace Asara, is the one trying to ensure that she graduates in the course her brother did not pursue at Makerere University. Asara, who wants to become a teacher of English and Literature in English at an institution of higher learning, is pursuing a Bachelor of Arts in Education degree at Kyambogo University in Uganda.
As Siyasa was getting ready for his second semester in first year at UCU, Waiga’s contract at his workplace ended, and it was not renewed. That meant one thing – Siyasa had no tuition to continue with his studies. His father advised him to take a “dead semester” as he tried to find more solid financial footing.
When Siyasa shared his challenges with some friends he had made at UCU, they were against the dead semester. They mobilized funds and paid his tuition. For the second-year first semester, Siyasa’s friend, Rick Kagoro, and his father, Ivan Lumala, met the tuition requirements. The two are based in Washington State, USA. Rick, whose family is acquainted with former UCU Vice-Chancellor, John Senyonyi, had come to Uganda for a visit. He resided at UCU for a while, and at some point visited Jimmy’s class as a Teaching Assistant for a foundational course unit- Elements of Math.
By the next semester, Waiga (Jimmy’s father) had found financial stability, having been recalled to his former workplace, the U.S Embassy in Iraq.
Fast forward to December 2021.
“Siyasa is a brilliant, and dependable young man,” Frank Obonyo, UCU’s communications manager, said. “He is a valuable addition to our great team as we can already see his contribution.’’
The platform that offered Siyasa the opportunity to cut his professional teeth months ago is the USA-based UCU Partners.
This happened because his lecturer, John Semakula, now head of UCU’s journalism department, asked if he could write an article about dental challenges that students face at UCU. He says that story ushered him into writing for the non-profit’s Web site, an opportunity that helped him turn classroom knowledge into real-life practice.
Stephanie Gloria, who studied with Siyasa, says he has worked his way to the top.
“His hard work and integrity cannot go unnoticed,” Gloria says of Siyasa, adding: “His greatest happiness is not in having everything he wants in life, but in appreciating the little or whatever that is available.”
In the next five years, Siyasa hopes to have his master’s degree as well as a Ph.D. in a media-related field. At the same time, he is engaged in music. He has some original songs, including this one he has recorded here: (https://soundcloud.com/siyasa-jimmy/workingfromhome)
Johnson Mayamba, UCU alum and human rights activist
By Patty Huston-Holm Be careful little eyes what you see…ears what you hear…tongue what you say…hands what you do…
This children’s song based on Mark 4:24-25, popular in America today and written in 1956, likely wasn’t known in Uganda when Johnson Mayamba was growing up. Nevertheless, the words ring true for the now 33-year-old who was abandoned by a father who had eight children by four women, was chased away by relatives unwilling to help a single mom feed a hungry boy and was mocked for his ignorance by teachers and classmates in school.
The most stinging memory was planted by a science teacher at a primary school in Abaita Ababiri village near Entebbe. She publicly shamed Mayamba. When he didn’t have the correct answer to a question, she mocked him with words and laughter and allowed students to do the same. After one exam he failed with a 50%, the teacher brought out a cane to issue 50 strikes to the 12-year-old’s buttocks and thighs – one for each missed point. The teacher stopped somewhere after 40 because the boy was flattened out and unable to take more.
“I wasn’t stupid,” Mayamba said. “I was simply in a new environment, having been transferred from a poorly facilitated village school to the one in the city.”
Unbeknownst at the time, Mayamba’s “little” eyes, ears, and body encounter that the teacher used that day to remind him he wasn’t good enough were molding his future as an advocate against mistreatment. Today, he understands it, researches it, writes about it and teaches it.
Mayamba volunteering at St. Mary’s Food Bank in Arizona
With a Bachelor of Arts in Mass Communication from Uganda Christian University (UCU) and experience as a journalist, he moved on to get a Master of Philosophy in Human Rights and Democratization in Africa from the University of Pretoria in South Africa. He’s affiliated with the Canadian-based Journalists for Human Rights organization with a role of helping 20 Ugandan members of the press to be voices for unrepresented people. These include print and broadcast human rights stories related to the economically poor, the mentally and physically handicapped and others.
While mentoring Ugandan journalists, Mayamba continues his own learning as a Hubert H. Humphrey Fellow at the Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication,
Arizona State University, USA. He was among just over 200 who applied for the fellowship from Uganda and was the only Ugandan chosen for the 10-month journalism-focused program that ends in June 2022.
“I never thought I would come to the United States,” he said, speaking from his dormitory room in Phoenix, Ariz. “All the glory goes to God.”
Mayamba had a strong upbringing in the Catholic church, but says his relationship with God strengthened while he studied at UCU. In his studies, as well as engagement in the UCU chapel choir and as a guild and public debate leader, he realized that with God, obstacles and accomplishments have meaning.
“When you give 100% to God and trust Him, you can overcome,” he said.
Human rights advocacy and Christianity blend together well, especially guided by the Matthew 7:12 “do unto others” scripture, according to Mayamba. As a working journalist, he often prayed with and for those he interviewed for stories. For the journalists he mentors now, he suggests the same along with the urging to be sensitive when writing about people subjected to discrimination. He also cautions reporters about their own safety when covering topics that have opposition from government officials, high-profile opinion leaders and even media houses themselves.
“Have the facts,” he said. “That’s the best protection to mitigate risk.”
At 9,000 miles away from his home in Uganda and on the day of this interview in December 2021, Mayamba is in the state of Arizona, closely watching another timely human rights issue – the coronavirus pandemic. He recently published a paper entitled “Low Supply and Public Mistrust Hinder Covid-19 Vaccine Rollout in Africa.” He writes that in November 2021, only 4% of the world’s vaccinated people live in developing countries like Uganda.
“Developed countries that aren’t sharing enough of the vaccine are partially to blame,” Mayamba said. “Misinformation or lack of information breeding distrust by media in all countries bears the rest of the responsibility.”
Social media and traditional media are accountable for honest story telling, Mayamba says. His master’s research focused on media freedom, specifically in Uganda. Reporters Without Borders ranks Uganda among the lowest in the world when it comes to press freedom. While Uganda’s constitution guarantees freedom of expression with “on paper” protection of human rights, there are radio, TV and print limitations and restrictions related to reporting on certain topics and persons, according to Mayamba’s experience and research.
While the United States press is freer and human rights more respected than in Uganda, “it’s not as rosy here as I thought,” he said. “In this land of the free, there needs to be more and louder voices for homeless people, immigrants. . . and on racial injustice and gun violence.”
From his dorm room window in Phoenix, Mayamba daily observes nearly two dozen homeless people living on a square of land. During a visit to New York City and looking past the amazing buildings, he saw men and women living in parks and on the streets. In his brief time in Washington, D.C., he observed first-hand the massive police response and multiple phone video recordings of the arrest of a black man accused of stealing a small item from a store. He watches, hears and reads the news about arrests, trials and confusion about wrongful deaths on American soil and about Mexican families camped at the USA border in hopes of obtaining asylum from terrorism in their country.
“Telling these stories honestly and fairly is the role of a journalist,” he said. “Human rights stories are lacking everywhere.”
One such story he hopes to learn more about is that of a middle-aged white man living under the stars outside his residence in Arizona. In the midst of book studies, computer research, and service projects, such as preparing food in boxes for people like this man, he wants to “learn his story and tell him mine.” So far, the man appears educated but without a home because he lost his job.
Looking ahead to his life a decade from now, Mayamba doesn’t see himself reporting the news in a country such as his, where the pay is too low to support a family. But he does see himself continuing to train others to “amplify the voices” of those less represented and understood in his native Uganda. In three years, he hopes to embark on his PhD studies and be teaching journalism with an emphasis of human rights reporting.
For now, he’s navigating the American culture that includes daily converting temperatures in Fahrenheit instead of Celsius and distances in miles vs. kilometers. He appreciates a winter in the warmth of Arizona instead of living in a state with cold and snow. He soaks up knowledge in a school named after Walter Cronkite, a late veteran broadcaster that he never knew. He learns alongside 13 other journalists from 13 countries, including South Korea, Russia, Hungary, and Palestine.
He thinks about his mother who died of cervical cancer in September 2014, leaving behind her two sons – Johnson Mayamba and the younger Titus Bulega – as a legacy. He also thinks about that childhood teacher who meted that early punishment that was illegal then, but exists still and about the mocking classmates.
“At the end of the day, I moved ahead of them,” he said. “And I learned to stand up for myself and for others.”
(The author of this article, Patty Huston-Holm, who is the Uganda Partners communications director, first met Johnson Mayamba when he was an intern at the UCU Standard newspaper in 2013. Among stories they worked on together at that time were the suicide of a student and conditions at a women’s prison in Jinja, 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.
This is what Alexis Mugabe Munyakazi commonly told his parents whenever he saw workers at a road construction site.
That desire drove Mugabe from his country, the Democratic Republic of Congo, to Uganda Christian University (UCU) for an undergraduate course in engineering.
In 2016, Mugabe was among the students who started the journey to attain a degree. That journey came to an end on October 22, 2021, when the 27-year-old and 66 other colleagues received a Bachelor of Science in Civil and Environmental Engineering from UCU.
Making the decision to pursue his undergraduate course from Uganda was not without anticipated challenges. In DR Congo, the national language is French. Mugabe, therefore, had to undergo a mandatory pre-year program at UCU, to enable him learn English, since it is the language of instruction in Ugandan institutions.
He learned English, but it was not sufficient enough for him to communicate.
“I could not express myself well in English,” Mugabe recalls. “The lecturers could teach, but I hardly picked anything, except from one course unit, Engineering Mathematics.”
Alexis Mugabe Munyakazi
Despite the challenges, Mugabe soldiered on with the course. With persistence and camaraderie, he, eventually, caught up.
Mugabe says the Christian orientation of UCU was key to his nudge to study in Uganda. When he eventually joined the institution, he says he was not disappointed.
“What I found unique about UCU were the Christian values they teach their students and they always practice what they teach,” he said.
Mugabe was actively involved in Christian ministry at UCU and held various positions of leadership, including minister of religious affairs at the UCU Honors College and chaplain of the UCU International Students’ Association.
Tough financial times Mugabe is one of the students whom the economic impacts of the Covid-19 hit especially hard at both the personal and family level. He got stranded in Uganda when a lockdown was declared in March 2020. While some of his colleagues managed to go home, Mugabe could not because he did not have the resources to transport him. He is grateful that the university continuously housed and fed him and a few other international students who were in his shoes, throughout the lockdown.
In order to limit the spread of the coronavirus, Uganda imposed a lockdown on movement of people from March to June 2020 and on schools from March to October 2020, when it was opened only for in-person classes for final year students as they prepared for their exams.
The pandemic also did not spare the jobs of Mugabe’s parents – Munyakazi Matthew and Nyambo Angel – who were employed in DR Congo, leaving their son with a huge tuition bill.
“I was frustrated since I could not raise that big amount of money on my own,” Mugabe says.
It was at that point that Mugabe got wind of an opportunity – the UCU Financial Aid Office had made a call for applications for financial relief. UCU Partners was willing to make tuition top-ups for students who were due for graduation, but were financially stuck. Mugabe was among the fortunate few who got that financial relief.
“The financial aid helped me to understand that, indeed, there are generous people out there who are ready to help you to achieve your dreams, even when they do not know you,” Mugabe says.
“May God bless them abundantly.”
Now with the bachelor’s degree, Mugabe says he is leaving UCU with not only a transcript, but also with friends from diverse worlds, including America, because of his relationships with students in the UCU Uganda Studies Program.
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.
Agaba at his work place at the Next Media Services.
By Derrick Muduku To many, being the Guild President at Uganda Christian University’s (UCU) Kampala campus and doing comedy at the same time is mutually exclusive. That was not the case for Mark Agaba. In 2019, Agaba, a famous figure in the entertainment circles, won the contest to become the campus’ top student leader.
The stand-up comedian, who goes by the stage name Uncle Mark, ably executed the two roles of comedy and student leadership.
Agaba on stage during a stand-up comedy show
His role as a student leader played a great part in Agaba scooping his most recent job as Public Relations Protocol Executive at Next Media Services, a media company in Uganda. Next Media Services owns NBS TV, Next Radio, news site Nile Post and Sanyuka TV.
“As Public Relations Protocol Executive, I am tasked with writing press releases, and reaching out to people who are engaging with our media outlets,” Agaba said. “This opportunity means a lot to me. I’m also expected to co-ordinate activities of Next Media Services with partner international media organizations, such as CNN and BBC.”
“I discovered my funny side during conversations with my friends,” he said. “Whenever I was around my peers, my comments would always leave them in stiches.” Agaba said that is what propelled him to take comedy more seriously and nurture the talent.
Agaba credits the virtues he learned at UCU for carving him into the person he is today.
“It is the virtues of Christ-centeredness, diligence, integrity and stewardship that I honor in every field of my life,” he said. “I have not found any better waves of transformation than these.”
Just how did Agaba manage to balance books, comedy and leadership?
“I endeavored to make the time for books, since I believed in leading, even in academics,” Agaba says. “I also have to give credit to the competent team with whom I served during my tenure as Guild President. I am grateful to my Vice President of the Guild leadership, Jemimah Jehopio, and the different heads of departments for their diligent service. They made my work a lot lighter and enjoyable.”
Phoebe Namujehe, the immediate past Guild President of UCU Kampala Campus, said Agaba, who was her predecessor, was a tolerant, humble, hardworking and committed leader.
Namujehe said Agaba often lit up the mood at the campus with his comedy. “Even as he read his manifesto, he was comical,” she said of the son of Jane Agaba and the late Godfrey Agaba from Kabale district in southwestern Uganda.
Before joining UCU, Agaba acquired a Bachelor of Arts in Economics at Makerere University. At UCU, he studied in the Bachelor of Social Work and Social Administration program.
Now that he has found his way onto the staff list of a major broadcaster in Uganda, Agaba says he will use the opportunity to further nurture his love for communication.
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 journalism students and recent graduates, joined by Partners Executive Director Mark Bartels (fifth-right), cut cake to celebrate the October graduation of some writers for the NGO’s e-lab that was launched in January 2021.
By Ivan Tsebeni A newsroom at the Uganda Christian University (UCU) Mukono campus has been hosting some of the Faculty of Journalism, Media and Communications students as they put into practice their classroom knowledge.
That newsroom was a convergence point for recent graduates in October 2020 to celebrate the completion of their Bachelor of Arts in Journalism and Communication. The students graduated on October 22. To crown the get-together, the students cut cake that was offered by Mark Bartels, the Executive Director of the UCU Partners, an organization that raises public awareness about UCU in the United States.
In a meeting chaired by John Semakula, the UCU Partners e-lab Communications Coordinator head of the UCU journalism and media studies department, expressed gratitude to the UCU Partners for offering them a platform to hone their skills in journalism.
“I never imagined becoming a writer,” Eria Lule, one of the graduating writers, said. “I picked the inspiration from Mr. Semakula who always kept urging me to try it out.”
“I have acquired a lot of knowledge from the trainings I have undergone in the e-lab program. I will live to remember the project,” he added.
The e-lab project, rolled out in January 2021, was designed to offer an opportunity for UCU journalism students to get real-world experience. Sixteen students under the programme were part of the more than 3,000 who graduated at UCU on October 22.
Patty Huston-Holm, Partners communications director, designed the UCU/Uganda Partners e-lab model that is aligned with the university’s mission to prepare students for both continued learning and the world of work.
For the one year that the program has been running, emphasis has been put on writing and still photography, as well as video and audio products.
Nicolette Nampijja, one of the students who has been producing podcasts, said the training had greatly sharpened her skills in creating podcasts.
“I had always wanted to produce podcasts, but I didn’t know how to go about it,” she said. “This is an opportunity for me to start out as a podcaster.”
Posing at the Partners e-lab, end-of-year celebration with students and recent graduates are Mark Bartels (fifth-left); Partners e-lab coordinator, John Semakula (seventh-left); UCU communications manager, Frank Obonyo (on Semakula’s left); and podcast mentor and UCU academic, Geoffrey Ssenoga (fourth from right, front row).
As of late November, UCU student-generated podcast episodes had aired on the topics of mainstream media, racial discrimination, fake pastors, sickle cell anemia, the life of Simon Peter and hate speech.
Jimmy Siyasa, one of the students and recent graduates, urged his colleagues to take advantage of the wealth of knowledge available under the e-lab project to hone writing skills. Siyasa, who got himself a job at the university’s communications department ahead of his graduation, noted that without the skills he learned from the e-lab, he would not have been considered for the job.
Siyasa’s colleagues in the e-lab program – Nickie Karitas and Dalton Mujuni – have been hired by New Vision, Uganda’s leading daily newspaper, for a further mentorship program as they hone their journalism skills.
Bartels congratulated the students upon reaching their convocation, saying it positions them for great job opportunities.
“It feels good to hear that you are graduating, but it feels much better to hear that you have learned and we have contributed to the same,” he said.
“As you prepare to join your career world, ours is to pray that God will open doors for you,” Bartels added. “We look forward to continuing with this project and we will feel happy to see it grow.”
Semakula said that the idea to organize a cake-cutting party for the graduands came from Bartels, based in Pennsylvania, and Huston-Holm, who resides in the state of Ohio USA.
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.
“I initiated a community coalition called Nansana Division Coalition Against Drugs. The initiative offers peer-to-peer education and advocacy for a drug-free generation,” says Mpyangu, who hopes to use the knowledge he gained at school to build a better community and next generation.
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