By Kefa Senoga
Once Uganda Christian University (UCU) student Elotu Mercy set foot in the Netherlands, one of the first things she did was locate a church where she could pray during her five-month stay in the European country. She got the church — Vineyard Church — as well as acquaintances who would become instrumental in her social and spiritual life in the new country. 

In the church, Elotu met three Nigerian ladies, one of whom had received a Bachelor of Laws degree from UCU. The three Nigerians, Elotu and another UCU student, Milly Mercy, formed a quintet that for the next five months took time off their studies to tour the Schengen region.

Elotu, Mercy and three other UCU students were in the Netherlands in 2021 for a resume-building exchange program between UCU and the Hanze University of Applied Sciences. The exchange program is part of a collaboration that started between the two institutions of higher learning in 2017. 

So far, more than 30 students have participated in the collaborative, with eight Ugandan social work students studying at Hanze University of Applied Sciences, and their Dutch counterparts also coming to UCU to carry out field work training in Ugandan agencies. Also, since 2018, annually, two UCU faculty have been invited to offer guest lectures in social work at Hanze, and the same has happened with Hanze faculty at UCU.

Elotu said her Nigerian friends advised that to enjoy touring other European countries, she needed to work so that she could save money for trips. Two months into her stay in the Netherlands, through an agency that employs international students, Elotu got a housekeeping job, where she worked for 16 hours a week. In the Netherlands, work permits for international students do not allow them to exceed 16 hours per week. 

“We would work for two to three hours per day during weekdays. On Saturdays, we had opportunities to work in hotels, which was usually six hours,” says Elotu, the eldest of the five children of Joseph and Anne Grace Elotu. Her parents are both community workers.

Once the pay came in, Elotu and her student colleagues took advantage of their off-days from school to tour. In one of the trips, they spent four days in Paris, France, and a couple of hours in Belgium. Most of the trips were made possible by a less-demanding school schedule. In a week, Elotu says they had up to three classes at school.

While in the Netherlands, Elotu says she struggled to adjust to the food. 

“In Uganda, we have three heavy hot meals in a day. However, while in the Netherlands, we only had one hot meal in the evening. Our lunch in the Netherlands was usually bread and soup, even in most of the homes that we visited,” narrated Elotu, the most senior member in the group that traveled for the program.

Elotu, currently pursuing a Master of Social Work at the UCU main campus in Mukono, was the only post-graduate student in the team that traveled. As an undergraduate student, Elotu had been selected to benefit from the exchange program, but the visits were canceled because of the lockdowns at the height of the Covid-19 pandemic. So, Elotu missed the opportunity. When the visits were resumed, Kasule Kibirige, the head of UCU’s social work department, encouraged her to re-apply. 

While in the Netherlands, Elotu says she continued her Ugandan master’s classes online. For the course she undertook in the Netherlands, Elotu returned with a Diploma in Applied Positive Psychology of Hanze University of Applied Sciences.

Participating in the exchange program broadens the worldviews of students, and many of them gain broader insights into professional practice, according to Kasule. He said participants report greater interest in personal exploration and increased professional growth. 

“More academic networks have developed through regular meetings between faculty members during guest lectures,” Kasule elaborates.

Elotu is currently working in the eastern Uganda district of Soroti, with Destiny Community Development Initiative, a non-governmental organization. 

Before joining UCU, Elotu attended Joy Christian Primary School in eastern Uganda for his primary education, and then St. Joseph’s SS Naggalama for O’level and Nabisunsa Girls School for A’level. Naggalama and Nabisunsa are found in central Uganda. 

By Bena Nekesa
“Just as plants need sun, water and good soil to thrive, people need love, work and a connection to something larger.” So says American social psychologist and author, Jonathan David Haidt. 

This epitomizes the vision of Uganda Christian University (UCU) student Racheal Drateru.  She wants to establish an orphanage, fueled by the poignant scenes of suffering children witnessed during her family travels. The images of malnourished babies, tiny girls carrying jerrycans of water, boys toiling in the fields and malaria infection without medicine or mosquito protection inspire this deeper calling.

The desire to help such communities is reinforced by her studies in the UCU school of Social Sciences and part of who she is, including her 2023 international studies at Hanze University of Applied Sciences in the Netherlands. While there, she also got the chance of traveling to other cities and countries such as Paris in France, Copenhagen in Denmark and Hamburg in Germany.

Racheal Drateru found herself at the crossroads of a life-altering opportunity when her department head, Kasule Solomon Kibirige, introduced the possibility of a study exchange program to the Netherlands. On February 2, 2023, Racheal ,accompanied by two other students, embarked on a six-month journey to the country in northwestern Europe.

Despite initial hesitations, Racheal stood as a lucky student among the 15 applicants for the study exchange program which embraced her chance to broaden horizons. The excitement of this venture prompted Racheal to share the news with her father, Moses Draza, a Christian and a social worker, whose character influenced his daughter. Racheal is also blessed with a mother and step-mother, both business ladies supporting her dreams. She choose UCU through the influence of her parents and a match with her Christian character.

Navigating the Dutch culture proved challenging for Racheal as she grappled with the emphasis on punctuality and the persistent cold weather. Yet, she maintained a positive mindset, focusing on the primary objectives of networking, making enduring friendships, and academic growth. Racheal’s time in the Netherlands fostered an openness to diverse perspectives, encouraging her fellow students to embrace opportunities for cross-cultural exploration. 

Beyond the academic benefits, Racheal’s journey abroad served to further crystalize her vision to help others. Instead of starting an orphanage, she realized the value of first working with a child-based NGO. 

“Students at Hanze were open-minded and free,” she said. “I thought more freely and clearer about how to accomplish my vision.  I started thinking, too, about how I could work with refugees.” Racheal’s advice to others engaged in international study is: “Learn to be open minded and embrace cross-cultural communication.”

Expressing heartfelt gratitude to her lecturers for guidance, Racheal age 22,  continues to be committed to a personal project aimed at aiding the vulnerable in her community. 

As Rachael Drateru returned to Uganda in July 26, 2023, her journey became a testimony to the transformative power of education, cultural immersion, and the unwavering support of family. “Beyond Borders” became a rallying cry for students to seize opportunities, embrace diversity, and wield education as a potent tool for positive change in their communities, Racheal’s indomitable spirit of learning, networking, and compassion.

Racheal hails from Arua city, a Lugbara by tribe from Ayivu. In addition to her parents, she has eight siblings. She obtained her secondary education from St. Mary’s boarding secondary school,  a school that in 2020 led her to UCU, working toward a bachelor’s degree in social work. 

“My advice for the rest of the students is never take an opportunity for granted because it’s a blessing since not everyone is able to attain it,” she said. “This enables one to travel across borders and network with others from other countries, including learning new things that are not in your country.

By Kefa Senoga
It is not uncommon for people to post on the Internet, informing their followers on social media about an impending trip, and where they will be going. However, such actions, according to an online safety expert, could jeopardize one’s security.

Baker Birikujja, the Manager for Compliance and Investigations at the Ugandan Government’s Personal Data Protection Office (PDPO), said when people use social media to share their locations and upload photos of their travels on a regular basis, it makes it easy for people with bad intentions to harm them.

Making a case for data privacy and security at Uganda Christian University (UCU), Birikujja urged the students to pay more attention about the kind of information they share on the internet and with whom they share what information.

“Only share information with people you trust, anything you upload on the internet can be stored and used against you,” Birikujja told students during an address on January 24. The event was organized by the Computing Sciences and Engineering Students’ Association in the UCU Faculty of Engineering, Design and Technology.  

“You may not have something to hide, but there are people who value your data and they could use it for not-good intentions,” Birikujja counseled.

His call came as part of activities to preach the importance of personal information, as the world marked the International Data Privacy Week, January 21 to 26. The International Data Privacy Day is celebrated every January 28.

Birikujja, a lawyer, also referred to the risk associated with downloading some mobile applications (apps). He said some apps collect sensitive information about the phones on which they have been installed, as well as the digital profiles of the users. 

In a study conducted from 2018 to 2020, Privacy International, a global agency that works to promote the human right to privacy, reported it was discovered that some menstruation-related applications were sharing certain sensitive information with companies such as Facebook, without user knowledge.

“Out of the 36 apps we tested, we found that 61% automatically transfer data to Facebook the moment a user opens the app. This happens whether the user has a Facebook account or not, and whether they are logged into Facebook or not,” Privacy International wrote on their site.  

It added: “We also found that some of those apps routinely send Facebook incredibly detailed and sometimes sensitive personal data. Again, it didn’t matter if people were logged out of Facebook or didn’t have an account.”

However, in a response, Facebook said: “Developers can receive analytics that allow them to understand what the audience of their app enjoys and improve their apps over time. Developers may also use Facebook services to monetise their apps through Facebook Audience Network.” 

UCU Cyber Security Improves Data Privacy

Ddumba Timothy, the interim chairperson of the UCU Cyber Security Chapter, said they intend to organize more awareness campaigns to teach people how to keep their data private. Ddumba said they distributed fliers with information on data privacy, such as teaching readers how to safeguard their passwords, for instance, by changing them frequently. 

In 2019, Uganda’s President Yoweri Museveni assented to the Data Protection and Privacy Bill, making it law. The Data Protection and Privacy Act, 2019 protects the privacy of an individual and personal data by regulating the collection and processing of personal information. The Act also provides for the rights of the persons whose data is collected and the obligations of data collectors, data processors and data controllers as well as regulates the use or disclosure of personal information and for related matters.

Schools like Uganda Christian University (UCU) provide a platform for students to develop a religious identity, with the view that such a move will enable them to deepen the understanding of their faith. Such schools often also offer an environment that allows the cultivation of a sense of belonging among students. Pauline Luba recently talked to UCU students to better understand how the university has helped them develop their faith.

Isaiah Tom Opio, UCU Bachelor of Business Administration, Year 1

My educational journey has taken me through different communities and settings. And that has meant that I had to adapt to the different cultures in which I found myself. Each time I found myself in a new environment, I have had to reassess and re-establish myself in a way that allows me to fit in. 

In a way, God has always been using me to bless those around me. I learned this as I grew older and got deeper in life and began to understand my identity in Christ and who I was in the presence of God. That helped me understand and see the bigger picture of what God was doing in my life. So, I’ve been able to build better relationships and learned to connect on a personal level with the people around me. One of the safest and most productive places for growth is the community in which someone is living. Uganda Christian University provides a community that allows people to express themselves in a spiritual way in the understanding of Christ.

Amayo Samantha Aleni, Bachelor of Journalism and Communication, Year 2

I think God is using me to bring healing to the cities and the nations through ministry. I’m quite passionate about ministry, so I volunteer my creative skills to the youth and young adults’ ministry at Watoto Church in Uganda. This way, I can impact broken and disheartened youth by showing them God’s unconditional love through my works. I believe the continuous fellowships at Uganda Christian University help reinforce my value of Christianity. Whether it is community worship or fellowship with fellow coursemates, it helps me remain accountable to God as I’m always surrounded by His presence, an atmosphere UCU doesn’t fail to create.

Hilda Marianne Asio, Bachelor of Laws, Year 2

I’ve grown to learn that one’s relationship with God should not stem from the perspectives other people have but rather from one’s own experiences with God. I’ve had several encounters with people who have never experienced God’s presence in their lives, or so they say. All I say to them is pray to God so that they can receive His blessings before the time is too late for them to give their lives to Christ. In other words, I feel like God is using me to help others discover Him in their unique ways rather than “indoctrinating” them. When I joined UCU, I found my Christian family, and that has helped grow my spirituality.

Esther Kabwe, Bachelor of Journalism and Mass Communication, Year 3

It feels different when you’re within a space where people are not ashamed of the gospel. It’s a relief knowing that I can greet a random person by the phrase “Praise Jesus” and they won’t judge me because I am in a Christian setting. 

One time, a friend received sad news and she was crestfallen. To lift her up, I invited her to a prayer in the open. It then hit us that we didn’t have to hide for fear that people would think praying was weird. I advise others to have a group of friends that you can share matters about faith with, people who can send you scriptures, invite you to church, and be ready to pray for and with you.

Sifa Kubalezaga Nadège, Bachelors of Business Administration, Year 2

As a choir member, I believe God used me to preach to His people through songs of adoration and worship. God is the center of my life; He has been there for me and is still walking with me. To me, worshiping God is not because it is an obligation, but, rather, a sign of appreciation towards the many good things He does in my life. UCU contributes to the development of my Christian life through activities such as community worship and family fellowship, where we get time to meet as a community and speak to God. We also use the opportunity to share with Him our burdens. Sunday services enable me to fulfill the commandment of the respect for the Sabbath.

By Pauline Luba
Beyond imparting academic knowledge, John Vianney Ahumuza has been a teacher espousing a lot of both life and school values. It’s a calling he gleaned from his parents, Joseph and Mary Bagambe — both primary school teachers — who ensured their three children loved learning just like they loved teaching. 

“He was a brilliant and inquisitive boy,” Mary says of her now 43-year-old son. “As a child, Ahumuza used to ask many questions, even though he studied in rural schools. We once saw a beautiful bird that was singing, and he asked if that was the preacher of all the other birds.”

UCU Alumni Ahumuza Makes History: Fourth in His Village to Earn Degree

In 2004, Ahumuza made history in his village in the western Uganda district of Rukungiri by becoming the fourth person to acquire a degree. He graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in Education at Uganda Christian University (UCU).

Initially, Ahumuza had hoped to pursue a course in law. However, he says the marks he garnered in Senior Six national examinations and his parents teaching salaries could not guarantee him an opportunity in that field. A course in education became the natural choice.

“I love teaching and, along the way, I discovered that reading gives one a lot of opportunities. From childhood, academics were always instilled in us,” Ahumuza explained. 

He attended Kishonga Primary School, which was 2km (1.2 miles) away from his home. From Kishonga, Ahumuza went to St. Gerald’s High School, also in Rukungiri, and then St. Mary’s College Rushoroza, in Kabale district, south-western Uganda, before joining UCU, where he was one of the student leaders. In 2012, he enrolled for a Master of Arts in Peace and Conflict Studies at Makerere University. 

From that foundation, Ahumuza has scaled the education ladder, and is currently winding up with his research for a PhD course he is pursuing at the University of Ghana, Legon, Accra, which hosts over 50,000 students, with 7,500 of those graduate students. The scholarship, which seeks to develop 30 PhDs in Africa, is offered at three universities in the continent — the University of Ghana, Makerere University in Uganda and a university in South Africa. 

With his topic “The Refugee Question in Ugandan History, 1942-2010,” Ahumuza believes his research will, in addition to contributing to the body of knowledge on the subject, also help to harvest indigenous knowledge to enable the creation of appropriate policies to help in the response to refugee-related issues. 

Ahumuza’s choice of the subject of refugees in Uganda is not by accident. For many years, the country has hosted refugees and asylum-seekers from more than 10 countries, such as Somalia, Sudan, South Sudan, Rwanda, Eritrea, the Democratic Republic of Congo and Burundi. Many of the refugees and asylum-seekers run away from conflicts in their countries.

As of December 31, 2023, Uganda had 1,615,162 refugees and asylum-seekers, according to statistics by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees. Of these, over 1.5 million were refugees, with South Sudan responsible for over 900,000 of that number. The Democratic Republic of Congo contributed over 500,000 of the number.

Ahumuza, who is currently in Uganda completing his data collection before returning to Ghana to complete his studies, is married, and a father of four girls. While in Ghana he regularly holds online conversations with his family, to ensure his absence is not felt that much. He thanks his wife, Nyangoma Patience Ahumuza, who he says has been able to run the family in his absence. During his free time, Ahumuza likes reading for pleasure, listening to music and sport fishing. 

By Pauline Luba
Frank Mike Ogwang Uche grew up in a life of scarcity, sometimes hiding from the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA) extremist group and intermittently being inspired by adults who worked as a driver and another as a teacher. 

Schoolmates often bullied him for the things he lacked, mocking his poverty. For instance, while in secondary school, Ogwang says he was teased for owning only one pair of underwear. Though he tried to develop a thick skin, there were times he was overwhelmed to the point of contemplating suicide. 

Indeed, the world is a better place with Ogwang in it – something recognized by many.

Now a lawyer, Ogwang managed to squeeze his way through the narrow passage of education, with his most recent academic achievement being admission to South Africa’s University of Cape Town under the Mandela Rhodes School scholarship. At the University of Cape Town, Ogwang will pursue a master’s degree in environment and energy law. 

“When they (scholarship foundation) called, I was freaked out,” he said. “It was quite emotional, knowing that everything I believed in as a child was coming true.” 

Pursuing a master’s degree in law at one of Africa’s elite universities is a dream come true for the sixth born in a family of 12 whose childhood life is one he wants to erase from his memories.

Ogwang, who was born in Soroti and raised in Lira, a district in northern Uganda, slept in the bush on many occasions as his family kept away from the atrocities committed by Uganda’s rebel leader Joseph Kony and his rebel group, the LRA. From 1986 and for 20 years, the LRA waged an armed struggle against the people of northern Uganda.

Since Ogwang’s peasant father — Atum Richard — had other families, it became difficult for him to provide the basic necessities for Ogwang and his siblings. As such, his mother — Akao Hellen — had to take over the full responsibility of caring for the family that often struggled to get food, clothing and school requirements.

When he joined Rehoboth Integrated High School in Jinja district, Ogwang met an American benefactor who sponsored his education up to the end of Senior Five.  From university up to when he completed his Postgraduate Diploma in Legal Practice at the Law Development Centre, Ogwang’s tuition and other basic needs were being met by a Canadian family. 

Ogwang Chooses Law to Rectify Injustices in Northern Uganda

In 2016, Ogwang joined Uganda Christian University (UCU) to study for a Bachelor of Laws. He said law was never his dream. In their neighborhood, there was a man who earned a living as a driver. That man, Ogwang says, inspired him to be a driver when he grew up. However, priorities later changed. His literature teacher in secondary school was so kind and inspirational that Ogwang almost got lured into a career in teaching. 

However, each time as he looked at his past, what reflected back were the injustices due to the bullying he met because he did not have as much as his other schoolmates, as well as the injustices his family and the people in northern Uganda faced at the height of the insurgency caused by the LRA rebels. As such, Ogwang found a career in law.

“A child’s biggest asset is to have peace, and be able to play,” Ogwang said, adding: “I didn’t have that. We were always either running, sleeping in the bush, or hearing of abductions and violence.”

“I wanted to fix the injustices caused by the insurgency in northern Uganda. I wanted to find a way to help my community,” said Ogwang, who is a program Associate at Uganda National NGO Forum and currently a teaching assistant at UCU’s Kampala campus. He made the decision to pursue a career in law in Senior Six.

UCU Sparks Ogwang’s Leadership Passion

Once he set foot at UCU, Ogwang ignited his passion for leadership, serving as one of the student leaders, as well as in clubs he felt would help improve his social skills. For instance, he joined the International Justice Commission, as well as Para Counseling and the Africa Youth Leadership program, where he was able to groom social skills, meet several people and build his character.

“Frank is intelligent and creative,” Richard Agaba, a tax lawyer in Kampala, said. “For the time I have known him, he has grown more confident from a rather shy personality.” Agaba and Ogwang were students at UCU. 

“I have never doubted his determination and I knew that from an early age,” Ogwang’s mom said, adding: “He is an ambitious man. He has overcome many obstacles to reach where he is. I am proud of him. This scholarship has come because he is always aiming higher, and it is a reward for that.”

At UCU, Ogwang graduated with a second-class upper degree and also set up businesses, such as salons, around the campus, to help supplement his income. The salons are still operational to date. 

As Ogwang begins his postgraduate studies in South Africa, he hopes to use the knowledge he will acquire to support the transition to clean energy and offer environmental consultancy on the green economy.