By Irene Best Nyapendi
Judith Katoko was expected to be part of the Uganda Christian University (UCU) graduation of July 2022. But that was not the case. By the time of the graduation, Katoko had neither written her dissertation nor completed her fees. However, she worked so hard that by the next graduation in October 2022, she had completed all the academic requirements. 

Still, she was not on the graduation list. 

Katoko had a fees balance of sh8 million (about $2,100). The 24-year-old says she had ruled out asking for money from friends and classmates because it was not her nature. She asked anyway.

When she shared her challenges with one of her cousins, Katoko was given sh3million (about $780). She then approached a UCU staff member and Jonathan Tumwebaze, Partnerships Manager for Uganda Partners. The staff member helped negotiate a sh4million (about $1,050) salary advance to give Katoko. Through Uganda Partners, Katoko got sh600,000 (about $160). The balance of sh400,000 (about $105) came from the savings she had. With this, Katoko cleared the fees balance a day before graduation — and received a Bachelor of Human Rights, Peace, and Humanitarian Intervention. 

Uganda Partners Executive Director Mark Bartels, who was around UCU at the time, was among participants at Katoko’s thanksgiving feast at Eunice Guest House after her graduation.

“I can surely say a problem shared is a problem half solved,” she said. “I had never heard of Uganda Partners before, but through it, Mark Bartels’ organization gave me money to clear for my graduation.”

After the graduation, UCU hired Katoko as a casual worker in the accommodation section. From April to December 2023, she was a stand-in for the female custodian. In January 2024, the university appointed Katoko as a graduate trainee in charge of Ankrah Foundation Halls of Residence. In the position, she manages issues to do with registration for accommodation, provides counseling services and helps students navigate issues pertaining to their academic programs. Although she may not know much about all the courses, she knows who to contact in case students need assistance in a particular area. The Ankrah Hall, which houses both male and female students, has 96 single rooms.

Katoko Advocates for Students Rights at UCU, inspired by Proverbs 31: 8

Katoko believes that people are molded by their early experiences and that if she provides students with the best experience while at UCU, they will grow into responsible citizens.

Ankrah resident Lynn Abaasa, who is pursuing a Bachelor of Nursing Science, describes Katoko as an approachable and consistently present custodian.

“When we have a challenge, we can easily go to Katoko. I recall the night she called the plumber to fix a water problem at night,” Abaasa said, adding: “She also offered me her laptop when I didn’t have one during exam season.”

Reflecting on her experience, Katoko encourages UCU students to embrace challenges. “There are challenges you may face as a student, but I urge you to seek guidance because, from an informed decision, you will have an informed choice,” Katoko said. 

In the future, she hopes to become a children’s advocate. She intends to set up an organization dedicated to the promotion of children’s rights, inspired by Proverbs 31:8 “Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves.”

By Irene Best Nyapendi
Millie Mercy Namikka is outgoing and composed. Committed to social justice, she often finds herself advocating for the marginalized. This virtue has enabled Namikka to make many friends, both in her community and at school. 

“You always find her freely interacting with people in her environment,” Hannington Kikulwe, Namikka’s father, says. “At home, she helps the workers with their chores and also buys them gifts.” Namikka says she learned service and contribution virtues from her parents. Kukulwe was an evangelist, and his wife, a reverend.

It was, therefore, not surprising, when Namikka chose to pursue a Bachelor of Social Work and Social Administration at Uganda Christian University (UCU). And that choice for a course eventually presented an opportunity for Namikka to travel out of the country for her very first time in February 2022. She returned to Uganda in August of the same year.

She was part of the eight students that UCU was sending to Hanze University of Applied Sciences in the Netherlands for a resume-building exchange program and international exposure. The collaboration between UCU and Hanze is a conduit for cross-cultural exchange, fostering not only academic growth but also personal transformation for both students and lecturers.

Over 30 students have benefitted from this initiative. Dutch students and the faculty also have visited Uganda for field work in agencies in the country. 

“I felt so lucky that I was leaving the country and what amazed me was the fact that I did not have to pay any money,” Namikka says, noting that when her friends learned of her imminent trip, they organized a get-together. 

Once in the Netherlands, Namikka says it was not easy adjusting to the food and the cost. But she eventually did. With her friends, they pooled resources and started buying food in bulk, sharing costs, and sometimes traveling to Amsterdam to enjoy local food. Her diet also changed from bread sandwiches to pasta, Irish food, and more vegetables. This new way of eating has stuck with her to date. 

One memorable experience for Namikka was attending the King’s Day in the Netherlands. Marked every April 27, the day is a national holiday and celebrates King Willem-Alexander’s birthday with lots of music, dancing, flea markets and fun fair. 

“Two days before and after the actual day, it felt like a big holiday. People sold things from their homes at reduced prices, and the streets were full of parties,” she said. “I was shocked, seeing everyone wearing orange, and others selling their items. But I used that opportunity to buy vintage boots and a lot of vintage clothes and items for friends at the flea markets.”

For her classes at Hanze University, they didn’t just stick to theories; they dived into real-life situations. One of her favorite courses was creating and sharing happiness and positive coaching techniques. Every day, they would talk about their day — what went well, what didn’t. It was like a daily life check-in.

This made her realize that life is a mix of little moments. Now, she shares this wisdom with people in her shared workspace. She tells them to live the moment, be aware of how they feel, and focus on their journey of recovery, not the past. 

UCU-Hanze Collaboration Promotes Cross-Cultural Knowledge

Kasule Kibirige, the UCU head of department of Social Works and Social Administration, said the partnership between UCU and Hanze has been immensely valuable for both students and faculty.

 “They promote cross-cultural knowledge and skills sharing, and contribute to individual teaching and learning improvement,” he explained. He added that this collaboration fosters the development of academic networks through regular meetings during guest lecture exchanges.

Namikka currently works with Teen Challenge Uganda, a Christian rehabilitation facility. Here, her responsibilities include reaching out to children, schools, those in brothels and slums, creating support groups and offering counseling, therapy, discipleship, Bible study and awareness on addiction. 

Her desire to mend broken hearts and help people learn from their experiences fuels her ambition to become a counseling psychologist. She hopes to return to school to pursue a master’s degree in that field.

“We’ve been created to be in each other’s lives, and sometimes when we are in each other’s lives, we hurt each other and we don’t know how to mend the broken hearts,” Namikka says. The 24-year-old envisions building a career in helping individuals triumph over trauma, grief, and life’s challenges, witnessing them thrive and embrace the joys of life.

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.