Join the STMEA 2024 Maternal and Child Health Conference on the 26th of April 2024, starting at 10:00 AM. This conference is a platform for you to be at the forefront of change, to ignite transformation, and to cultivate a future where maternal and child health thrives through multidisciplinary professionals.

This conference is about building a robust STM Network of multidisciplinary professionals to propel Save the Mothers to unprecedented heights—bigger, better, and stronger than ever before.

Here’s the crucial part: You are an essential stakeholder in this journey. Your presence, your insights, and your commitment are what will drive real, tangible progress.

Mark your calendars, clear your schedules, and be there on April 26th, 2024; to champion change, to pave the way for a healthier future for mothers & babies. We can’t do it without you. See you there.

Lent is a 40-day period of fasting for Christians, from Ash Wednesday to Easter. This year, Easter will be celebrated on March 31. Fasting is most recommended for healthy persons with elderly and very young children often exempt. The practice is frequently categorised as absolute (food and beverage), solid food (consuming only liquids) and partial (choosing one food to abstain). At Uganda Christian University (UCU), selected students have chosen to fast. Some shared their experience with Pauline Luba.

To me, fasting is a period where one gets closer to God. It’s that time when you want to revive your spiritual life, you want to give everything to your God, you want to talk to Him and you also want to listen to Him. So, I do this with my friends and it’s nice to share this belief with them. The Lent period has strengthened our bond. We take it as a time of giving and a time of listening to God. 

The lent season gives one a humbling experience. And with that experience, it enables one to control their desires, to enable them develop a deep devotion and relationship with God. So, it is important for people to participate in activities of lent, such as fasting and self-sacrifice. 

To me, fasting has been the norm ever since I accepted Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior. I fast during the lent period and ensure that I don’t do anything that could tempt me. On the health side of it, fasting has contributed to me reducing weight. The last time I weighed myself, I was told I was almost overweight, so fasting has helped keep my weight under control. 

The fasting period has drawn me closer to God and I’m learning to know more about myself. I think the Lent period should be taken seriously since it helps to draw people closer to Christ. It’s also an opportunity which makes people get to discover more about their spirituality and learn more about their faith. 

During the fasting period, I have been able to do more and I have also learned how to talk to God better. The thing that I found challenging about fasting while on campus is that that is the time people who are not aware that you are fasting invite you for meals. Therefore, it calls for a high level of self-control.

Sanyu’s Lent Experience at UCU

I have enjoyed this Lent season.  I take breaks during my fast. The fasting is somewhat challenging, given that it is happening at a time when we have classes. However, the bottom line is that fasting can help one get closer to Christ.  I would like to get closer to my Saviour. I think the university could improve on the quality of the Lent season for students by bringing up more related sessions during the community worship and sessions of prayer.

The Uganda Christian University (UCU) community has continued to congratulate the School of Business at UCU for emerging champions of the Inter-Faculty sports games. The School of Business snatched victory from the Faculty of Agriculture. The sports game finals took place on Friday, 15th March 2024 at the University Football pitch.

In the football finals, the game was very tense, as the final whistle blew, the score remained zero at full time forcing players to go in for penalty shootouts. The crowd watched as each penalty was taken, feeling the tension rise with every kick. At the end, it was the Faculty of Agricultural Science who emerged victorious with a score of 3-2 against the School of Business.
The overall winner for the Inter-Faculty sports games was determined based on the faculty that scored and accumulated the highest points.

UCU’s School of Business clinched multiple golden trophies in the male’s basketball, ladies’ basketball, and netball, along with silver trophies in football and volleyball, making them the overall winners of this season’s Inter-Faculty sports games. The campus buzzed with energy, echoing the spirit of competition. Faculty of Agricultural Science secured the second position.

Miss. Agira Birungi, the UCU Guild President, commended all participants for their commitment and sportsmanship throughout the tournament.
“I take this opportunity to thank the student body of Uganda Christian University for taking part in the just concluded Inter-Faculty sports games. I am always proud that you exhibit our vision of inclusivity in action. Thank you for remaining disciplined all through the tournament,” Birungi said.

The Inter-Faculty sports games is an extravaganza that happens every semester at Uganda Christian University. We are all looking forward to the next Inter-Faculty sports games.
Compiled by: Irene Best Nyapendi
Edited By: Harriet Adong, Consultant at UCU’s Communication and Public Relations Department

By Kefa Senoga
When Micheline Ugara Mazo arrived in Uganda more than six years ago, all she wanted was to pursue a university education. She did not care what course she studied. To get herself ready for education in Uganda, Ugara Mazo, a native of he Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC),  took lessons in English for more than eight months.

She chose to undergo English lessons because, apart from admiring the language, she did not know much about it. People in her home country speak French as their official language. It is also the language of instruction for students in schools.

“I loved English so much,” she said. “Sometimes I would get newspapers published in the English language and try to read them, but I would hardly understand anything. That experience stuck in my mind that I had to learn the language.”

She says she felt that after exclusively studying French for most of her life in the DRC, it was time for her to immerse herself in an English-speaking society.

However, before Ugara Mazo came to Uganda to pursue her studies, she had to endure a two-year stay at home because she and her father could not agree on where she would go. Her father, Chrysostom Nyelegodi Azangi, wanted her to enroll at Kinshasa University, in the DRC, while Ugara Mazo preferred Uganda. To demonstrate her resolve and in the midst of conflict in the Congo, she started a fish trading business for the two years she was at home.

For years, the DRC has experienced violence involving militant groups over territory and natural resources. In addition to mounting civilian deaths in eastern Congo, the UN declares that the number of internally displaced people has reached a record high of 6.9 million as fighting, rendering  a growing part of the country unsafe for civilians.

Azangi eventually gave in and let his daughter have her wish to leave the conflict-ridden area. 

Ugara Mazo’s academic choices at UCU

Upon reaching Uganda Christian University (UCU) in 2017, Ugara Mazo met the Rev. Samson Maliisa, the assistant chaplain at the institution, who helped to guide her on the course to pursue. 

“He gave me two options — either Bachelor of Governance and International Relations or Bachelor of Human Rights, Peace and Humanitarian Interventions. I chose the latter,” she recalls. 

Ugara Mazo says her motivation to pursue a course in human rights came from the fact that she had witnessed many cases of human rights violations in the Congo. 

“In some parts of my country, people are constantly running from conflict, fleeing from war-affected areas,” Ugara Mazo says. 

The DDR has faced decades of war, largely between government forces and rebels, especially in the eastern part of the country. 

It is for that reason that in 2021, even after completing her undergraduate course, Ugara Mazo chose to further her stay in Uganda by enrolling for a master’s course.

“There was the Covid-19 pandemic and war at the same time back at home, so I decided to stay and study further,” she says, explaining how her father tried to resist her continued stay to study in Uganda. 

“My father said he didn’t have the money to pay my tuition, but I persisted, and enrolled for the master’s course, believing that God would make a way,” she said.

The gold trading business of Azangi in Ituri province, DRC, had suffered significant setbacks due to the war. Initially, the father faced financial constraints and, as a result, he was not sure he could fund her course, the Master of Research and Public Policy. However, he later secured the necessary funds, enabling him to pay her tuition. Ugara Mazo is now finalizing her master’s research.

Her topic  is the “Effect of Armed Conflict on the Implementation of Gold Exploitation Policy in Ituri, DRC.” She says it was born out of the need to gain more knowledge on the cause of the war in eastern DR Congo so she could detail the effect the war has had on one of the economic activities in the region — gold mining.

Incidentally, Ugara Mazo has had one of her sisters, Iyekane Elizabeth Yamba, follow her to pursue an undergraduate course at UCU. Yamba recently graduated with a Bachelor of Procurement Logistics and Management and returned to DR Congo. She expects two other siblings, Miriam Eri Kurunze and Eri Tende Somson, to join UCU later this year.  

On March 13^th through 14^th, 2024, Uganda Christian University (UCU) hosted a team from St. Paul’s University (SPU), Kenya, led by Rev. Prof. James Kombo, the Vice-Chancellor. The visit was marked by warmth and excitement as both institutions shared experiences and further explored potential collaborations.

While at UCU, the visitors had an opportunity to tour UCU premises including the School of Medicine, School of Dentistry, the Archbishop’s Palace at Namirembe Hill, UCU Kampala Campus, and UCU main campus in Mukono (a few minutes away drive from Kampala – Uganda’s Capital City and central business center). It was a chance for them to learn more about UCU’s history, culture and operations.

Associate Professor Aaron Mushengyezi, UCU’s Vice Chancellor, expressed happiness at hosting the Kenyan counterparts, highlighting the similarities between the two universities. Assoc. Prof. Mushengyezi while addressing the team from SPU said “You are all warmly welcome to Uganda – the Pearl of Africa and specifically to Uganda Christian University. It is fulfilling that both UCU and SPU share similar values, teaching approaches in addition to being Christian founded and run institutions”.

“We are privileged to host you. When we share about our institutions, what we do, how we do it including the teaching approached and what we believe in all presents the institutions more like twins” Assoc. Prof. Mushengyezi added.

Rev. Prof. James Kombo, SPU’s Vice Chancellor thanked the UCU team for the warm welcome. “This was a planned trip, we were all eagerly looking forward to it. We thank God that two days ago we arrived safely in Uganda and you have all accorded us a high level warm welcome” Prof. Kombo said. He also extended and invitation to the UCU team to visit their university in Nairobi soon.

Michael Mungai, Head of Corporate Affairs at SPU, also expressed gratitude for the hospitality shown by the UCU team. He reechoed the longstanding partnership between the two universities and thanked UCU for their fellowship. “I am greatly honored to be at UCU. I feel at home and I thank God that you (UCU) are standing on the faith of Jesus Christ.”

This visit and engagement are not only geared towards strengthening the bond between UCU and SPU but also provided opportunity for potentially transformative future collaborations between the institutions while also engaging institutional partners. Both institutions look forward to working together for the betterment of service delivery and receipt in the education sector especially as we continue to contribute to community development.

Some of the focus areas for both universities

The two universities have resolved to explore and implement the partnership agreement in the following areas:

• Cultural exchange, which involves reciprocal hosting of delegations on the campuses of the respective universities
• Joint conference
• Capacity-building opportunities for staff
• Student internships, among others

Details about the previous visit: https://ucu.ac.ug/ucu-strikes-up-partnership-with-st-pauls-university/

Compiled by Irene Best Nyapendi and Jimmy Siyasa

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

In June 2022, Uganda Christian University launched “For Just 10k,”a campaign intended to raise financial support for students who are facing economic distress. One of the organizations that responded to that call was the Ubuntu Youth Leadership Centre (UYLC).  Dr. Sabrina Kitaka, the chairperson of the board at UYLC, noted that they wanted to go beyond just contributing to school fees to supporting students through mentorship. Irene Best Nyapendi talked to some students who are recent beneficiaries of the philanthropy of UYLC.

Carolyne Anyango Ohanga has always desired to be an Anglican priest. For that to happen, however, she must attain a bachelor’s degree in divinity, which she is currently pursuing at Uganda Christian University (UCU). She joined UCU after completing a diploma course at Uganda Martyrs Seminary, Namugongo, near Kampala.

Financial challenges warrant Anyango to consider it a miracle that she is still in school. Even just completing her diploma course at Uganda Martyrs Seminary was an amazing achievement. 

Anyango, a Kenyan citizen, preferred to study in Uganda, where tuition is generally less compared to her country. While a student at Uganda Martyrs Seminary, Anyango one day packed her bags ready to abandon school, because she saw no hope in securing money for tuition. 

However, she narrates that just before she left, she shared her financial challenges with the institution’s principal. And she was offered a scholarship.

Even for her first semester at UCU in 2022, Anyango faced challenges in paying the full tuition. She started studies after paying only sh200,000 ($51.22), which is about 13% of the tuition fees required for the semester.

As the examinations approached, Anyango presented her challenges to the office of the Dean of the Bishop Tucker School of Divinity and Theology, who referred her to the UCU Financial Aid Office. The office secured partial tuition. To pay the balance, she had to mobilize her friends, who contributed towards her need. But still, that was not substantial to clear the tuition balance. Anyango eventually sat the exams without clearing full tuition, but only after securing permission from the university on the promise that she would pay the fees balance later.

For the semesters that followed, Anyango would receive donations from well-wishers, including financial assistance from the UCU Guild Fund.

As she started her final semester in the course, Anyango says she had lost hope in finding any funding for her tuition. However, she discovered a call for Ubuntu Youth Leadership Centre (UYLC) scholarships, to which she applied, and was successful. 

Kogere, a final-year student of Bachelor of Science in Accounting and Finance at UCU, has been raised single-handedly by her mother, a primary school teacher. 

For the times when her salary was inadequate, Kogere’s mother secured loans to pay her children’s fees. However, last year, Kogere’s mother was unable to meet the tuition obligations of her children since her loan dues had accumulated. Therefore, much of her salary went into servicing the loans and paying the debts she had accumulated. That unfortunate incident coincided with the withdrawal of Kogere’s sponsor who had been paying her tuition since Senior Five.

Kogere knew there was no money, but she still reported to school. The money she earned from her holiday job as a house-help was what she used for paying hostel dues at UCU. A scholarship from UYLC enabled Kogere to write her final-year examinations. 

For Nalwadda, paying fees had never been a challenge for her family, until the unexpected demise of her father in 2022. Nalwadda, a final-year student of Bachelor of Procurement and Logistics Management at UCU, says she was left without the financial support she had always relied upon. 

A relative who had promised to meet her tuition obligations could not pay the fees beyond one semester. As Nalwadda was trying to figure out where to get money, a friend brought her attention to a scholarship application call by UYLC. She applied. 

“When I received a call that I had been selected for the scholarship, I shed tears of joy,” she said. “I was so surprised and when I shared the news with my mum, she was the happiest person.”

UCU student Rannie Ashaba – Business

The weight of the financial burden that Rannie Ashaba had to deal with at one point, she said, created anxiety, confusion and divided concentration in class. “Where will money come from?” was the question that consistently entered her mind. Despite all the challenges, Ashaba’s Grade Point Average has never been less than 4.3 out of 5.0.

“Early this semester, I was thinking about applying for a dead semester,” she said. However, that will not happen as she has been one of the lucky recipients of a scholarship courtesy of Ubuntu Youth Leadership Centre.

Ashaba, pursuing a Bachelor of Business Administration and Accounting, said when she was five years old, her parents separated, leaving the burden of caring for her to her mother. However, tragedy struck in 2009 when her mother passed away.

In 2021, her maternal aunt took her in, pledging to cater for her academic needs, with some help from Ashaba’s grandmother. During the times they lacked, Ashaba applied for tuition top-ups and scholarships from the UCU Financial Aid office.

Last year, Ashaba’s aunt got a health complication which forced her to stop working and commence costly therapy. To date, the 27-year-old says, her aunt has not been able to pay her tuition since she is out of employment.

“I have faced obstacles to an extent that I learned to ignore some of them,” Ashaba said.

Drawing from personal experience, Ashaba urges other students facing financial challenges to share their troubles with people.

“A problem shared is a problem halved solved,” Ashaba said. “Also, keep searching for opportunities because there is always a second chance awaiting you, so don’t think about giving up.”