On Tuesday, July 9th, 2024, The Most Rev. Dr. Stephen Kaziimba Mugalu, Archbishop of the Church of the Province of Uganda and Chancellor of Uganda Christian University (UCU), along with Prof. Aaron Mushengyezi, Vice Chancellor, and Mr. David Mugawe, Deputy Vice Chancellor – Finance and Administration, visited the UCU Arua Campus. The purpose of the Chancellor’s visit was to boost morale, assess progress, and pledge support for the development projects at the Campus.

Rev. Julius Izzy Tabi, Director of UCU Arua Campus, expressed gratitude to the Chancellor and his entourage for braving the challenging journey to Northwestern Uganda to visit Arua Campus.

“We thank you, Chancellor and your entourage for enduring the challenging journey to the Northwest to visit us at Arua Campus” Rev.Tabi said.

Rev. Tabi highlighted the Chancellor’s launch of the 50-year master plan for the campus, which includes the construction of the Bishop Orombi ICT Complex. Fundraising efforts have been initiated for this project.

Rev. Tabi with gratitude also mentioned the Vice Chancellor’s pledge of 20 million and the President of Uganda’s pledge of 2 billion Uganda shillings towards the Bishop Orombi ICT Complex.

 Additionally, an announcement was made about organizing a fundraiser dinner on August 9, 2024, at the Imperial Royale Hotel, Kampala, inviting everyone to contribute generously towards the project.

“We invite everyone to contribute generously towards the project, which will enhance our campus infrastructure and have a profound Socio-economic impact,” Rev. Tabi said.

Furthermore, it was also noted that Bishop Charles and the diocese of Ma’di West Nile have offered 60 acres of land for the university college. This offer is pending ratification by the Trustees (house of bishops) before proceeding with the application for college status.

Attainment of constituent college status would create opportunities, including potential partnerships with the neighboring Church of Uganda Kuluva Hospital, allowing UCU to introduce medical, public health, and nursing programs in Arua.

Dr. Kaziimba commended the leadership, staff, and students of the campus for their dedication and hard work, stating that, “your efforts have not only upheld UCU’s standards but also contributed significantly to the development and progress of the West Nile region and beyond.”

Compiled by: Irene Best Nyapendi

Edited by: Harriet Adong, Consultant at UCU’s Communication and Public Relations Department

By Irene Best Nyapendi
For seven years, starting this year, Uganda Christian University (UCU) will be striving to transform its face through digitization, infrastructure refurbishment and greening the campuses. To achieve this initiative that seeks to improve the student experience, the university also will pay attention to improving the staff motivation to enable employees to become agents of transformation.  

According to UCU Vice Chancellor Assoc. Prof. Aaron Mushengyezi, the project, named the Campus Transformation Initiative 2024-2030, seeks to bring to life the vision of the founders of the university.

Speaking at the project launch in late May, Mushengyezi explained that the seven-year timeline is significant, drawing inspiration from biblical themes of perfection, completion and abundance. This signature initiative formed part of the report card that Mushengyezi gave to the university stakeholders during the Vice Chancellor’s address at the UCU graduation on July 5.

“God created the world in seven days and it was perfect, so we are believing in God for a season of perfection of his work here at UCU,” Mushengyezi said in May.

UCU Campus Transformation Initiative at a glance:

1. Digitized Campus Services: UCU aims to leverage technology to enhance the student experience, improve efficiency, and streamline campus operations. This includes the implementation of digital platforms for learning, administration, and communication. “We want to emphasize a digitalized campus, so that our stakeholders can relate with us in a faster and efficient way,” said Mushengyezi.
2. Refurbished Campus Infrastructure: The university plans to renovate and upgrade its facilities to create a conducive learning environment. This includes the construction of new buildings and refurbishment of classrooms, libraries, and other infrastructure. “Some of our buildings have served their time and may have to come down to give room for bigger and better infrastructure,” Mushengyezi explained. “Even the ones we can still use, we want to renovate them so that we can have a conducive environment for our lecturers and students to enjoy.”
3. Paved and Remodeled Walkways and Roads: UCU aims to upgrade its walkways and roads to create a safe and accessible campus environment. This includes paving and remodeling walkways, roads, and parking areas to enhance mobility and accessibility. 
4. Landscaped, Green and Clean Campuses: The university is committed to creating and maintaining a beautiful, green, and sustainable campus. This includes landscaping, planting trees and flowers, and implementing initiatives to keep the campus clean and green. The goal is to create a conducive environment for staff and students, and to make UCU a benchmark for campus transformation globally. 
5. Trained, Equipped, and Motivated Team to Lead the Transformation: UCU is committed to developing a team of highly skilled and dedicated professionals who will drive the transformation process. This team will be equipped with the necessary tools and resources to ensure the initiative’s success.

Students welcome initiative
Ryan Asabo, a year-one student pursuing a Bachelor of Procurement and Logistic Management, expressed joy for the ongoing transformations at UCU. Asabo, who is on a sports bursary at UCU, was drawn to the university due to its promise of academic and sports transformations.

“I’m excited to enjoy some of the transformations, like the paving of the walkways,” he said.”I’m sure many more students will be attracted to UCU because of some of the transformations being undertaken.”

Lillian Akao, a second-year student pursuing Bachelor of Business Administration, has expressed her satisfaction with the ongoing transformations at UCU.  She says the value for her money is evident in the quality of services and facilities provided. She is confident that the transformations will further enhance the UCU experience.

Ruth Rebecca Lamo, a first-year student pursuing a Higher Education Certificate in Arts, finds the university “very attractive” and is thrilled to see the renovations and the five-point plan for the next seven years.

“This initiative will make UCU more competitive not only in Uganda, but also in the region,” said Lamo. “I’m looking forward to pursuing my bachelor’s degree here to experience what the university will be like through the initiative.”

Emmanuel Olelema, a final-year student pursuing Bachelor of Education, commends UCU for its well-planned activities: “I like the five-point plan and the fact that they have already started on implementing it, I now have faith there will be no more dust and mud at UCU,” Olelema said.

By Dorothy Tushemereirwe
Not all adventures are created equal. Ask me – or maybe query a dozen Uganda Christian University (UCU) School of Dentistry students who recently traveled with me by boat to a remote island.

The moment I was carried, yes, carried, and plopped into a handmade boat fashioned of steel and wood, I was in for a ride and experience of a lifetime. Identically attired in  orange life jackets, the students, instructors, representatives of the UCU Directorate of Research Partnerships and Innovations (DRPI), and others traveled with me across a not-so-calm Lake Victoria towards Koome Island, remotely located within central Uganda’s Mukono District.

More than 19,000 residents from as far as Western Uganda make the island their home. In the early 1900s, there were fewer occupants because  many fled or succumbed to a parasite-causing African “sleeping sickness.”

Today, cultures that include Baganda, Banyankole, Bakiga, Acholi, Langi, the Iteso and Lugbara gravitate here, with the lure of free land but little else. Houses are scattered with a church, one government health center and a primary and a secondary school on 3,000, mostly mosquito-free acres. Hand-crafted canoes and nets, scattered about the shoreline, tell the tale of meager economic support through catches of Nile perch and tilapia.

In short, and to help facilitate a dentistry school project of free services to economically-poor residents, I was stuck in the middle of nowhere.  Tourists and citizens find other nearby land masses like Ngamba-Chimpanzee Island for orphaned chimpanzees more familiar and attractive, and even livable with restaurant food and electricity. Koome, part of Kyaggwe Saza in the Buganda Kingdom, uses solar energy and sketchy generators.

A group of polished urban dwellers  and office-type urban colleagues, we arrived near Entebbe, 22 miles from Koome, with an expectation of a somewhat modern Packwach or Kalangala-like ferry, the kind you see in the honeymoon movies, replete with a roof, and wind sails.  I imagined the one I used at Kazinga Channel and pineapple bay,  but Koome’s ferry, we were told, got stuck somewhere. The Uganda government, noticing no sustainable commercial benefit from it, was reportedly not thinking of reviving it, but local government officials said that revival plans are underway.

The lessons of obstacles to accomplishment were just starting, albeit untimely and harsh.

Yet, zealous for our (worthy) dental mission among the island’s most vulnerable population, we felt nothing was going to hinder us.  The first shock was getting loaded (and I mean physically ) onto a boat. Along with a group of  University students and Dr. Arabat Kasangaki, a dentist and teacher, we allowed the rugged hands of a fisherman to carry us to the unstable swinging vessel. 

After about 30 of us were nervously hauled onto the seemingly fragile, open-air wooden transport,  we navigated the June winds and the gale. The message that we would arrive “soon” was followed by more than two hours of a hair-and-clothing-wet journey of life jacket-tightening and, for some, nausea. 

As people from a Christian university would do and as waves hit the transport’s outsides and splashed inside, we sang. Led by Dr. Arabat, there were the words of “Tukutendereze Yesu” as well as the UCU theme song, “To God be the Glory” and other melodies of Zion.

It seemed we were on a trek to a foreign land. Our heavenly home seemed nearer than before. Jonah’s biblical account of every guy in the boat praying to his own god seemed more real, except that in our case, unlike Jonah, we had no hope of a Nile perch spitting us out.

Responses among passengers were both varied and similar. As faith followers, thoughts went to empathy for the Lord’s disciples seeing Jesus sleep through such sea turmoil as did a baby among us on this 2024 journey. 

“Service learning is very essential in our training,” Dr. Arabat, a seasoned medical professional said. “Taking our students to remote areas like this one is of value to our students to help those who have been urban all their lives appreciate the need within our communities. We believe this helps them nurture compassion later after graduation. “   

I am a mobilizer experienced in Human Resource practice.  But no human in this boat seemed either resourced, or emotionally mobilized enough for what we were facing. At that, some, like my neighbor enroute, could still afford a nap.

I had spent a better part of my life familiar with facing discouraged employees, not sailors, so I may have been ready for a pounding boss all my office days, but not a pounding wave.  What seemed like an ordinary day quickly turned out dramatic, as engine failure rounded up the early drama at mid-lake when no mainland was in sight. 

One of our rowers looked so baffled and clueless, too, to which someone in the boat remarked “He must be an intern.” I am not sure we laughed as well at that joke as we should have. Alas, does anybody banter when the smell of uncertainty is near?

To be precise, it was 2.5 hours later that we had an island in view.  You could almost hear the loud sighs, arriving around 4:30 p.m. By sheer grace, we touched land feeling weary, beaten, hungry and emotionally spent.

I wondered: Must fixing teeth be this hard?

Initially, we were to have stayed at the remarkable Ngamba island, (renowned for its chimpanzee tourism) but it was flooded, which meant we eventually had to  be booked at Walindi Point, another island about 20 minutes away from the service area and by antiquated boat transport.

UCU’s Commitment to Service

The first night on the day we arrived at Walindi point, we were exhausted. We crashed but were awakened by a fierce storm that raged and shook our cabins from Midnight to 3 a.m. Preceded by another boat trip, Koome was waiting for us the next day. 

By 7 a.m., my group and our captain, Geoffrey, were enroute to Koome, where dentistry students had spent the night and  were already receiving patients – the start of helping roughly 400 men, women and children with cavities, gum diseases and tumors during four days.  For ongoing wellness practices, toothpaste and toothbrushes, compliments of Henry-Schein dental supplies, were left behind. 

The service there as well as in Mukono was sponsored by the UCU Directorate of Research Partnership and Innovation in collaboration with Uganda Partners, Koome Sub-county Local government and the Uganda Wildlife Conservation and Education Centre (UWEC).

Part of my role, arranged by Uganda Partners, was to support the person recording demographic information. As with many low-income populations, the number of teenage mothers was high, with one particular embedded in my memory.  The young woman arrived with her two children, seething with tooth pain and in need of fillings and extractions. I wondered what would have happened if we hadn’t come.

Such is the dire plight of many Koome Island residents that have never seen a dentist.  Every mission UCU undertakes on this island is a healing affair, for such who never get a chance to have teeth checked, let alone use a toothbrush.  

Would we go again?  

“Yes,” Dr. Arabat readily responded. “We would appreciate any support to keep the light shining. We believe this as an entry for other university programmes to improve the livelihoods of the island communities.”

Will I go again?  Yes, for the same reasons. 

Despite increased attention to drug demand reduction in recent years, drug use continues to take a devastating toll. Globally, approximately 210 million people use illicit drugs each year, resulting in almost 200,000 deaths (UNODC, World Drug Report 2011). There remains a significant unmet need for drug use prevention, treatment, care, and support, particularly in developing countries.

The epidemiological transition from communicable diseases to non-communicable diseases, such as drug and substance use, is a public health concern due to high morbidity and mortality rates associated with it.

William Mabuga, a graduate of Uganda Christian University (UCU) with a Master of Public Health, conducted research to assess the knowledge, attitude, and practices of secondary school-going adolescents on drug and substance use. The study aimed to provide information to policymakers, program managers, and the District Health Team to control drug and substance use in Kabwohe-Itendero Town Council (KITC), Sheema District.

While studies have been conducted globally, regionally, and nationally, as well as in other districts in Uganda, particularly Kampala, “there is a gap in research on this topic in South Western Uganda,” notes Mabuga in his study aimed to examine the knowledge, attitude, and practices of secondary school adolescents in Sheema District on drug and substance use as a case study for South Western Uganda, where it is reported to be a significant problem (Uganda Police Crime Report, 2011; Uganda Demographic and Health Survey report, Uganda Bureau of Statistics, 2007).

Mabuga’s research employed a cross-sectional study design, using both quantitative and qualitative methods. The total sample size was 132 adolescents from seven secondary schools in KITC. The number of respondents drawn from each school and class was determined by proportion to size. Quantitative data was collected through pre-tested self-administered questionnaires, while qualitative data was collected using pre-tested FGD guides and In-depth Interview guides.

Research Findings:

– Males constituted 67.4% (89/132) of all respondents, with 66.7% (88/132) from rural areas.

– Half of the respondents had inadequate knowledge about drug and substance use.

– Half of the respondents strongly disapproved of drug and substance use, while the other half either only disapproved or did not disapprove of use.

– 36.4% (48/132) of respondents had ever used any of the drugs/substances of concern, including alcohol, tobacco, khat, cannabis, volatile solvents, and unprescribed medicines.

The study found that secondary school adolescents in Kabwohe had inadequate knowledge about drug and substance use, with mixed attitudes and risky behaviors towards use, and 36.4% had ever used drugs/substances of concern.

Mabuga’s Dissertation

Compiled by: Irene Best Nyapendi

Edited by: Jimmy Siyasa

During the recent trip to the United Kingdom 4^th – 23^rd June 2024, the Vice Chancellor Prof. Aaron Mushengyezi visited the Scholarship and Christianity in Oxford (SCIO) Centre at the University of Oxford, to explore opportunities for joint collaboration. SCIO centre is run by the US-based Council for Christian Colleges and Universities (CCCU), of which Uganda Christian University (UCU) is an international affiliate member. The centre runs semester-long and summer study abroad programmes for students from Christian Universities and Colleges. Prof. Mushengyezi held discussions with Dr. Stanley Rosenberg (the CEO of SCIO) and Dr. Ana-Maria Pascal (the Academic Director). SCIO committed (subject to funding availability) to host UCU faculty-led visits for students; receive students for a one-month summer programme; and academic visits by UCU scholars who wish to do research at the University of Oxford.

Prof. Mushengyezi and his wife Maama Patience with the SCIO Executive Director, Dr. Stanley Rosenberg and his wife Joy

Meeting with Dr. Ana-Maria Pascal, SCIO Oxford Academic Director

Partnership with ANCC

The Vice Chancellor also visited All Nations Christian College (ANCC) in Easneye, Hertfordshire, England. ANCC is a non-denominational, evangelical theological college in the United Kingdom that has remained true to biblical teaching. The Vice Chancellor held discussions with the Acting College Principal, Rev. Dr V. J. Samkutty, with whom they discussed several areas of academic collaboration:

1. Visiting scholars: Academic staff at UCU will be hosted at ANCC for up to a semester under their “Missionary in Residence” programme. ANCC will provide accommodation and meals to UCU visiting scholars and the visiting scholar will participate in teaching or administrative assignments while at ANCC.

2. ANCC student placements: Students at ANCC will carry out mission placements in Uganda and UCU will assist with the placement process.

3. Joint academic programmes: ANCC and UCU will develop jointly post-graduate programmes administered at Mukono Campus.

4. Short intensive courses in cross-cultural mission work: The two institutions will run short intensive courses for everyone who is interested in cross-cultural mission work such as the “En route” and “Explore” courses being run online and in person by ANCC.

During the Vice Chancellor’s visit to ANCC, he also met with Dr. Mark Galpin who lectures at the College. Mark is the son of Rev. Allan Galpin who died after surgery at Nsambya Hospital, Uganda in 1980 while serving as Acting Principal at Bishop Tucker Theological College from 1977 to 1980. He was buried in UCU Mukono Campus, above Bishop Tucker Building in.

With the All-Nations Christian College Acting College Principal, Rev. Dr V. J. Samkutty

Celebration with UCU UK Partners 

The Vice Chancellor and Maama Patience also attended a celebration by UCU UK Partners, a charity that has helped to raise scholarship funds for theology students. Many former staff members of BTTC and UCU, as well as friends of UCU, attended the event. The Vice Chancellor appreciated their support to UCU over the years.

After a fellowship meeting with UCU Partners UK

In July last year, Uganda Christian University (UCU) marked a milestone as it graduated its first cohort of students of Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery, and Bachelor of Dental Surgery. Together with fresh graduates from other medical schools in the country, these UCU graduates were deployed by the Ministry of Health as interns in various training hospitals in Uganda, a mandatory requirement for everyone before they practice medicine in the country. Kefa Senoga, a Uganda Partners communications intern, interviewed some of the former UCU School of Medicine (SoM) and School of Dentistry (SoD)  students who are now medical interns. A summary of responses are provided. 

Wasswa Travor (SoM) – ‘maintain an open mind’

Working at Lubaga Hospital has been a wonderful experience. As a Private and Not-for-profit (PNFP) facility, it stands out among other medical facilities due to its well-organized centers, abundant resources, extensive supervision and numerous specialists.

All healthcare facilities run by religious bodies are under PNFP. Lubaga Hospital is a Catholic-founded medical facility.

I have been able to learn and to grow both at a personal and professional level. My confidence levels, too, have improved. I now feel well-prepared for medical practice.

Sometimes the work schedule can be so demanding, but when I get free time, I spend it with the family. The most important lesson I’ve learned from my medical internship is to maintain an open mind. I also have learned that the entire medical internship is for us to learn from senior colleagues.

Basamu Bertram (SoD) – ‘a learning period’
The internship has been full of emotion, anxiety, and happiness. When you complete medical school and go for an internship, you get to practice many things on your own, and, therefore, many decisions are made entirely by you.

In some circumstances, supervision can be insufficient. Supervisors, who are senior doctors, are often overwhelmed by their own workload, sometimes leaving the intern doctors to manage patients on their own.

Despite such challenges, I have maintained a high level of self-control. Even when patients are offensive, I have always remained calm and composed.

Working at Mulago National Referral Hospital also has taught me to be hardworking. A national referral hospital by its nature has many patients, so you have to be ready for hectic work days. We only get two weeks of leave for every six months. As dentists, we engage in more hands-on practice during our internship than we did while at school. That’s why internship has been a learning period for me.

However, I also use the internet to learn more, as well as consult my former classmates and senior colleagues on some unique challenges I may face. I felt excited getting paid for my skills for the first time. We earn about sh1million (about $266) per month as our allowance, although sometimes they are delayed.

Elizabeth Tushabe (SoM) – ‘importance of prayer’

I have learned a great deal and continue to learn from the senior doctors I work with at Kawempe National Referral Hospital. I have been fortunate enough to work with senior doctors who are hospitable and are ready to help. Personally, I have gained extensive knowledge in both medical and non-medical areas from them.

Life outside of school is a whole new experience; we’re no longer students. I’ve had to make many adjustments, with transportation being my biggest challenge. Commuting daily from home to work, especially since it’s a long distance, has been a significant adjustment. I was used to using the university shuttle, but that option is no longer available.

Hearing that other hospitals are providing food and accommodation for their intern doctors also makes me feel a little less fortunate. 

My biggest lesson from this experience is the importance of prayer. As former students of UCU, we have been fortunate enough to have been involved in Christian fellowship while in school.

Birungi Beatrice (SoM) – ‘a good foundation’
Currently, I am an intern doctor at Lubaga Hospital, but adapting to the shift from school to a work environment was daunting. However, with the adaptation came the joy of working in a healthcare facility. I haven’t experienced anything that I would call a challenge. Many of the situations that I have come across are what I would call learning points.

However, one thing I have observed is that what we learned in medical school was a good foundation to build on what we have found in the field. 

Basule Isaac Ahamada (UCU SoM) – ‘occasional shortage’ challenge

Working at two medical facilities — Soroti Regional Referral Hospital and Pearl View Medical Center, Kiwanga, Mukono, where I work as a part time doctor — has been challenging. However, in the challenge, I have been able to grow from a theoretical medical student to a doctor capable of making sound on-the-spot decisions in situations where the outcome would be either life or death. 

While working in Soroti, I’ve faced challenges, particularly with the language barrier. However, I have been able to learn the local language, Ateso, to be able to communicate a few messages to the patients. In other instances, I have been able to use translators when available.

However, the biggest challenge has been occasional shortage of some logistics/services in the hospital, such as certain essential medicines, like the first line malaria drug (i.e artesunate), sterile gauze, blood culture service, meticulous intensive care unit (ICU) services — which leaves many of our patients receiving suboptimal care. 

This experience has instead taught me the importance of providing the best possible care to every patient, the kind of care I would want my loved ones to receive if they were in a similar situation. It’s a reminder that each patient is someone’s cherished family member.