By Irene Best Nyapendi
Seven Uganda Christian University (UCU) students have had a resume-building experience during a five-week internship at a university in Tanzania. The students participated in a Community-Based Monitoring (CBM) course at Mzumbe University’s main campus in Morogoro, Tanzania, from March 30 to May 5, 2024. 

CBM is a co-creation course facilitated and co-ordinated by the Institute of Development Policy (IOB) – University of Antwerp, Belgium and Mzumbe University.

The course, which brought together students from the United States, Uganda, Tanzania, Belgium, Bangladesh, DR Congo, Cameroon, Ghana, Peru and Indonesia, was aimed at equipping students with skills and knowledge in community-led development and sustainability. It was delivered through theoretical sessions, skills labs and action labs, where students worked directly with local communities to identify development challenges and use evidence to influence designing of alternative interventions by duty bearers.

The UCU team included Amenyo Sarah, Bigala Cathryn, Baraka Peter, Lubega Daniel, Mubeezi Simon and Vincent Manimani, who are students of Master of Development Monitoring and Evaluation; and Sagal Macrina, who is pursuing a Postgraduate Diploma in Development Monitoring and Evaluation.

The invitation to the UCU School of Social Sciences was based on the collaboration that IOB-University of Antwerp has had with UCU. 

The facilitators were led by Prof. Nathalie Holvoet from the University of Antwerp. Other facilitators included Dr.  Sara Dewachter (IOB-University of Antwerp), Doreen Kyando (Mzumbe University), Dr. Alellie Sobrevinas (De La Salle University), Solomon Mwije (UCU), and Dr. Christina M. Shitima (Mzumbe University)..

Dr. Waiswa Jeremy, the UCU Head of Postgraduate Studies and Research – School of Social Sciences — noted that the students who participated in the program this year formed the inaugural cohort.

According to Waiswa, the course enhances students’ skills and enables them to implement the theories they learn in class.

“While we teach theoretical concepts in the classroom, this program provides students with the opportunity to put their knowledge into practice,” Waiswa said. “This helps our students concretize their understanding and allows them to test theoretical frameworks in real-world scenarios, discerning what works and what doesn’t.”

Solomon, a UCU lecturer, said during the program, they undertook three CBM projects on education, water and food security.

He explained that by working on real-world projects, UCU students developed essential skills in presenting their findings and engaging with the communities. 

He said those who participated are expected to become change agents and share knowledge with colleagues. The students learned about how local communities in Tanzania are addressing issues related to development challenges. They acquired skills in data collection, analysis and community engagement.

What beneficiary UCU students said
Cathryn Bigala, a second-year student pursuing Master of Development Monitoring and Evaluation, said her most memorable moment in Tanzania was visiting villages to meet respondents affected by food insecurity and water scarcity. 

The findings revealed that poverty and natural disaster situations like pests, floods, and elephants that destroy crops have devastating effects on locals. 

“This has caused fear among the locals, and as a result, people have abandoned farming for quarrying as an alternative to fend for their families,” Bigala said.

Through the program, Bigala says she acquired practical skills in community data collection and analysis, respondent interviewing, and monitoring development projects at the community level. 

Bigala noted that the program prepared her to think critically about community concerns, be an advocate for the underprivileged, and collaborate with individuals from diverse cultural backgrounds.

Sagal Macrina, a finalist pursuing a Postgraduate Diploma in Development Monitoring and Evaluation, says she participated in a CBM water project to test water safety, identify unsafe water sources, and present results to the community. 

“During the water project, we implemented a flag system to indicate safe and unsafe water sources,” Macrina said. “We put green flags to indicate safe water sources and also put up red and orange flags to indicate the unsafe water sources prompting government action, where necessary.”

The program also helped her develop interpersonal and communication skills.

“Through the program, I learned better communication skills as I had to present findings to the community and other stakeholders,” Macrina noted.

She also appreciated the experience of working with peers from diverse cultural backgrounds, which broadened her worldview and helped her appreciate the nuances of working in a multicultural team.

Simon Mubeezi, a second-year student of Master of Development Monitoring and Evaluation, said he acquired skills in research methodology and data analysis.

By engaging directly with the local community through data collection, he says he gained insights into the farmers’ adaptive and coping strategies to climate change and their agricultural practices.

“This program showed me the importance of integrating local knowledge with academic research to effectively address food security concerns,” Mubeezi noted.

By Kefa Senoga
In 2017, the father of Jean Paul Nageri planted more than 100 acres of bananas in Busia, eastern Uganda. As is usually the norm, towards harvest time, a middleman promised to buy all the bananas at harvest. The harvest time came, but the middleman never showed up. The result? Most of the bananas either got rotten in the garden or were sold at a give-away price.

The pain of that loss was so unbearable for Nageri that the next year, he was in the laboratory, working out a solution to mitigate the gravity of the depletion his father suffered. He suspected there was a solution, but did not know exactly what it was. And the tests in the laboratory led him to something that was more like putting into practice the course he had studied at Uganda Christian University (UCU), where he received a Bachelor of Agricultural Science and Entrepreneurship. 

Nageri sought to extend the shelf life of many fruits and vegetables by slowing down their rate of spoilage while being kept at room temperature without any form of refrigeration – a move that democratizes food storage and removes barriers to enable everyone to keep food fresh, regardless of whether you have a cold room or not. In Uganda, room temperature is about 25 degrees Celsius (77 Fahrenheit).

So, how does Nageri’s innovation work?

He explained that using the skins of oranges, mangoes, bananas and other fruits in the lab, he was able to extract compounds, which he later turned into powder. The powder is blended with water, which is then used for coating the fruits and vegetables. The coating, which he has named Ka Fresh and is produced by his firm, Sio Valley Technologies, is edible.

“Most of the knowledge I am applying now is what I obtained in class at the university,” he said. “I am working with other scientists who are also applying the same knowledge in biotechnology.”

For this innovation, Sio Valley Technologies was early this year awarded the Most Innovative Export company at the third annual Uganda/EU Business Summit. Nageri received the award from Uganda’s Prime Minister Robinah Nabbanja. The Head of the European Union Delegation to Uganda, Ambassador Jan Sadek, was also present at the awards gala.  

The World Food Program estimates that as of last year, more than 333 million people in the world were facing acute levels of food insecurity; they did not know where their next meal would come. The situation is compounded by the fact that the cost of delivering food assistance was at an all-time high because of the increase in the prices of food and fuel.

Despite the hunger situation, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations estimates that 30-40% of total food production is lost before it reaches the market. But with the Ka Fresh solution, Nageri aims to overcome this challenge, so that farmers can have more bargaining power over their produce while in the market without fear of it getting rotten while on the shelf.

Some fruits and vegetables that have been coated with Nageri’s solution, he says, are now able to stay fresh for up to three times their natural shelf life. Nageri says tests in the laboratory have indicated that tomatoes that have been coated with Ka Fresh, for example, are able to stay for more than 70 days under room temperature without refrigeration.

UCU’s Nageri Develops Air Freight Solution

Nageri’s innovation should come as good news for exporters who are currently scratching their heads for solutions to the rising cost of air freight. Currently, according to the World Bank, it costs 12 to 16 times more to transport a commodity through air than sea and yet exporters opt for air transport because some commodities cannot last the more than 30 days it takes most of the ships to travel from African ports to Europe.

The journey to the Ka Fresh innovation saw Nageri team up with a friend, Lorna Orubo, to make tomato jam as a student at UCU and then mayonnaise, as his final-year project to meet the requirements for the award of his degree.

 “If you are building the right solution to a challenge, capital will always follow you and the right people will always want to surround themselves with you,” Nageri says, noting that for now, he is more focused on fine-tuning his innovation than looking at what he stands to benefit from it.

By Kefa Senoga
For the first time in 15 years, the Rev. Dr. Mulindwa Richard Muwonge is not in a university class. He is also not chasing after a deadline for a class assignment. And this is because he recently completed his education, earning a Doctor of Philosophy in Biblical and Religious Studies from the University of Pretoria in South Africa.

Mulindwa, the Church Relations Manager at Uganda Christian University (UCU), joined Uganda’s Kyambogo University in 2009 to pursue  Bachelor of Arts in Development Studies. Upon receiving that award, he immediately enrolled for Master of Science in Public Health at UCU and thereafter, Master of Divinity, also from UCU. 

Now, there is a PhD for a boy whose parents passed away before he was 12 years old and his grandmother-guardian just four years later. This is nothing short of a miracle for the youth who could hardly afford to eat. When Buule Samson and Mary Katusabe departed, the role of looking after their son rested with the latter’s grandmother who died by the time the grandson was age 16. At the time, he had just completed Senior One at Lugazi High School in central Uganda. 

“After the death of my grandmother, I became independent and survived on my own. Life was hard, tough and full of struggles,” Mulindwa said, explaining how he took up odd jobs to raise money for his school fees.

However, he was only able to raise money for Senior Two. By Senior Three, he was no longer in position to raise the amount of money required for his fees. 

“When the school where I was studying got wind of my dilemma, they employed me,” Mulindwa said.  “I was cooking porridge at school, cleaning classrooms and doing casual work. In return, I would not pay school fees.” 

He notes that despite his commitments at school, he would find two days in a week to work in some garages to earn more income.

Through that arrangement, Mulindwa was able to stay in school up to the second term of Senior Five, when he dropped out because the school got a new headteacher who cancelled the work-study plan. 

Mulindwa kept out of school for the next seven years. During this break from formal education, he found support from the family of the Rev. Capt. Titus Baraka. Their paths crossed when Baraka became the parish priest of Mulindwa’s home area in Mukono district.

With the support from vision for Africa, Mulindwa pursued a certificate program in motor vehicle mechanics at the Nakawa Vocational Training Institute. He was later employed by the  Mukono diocese as a driver and mechanic.

Mulindwa says he seized the opportunity of working in the diocese to get a bursary in the church-founded schools to continue with formal education. He joined Mukono High School to complete Senior Five and later moved to Kisowera Secondary School for Senior Six.

“Studying as an old man was a challenge as I often got mocked,” he recalled. “But I had to swallow my pride and go for what I wanted.”

His bachelor’s degree at Kyambogo University was sponsored by Good Samaritans from the USA, the Master of Public Health Leadership at UCU was sponsored by Save the Mothers while the Master of Divinity was through a scholarship from the Bishop Tucker School of Divinity and Theology.

He plans to use his PhD to advance the mission of spreading Christianity through teaching, learning and research to contribute valuable insights to the church, engaging in pastoral work, preaching the gospel, and serving as a role model to inspire others to pursue further studies.

Mulindwa’s area of research was marriage, with a focus on “the drivers of infidelity among members of the clergy in the Church of Uganda.” 

He believes that without the patience of his family members — wife Deborah and children — he would not have completed his PhD program. Despite being sponsored for his education, in many instances, he still had to contribute some funds towards the expenses, thereby depriving his family of some of their basic needs.

He notes that balancing family time with work, and studies was not easy for him. But he did it. Mulindwa also serves as the chaplain for Makerere College School.

We are excited to announce a new initiative at Uganda Christian University (UCU) that will enhance our commitment to educational excellence.

Following a newly signed partnership agreement between UCU Vice Chancellor, Prof. Aaron Mushengyezi, and Graham Yoko, CEO of the Accelerated Education Enterprise (AEE) in Durban, South Africa, UCU will be launching a Trainer for Trainers programme for the Accelerated Christian Education (ACE) Curriculum.

During our delegation’s visit to Durban, which included the Rev. Assoc. Prof. Kitayimbwa (Deputy Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs), Dr. Mary Kagoire (Dean, UCU School of Education), and Assoc. Prof. Elizabeth Kizito (Director of Research, Partnerships, and Innovation); we solidified our commitment to equipping trainers to advance the ACE curriculum, fostering holistic development of students by integrating biblical principles and values into all subjects.

We look forward to sharing more updates as this programme unfolds at UCU.

Compiled by: Irene Best Nyapendi

(Note: This first-person story is provided by Pauline Luba, a final-year, undergraduate student in Uganda Christian University’s School of Journalism, Media and Communication. She is one of three interns writing for Uganda Partners. As she prepares to receive her bachelor’s degree this October, one of her next steps is helping others who, like her, have spina bifida. In late April, she launched a web site focused on that goal.)

By Pauline Luba
Born in May of 2002, I was the last of four children of a housewife and engineer. They were elated to bring another healthy baby into the world – at least for the first five months.

At six months, my mother noticed a peculiar swelling on the lower part of my tiny back. It quickly grew into a huge sac and prompted a rush to the hospital. Following tests, the doctor determined I had spina bifida, a birth defect in which the spine and spinal cord don’t form properly.  The National Institutes of Health reports up to 10 of every 1,000 babies have it. An estimated 1,400 children are born with spina bifida annually in Uganda.

Spina bifida is a condition in which a spinal cord fails to develop properly. One of two things happens: 1) a large sac develops; or 2) a deep opening occurs where the spine should be. The types are myelomeningocele, meningocele and occulta.

Myelomeningocele, which is the most serious spina bifida type, has a sack of fluid coming through an opening in the back. Part of the spinal cord and nerves are damaged in this sac. Most people with this type lose feeling in their legs, cannot use the bathroom and are generally faced with disability for life.

Meningocele is just a sac in the back with fluid and no part of the spinal cord. However, it may have some nerves and may lead to minor disabilities in one’s life.

Occulta is best described as where the gap in the spine is so small and underdeveloped that it goes undetected until late childhood or early adulthood. Unlike other types, occulta does not carry any disabilities or issues for the victims. Scientists theorise that it may be caused by genetics or environment but it needs to be studied further. 

I have meningocele. I am part of spina

bifida statistics. This, then, is not my full story, but rather a fraction of my obstacles punctuated with frustrations, learning and hope through the encouragement of God and His people.

At age six months, the sac in my back was successfully removed, but nerve damage occurred either from spina bifida or from the surgery itself. My mother blamed the surgeon.

My nerve damage caused issues in my left leg. It became weak and smaller in size than my right. There was a note of paralysis in part of my foot and toes. Doctor visits both in Kenya and Uganda were part of my childhood. Medical professionals said I was spina bifida-free with related or unrelated muscle atrophy best alleviated with exercise and physiotherapy, the latter of which was outside my family budget.

I was often bullied by my peers for being the girl whose legs were “two different sizes.” 

Still vivid in my memory is this childhood ridicule. One girl laughed loudly, pointing at my legs each time I stood up and walked to see the timetable at the front of the class. At the library, where students were required to remove shoes to enter, I was mocked again as classmates saw how I had tissue stuffed in mine to help them fit. I can still hear the glee from boys and girls when once I fell from the imbalance of an atrophied leg and even more with kids wrapping index fingers and thumbs around my lower leg to point out the small size. 

School-required dresses (vs. pants) for girls made my disability more obvious.

I developed a dislike for being touched, especially on my leg, and often isolated myself from other kids. At home, I cried a lot and sometimes pretended to be sick to avoid school. 

This took a toll on me, mentally, emotionally and spiritually.

Teasing and insensitive comments follow me even now as a young adult. Acquaintances and random people ask what happened to my leg. Some have genuine curiosity, whereas others laugh. 

I found myself asking God why. 

Why do I look different?  Why can’t I have equally sized-legs like everybody else? Why am I sick more than others?  While I did fake sickness occasionally, other times I was genuinely battling malaria or sinusitis or allergies to the cold. 

I felt I was a burden to my family. 

Throughout my self-isolation as a child, books were my friends. Books offered a beautiful escape and provided a deeper understanding of many things. When I wasn’t reading, I also started seeing the value in all people, regardless of disability.

One instance of this was in mid 2023, when Uganda Partners assigned me a story on a swimmer living with a disability at the university. Even before the story was written my interest peaked. The student I was meant to interview had lost his leg in an accident at age eight. 

Hearing the young man recount his tale of pain, suffering, rejuvenation and finding himself in swimming has stuck with me to this very day. His explanation about how he thought of nothing when he was in the water felt similar to how I thought of nothing when I read. Even though I was interviewing him that day, he took the wheel on teaching me a very important lesson on perspective and achieving what you want – regardless of what they world may think of you.

Now, as a student soon to receive my bachelor’s degree from Uganda Christian University, I can look back to find some silver linings that made me stronger, smarter and more sensitive to the differences of others. 

While books were my friends, God was my bigger friend. He was there to catch my tears, answer my questions, and encourage me. 

I am today selective about acquaintances, fostering genuine connections and friendships. 

One difficult situation I overcame was when I had to stand in front of an assembly at O’ level as a prefect and give a speech in my skirt, trying hard not to think about everyone judging me. To date, I have won speech competitions. To this, I mostly thank my older sisters, who believed in me and encouraged me.

Belief in myself moves me now to set up a non-profit which seeks to raise awareness about spina bifida, fund surgeries of patients, offer aid in their areas and so much more. It goes by the name of Kore – a pronunciation play on the word “core,” referring to the spine and how it’s one of the “core” body parts.

Kore community-based organization officially launched its website and social media in late April 2024. It’s found at www.koreug.org. My family and close friends are elated with the organization, but more so with the decision to begin this project considering my personal experience. 

I am not the most connected, wealthy or professional person in this country, but I am hopeful that my experience will drive this organization to its goal. I want to see more awareness about this disease, pregnant women taking the measures to protect their babies against it, children growing up without its associated stigma and combating the associated mental, social and physical challenges. I hope to assemble a team with so much creativity, that we don’t do things the normal way. 

And most of all, I hope to instill an essence of God into the hearts of all we touch. Without Him, I would not be here today.

I knew of Him, but once I started to foster a deeper relationship with Him, that was the true beginning of my life.  I was born with something I did not ask for, but I will not let it interfere with the dreams I have for myself. 

I want people with a similar story to read mine and know they are not alone. In my testimony to come, I hope to continue sharing to prove that no matter the disease, one’s life can still be fruitful and joyous.

Story By Nathan Simbilyabo and Bena Nekesa

Photos, Video by Nathan Simbilyabo

In 2004, Mark and Abby Bartels embarked on a journey to create a unique educational experience for students from Christian colleges and universities in North America. What started as the Uganda Studies Program (USP) at Uganda Christian University (UCU) has now blossomed into a 20-year legacy of cultural exchange and academic learning.

“We learned early that relationships would be the key to the success of the program,” said Mark Bartels, now executive director of a USA-based nonprofit, Uganda Partners. “Beyond the essential rapport with the Council for Christian Colleges & Universities (CCCU) and UCU was that the program provided relationships with other students, host families, faculty members and supervisors – primarily Ugandans.”

Now living in Pennsylvania, Mark and Abby, who had USP founding roles of coordinator and assistant coordinator, respectively, spent 10 years at UCU, working, living and raising their three children there.  Both are graduates of Wheaton (Illinois) College, which is one of more than 100 higher education institutions under the CCCU umbrella. 

When the couple launched USP 20 years ago, Abby’s father, the Rev. Dr. Stephen Noll, was UCU’s Vice Chancellor. 

According to Mark, CCCU had other programs designed with academics and home stays  in Russia, China, Egypt, Costa Rica and England. One different distinction was that USP was the first CCCU program to be closely partnered and embedded within a Christian university. A key UCU component was alignment with the Honors College, coordinated then by the Rev. Canon Dr. Sam Opol, assisted by his wife, Margaret. 

Today, the USP is a program with a focus on Social work, Global Health, and Interdisciplinary studies, offering students a wide range of educational opportunities. Rachel Robinson, the program director for the past 10 years,  leaves her post in June. The director oversees the day-to-day operation and the transformative experience it provides for students.

About the USP Program at UCU

When applying for the Uganda Studies Program at UCU, students choose from one of the following academic concentrations: Social Work, Global Health, or Interdisciplinary, and engage in internships at different organizations depending on their area of study.

The program also creates a different learning experience for students in Uganda and Africa as a whole, arranging for a student to be placed with a host family on arrival, and during the trip they stay in villages for a week in  which a student can learn what academics cannot give. 

During one of two semesters known at UCU as Advent/Fall and Spring/Easter Semester, they do a homestay in Kapchorwa or Serere. At the end of a semester over the years, they make a final study trip to Northern Uganda or Rwanda and finish with a debrief in Entebbe before returning to North America.

The USP since its inception boasts of up to 970 alumni including 120 males and the rest females, who have since become global alumni ambassadors of UCU and sponsors in partnership with UCU. For over two decades of USP existence, the program has had over 93 American and Ugandan staff members, including a coordinator, program assistant and a homestay coordinator.

Rachel’s Journey with USP

On April 10, the USP celebrated two major milestones in its history: first, its 20th anniversary since 2004; and second, honoring Rachel Robinson for her leadership as director of the Program. Outgoing students also bade farewell. 

Rachel’s leadership journey began in 2014 when Mark, now executive director of UCU Partners, moved back to the USA. Her tenure with USP started in 2010 while she was serving as the Coordinator of the Intercultural Ministry Mission Emphasis (IMME). Effective June 1, the USP lead position will be assumed by Emily Entsminger, a USP alum who has been serving as a Student  Life Coordinator.

“I have many memories – both good and challenging – from the years in the role of the directorate,” Rachel said. “One of the difficult memories is the bomb attack that happened in one of the universities in Kenya in 2015.” The Garissa University College attack in Kenya took place in April 2015 when gunmen stormed the institution, massacring 148 and injuring 79 more people.

“It was a serious crisis that happened because from that we were called to evacuate our students before the end of their semester,” she said. “That semester we had farewell without students.”

One of  Racheal’s highlights during her service under USP were trips to Rwanda where she and USP cohorts interacted with a Rwandese national with Christian Action for Reconciliation and Social Assistance (CARSA), Christophe Mbonyingabo, who told them about the Rwandese genocide of 1994 and reconciliation and recovery that was happening.

When asked about her next step, Rachel expressed uncertainty but asserted “trust in God” both for her and USP.

“Whenever there is a success, mostly the directors and leaders get the praise, while I didn’t do it alone and mostly every time there are people in the background working overtime,” she said. “I am undoubtedly confident with the coming director of USP that even if it doesn’t go well or it goes well, she will do well.” 

What others say

The April celebration was attended by many guests including the host families, homestay families, roommates, former USP staff including the former Vice Chancellor Rev. Canon Dr. John Senyonyi, Deputy Vice Chancellor Finance and Administration David Mugawe and University Chaplain Rev. Canon Paul Wasswa Ssembiro. 

“I have seen this program grow and go through different seasons, both difficult and good, for example during COVID-19 and the attack on the university in Kenya in 2015,” recalled Dr. Senyonyi during his speech. “But the outgoing director, with whom I joined UCU almost at the same time, has worked so hard, so I say, Rachel, you must come back because we still need you.” 

The UCU Directorate of Student Affairs, Pamela Tumwebaze, added appreciation to Rachel “as a colleague and close friend.”

“Rachel had become like a sister to me,” Pamela said. “I will miss her. I wish I could convince her to stay, and I do not know what word I will use.”

During his speech, Mugawe presented Rachel with an award in recognition of her good work and thanked her on behalf of the university community.

The ceremony concluded with the cutting of cake, a meal, a touching slideshow of memories and well-wishes from friends, and officially closed with prayer by the UCU Chaplain.

Another commemoration with an audience of USP alumni  is planned in July in the USA state of Colorado. 

As USP marks its 20th anniversary and its impact, it remains committed to providing students with immersive educational experiences that broaden their horizons and shape their worldview. Most importantly, it continues to inspire students to understand and appreciate other cultures.