General
Mastercard Foundation Scholars Empower Schools in Mukono and Kyegwegwa Districts
By Scholars Program Communication Team
On Saturday, November 16, 2024, Little Angels Junior School, Mawotto Village, Mukono District, and St. Charles Rwahunga, Nursery and Primary School in Kyegegwa District celebrated an inspiring, joy-filled event. These two schools were selected to receive the generosity of Mastercard Foundation Scholars at Makerere University during the Annual Scholars Day of Community Service.
At St. Charles Rwahunga Nursery and Primary School, the Scholars donated various products, including Learning Materials, Geometry sets, Sanitary towels for the girls, sportswear for the boys’ football team, and other goodies.
The Community Nursery and Primary School serves 412 pupils with severe challenges due to inadequate infrastructure. The buildings are dilapidated, there is a shortage of desks, and the classrooms are small and overcrowded. These issues need to be addressed to ensure a better student learning environment.
Mr. Alex Mugisha, the Headteacher of the School, expressed gratitude to the Scholars of Mastercard Foundation for the kind gesture they extended to his school.
“I am deeply grateful, along with the students and staff, for the generosity of the Mastercard Foundation Scholars. These materials will significantly enhance the learning environment for our pupils,” remarked Mr. Mugisha.
Mr. Nelson Ddumba, the Scholars Council Representative, encouraged the young learners at the event not to lose hope. He emphasized that regardless of their starting point, they can improve their circumstances by staying in school.
“Listen, my fellow students: do not give up. The only path to transforming your circumstances is through a steadfast commitment to your education and remaining in school. I have been in your shoes, but I pushed through and succeeded thanks to my mother’s unwavering support. Today, I proudly attend Makerere University, one of the leading institutions in Uganda. Embrace the challenge ahead and make your education your top priority!” Mr. Ddumba declared.
At Little Angels Junior School, pupils were excited to receive educational materials, reusable sanitary towels, mathematical sets, dictionaries, and textbooks for nursery to primary seven students.
Ms. Sarah Nturo, the headteacher, commended the Mastercard Foundation Scholars at Makerere University for the kind gesture.
She said the books will help the school improve its reading culture and performance.
“We are grateful to the Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program at Makerere University; we believe these books will significantly contribute to improving our pupils’ performance,” Ms. Nturo said.
Nturo also pointed out that they have challenges with the facilities and water as a school.
“Ever since we started this School, the education has improved because, in the past, parents could not allow their children to come here; instead, they would send them to the lake for fishing. But now, the children come only because they do not have somewhere to sit. We have few desks,” Nturo said.
During the visit, the pupils mesmerised the scholars with rare dance moves. The excitement did not leave the Programme Implementation team and teachers in their seats, making it a fun-filled event. The audience was left yearning for more.
Addressing the school, Mr. John Osuna, the Transition Lead at the Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program, urged the pupils to use their school time to prepare for a bright future.
“Do not mind where you are coming from. We all started like this. Education is an equalizer. Now that you have an opportunity to study, focus on making the best out of it. Be disciplined pupils and listen to your teachers. The sky will be the limit,” Mr Osuna said.
During the event, Francis Kabuye Kaggwa, the Chairperson of the Parents Teacher Association (PTA) leadership, said that ever since the school started over 10 years back, they have never received guests who bring them gifts like how the Mastercard Foundation Scholars did.
“I think you have seen how excited the children were. We are all happy this has never happened to our school. Who are we to receive these gifts? We have challenges, but with friends like God on our side, we shall conquer,” Mr. Kabuye noted.
The Scholars’ Day of Community Service is an annual event where Mastercard Foundation Scholars at Makerere University engage in community service as a way of giving back. This initiative aims to empower vulnerable individuals in the community and contribute positively to society.
Organised by the Makerere Debating Union – a student-led initiative, the Inter-college Debate Tournament was held on 11th and 12th April 2025 with a vision to leave no student behind by nurturing a community of confident, articulate, and visionary leaders who will drive positive change in society. The tournament was held in three preliminary rounds, followed by semi-finals and a grand finale.
The first round covered democracy and youth participation in politics, while the second round covered inequality and wealth distribution, and the third, the ban on export of raw materials. The semi-final round debated apprenticeship for blue-collar jobs, while the grand finale debated national budget allocations for healthcare and education. In the spirit of inclusivity, all colleges, including the Jinja Campus participated in the tournament.
Commenting on the choice of topics, the organisers noted Makerere University as a bastion of academic excellence has a profound responsibility to cultivate the next generation of leaders who will shape the future of our nation. These leaders, they added, ought to be equipped with 21st century skills of self-expression, critical thinking, and problem-solving so as to navigate the complexities of an ever-evolving world.
On the whole, Makerere Inter-college Debates were conceived as a strategic initiative to foster a culture of intellectual curiosity, creativity, and innovation. The Debating Union aims to empower the future leaders by providing a platform for students to engage in respectful discourse, articulate their thoughts, as well as develop their critical thinking and problem-solving skills.
Furthermore, the Debates serve as a platform for not only honing the intellectual prowess of students but also cultivating leadership skills, teamwork, and communication abilities that are essential for success in an increasingly complex and interconnected world. It is envisaged that this initiative will have a lasting impact on the lives of students, by exposing them to debates on topical issues that can shape the mindsets of transformative leaders our nation needs.
After a thrilling two days of debate, Daphine Kemigisha and Jibril Ssekandi from the School of Law (SoL) emerged as winners of the Makerere University Inter-college Debate Tournament 2025, while Olara Emmanuel George from the College of Veterinary Medicine, Animal Resources and Biosecurity (CoVAB) was the Public Speech Champion, and Namujuzi Martha Mociita from the College of Business and Management Sciences (CoBAMS) was the Poetry Champion.
The 2025 Tournament was organized by Mayanja Owen and Nkalubo Oprah – 91st Guild Representative Councils (GRCs) of the Debate Union, Akatwijuka Arthur – Chairperson Debate Union, and Debate Union Representatives from colleges. The Uganda National NGO Forum (UNNGOF) partnered with the Debate Union to deliver the 2025 edition.
Addressing students at the award ceremony, UNNGOF’s Mr. Derrick Baluuku encouraged the youth to step out of their comfort zones and think of solutions to inspire change in their communities.
By Moses Lutaaya
Prof. Mukadasi Buyinza –Ag. Deputy Vice Chancellor (Academic Affairs) has challenged the academia and other professionals to focus their studies on original research that impacts communities and societies locally and globally.
“We want new things, if not new, it is a waste of resources. Be unique in your doctoral (PhD) thesis. Find solutions to societal and global challenges and problems.” Prof. Buyinza who is also the Academic Registrar said.
Prof. Buyinza said this, while giving his keynote address at the orientation program of PhD students for cohort two 2024/2025 at the Food Science Auditorium at Makerere University on Friday 2nd May 2025.
He challenged the students not to fear the new challenge ahead, encouraging them to always seek support. “Reach out to your supervisors and peers. Build formidable networks. Have a PhD group forum as this will enrich your learning and broaden your knowledge and skills.”, he said.
While taking on the tough journey of doctoral studies, Prof. Buyinza told the students to embrace a culture of curiosity, passion and analytical thinking that challenges and critics original thinking of other scholars.
He further encouraged the students to embrace open long-life learning as the academic world keeps evolving. He said, “To benefit from the PhD studies, be ready to continue learning and listen to the professional world so as to acquire a wealthy of experience.”
While pursuing their PhD studies, Prof. Buyinza told the students to balance their doctoral studies with work and life saying, “Take care of your physical and social being. Be resilient and patient to avoid mental breakdown.”
In a related development, the Makerere university librarian Dr. Ruth Nalumaga challenged the students to take advantage of the university library resources while pursuing their doctoral studies.
“The university library has all the books you need to read and pass. Let us utilize it to its full potential. All libraries are always open to all of you.” She added.
The orientation program organised by the Directorate of Graduate Training is an initiative that opens a new academic chapter for all incoming PhD students, aimed at equipping the learners with the required tools of trade.
The Director Graduate Training (DGT) Prof. Julius Kikooma while addressing the incoming PhD students said that in the next five years, Makerere University has targeted achieving 30% of students enrolment on graduate training especially graduate studies. Its current enrolment is 19.4%.
“Initially, we used to have one intake for PhD students a year, we now have two intakes. Our focus is to have over 30% of the university students pursuing doctoral degrees.” Prof. Kikooma said.
On admissions, Prof. Kikooma noted “Currently once admitted, you now become a full PhD student. In the old system, one would be admitted provisionally and would be required to take over 6 months doing a proposal with an assigned supervisor which would be admissible to the PhD program.”
To achieve the 30% enrolment of graduate students, Prof. Kikooma noted that the University had undertaken numerous policy changes to guide graduate research and more specifically doctoral research.
Amongst which, he highlighted a new University research agenda with 9 (nine) priority areas including working with key government departments and engaging in research that solves society challenges.
He noted that in a knowledge economy, transformation of societies and communities is vital, noting that this can only be achieved by increasing the number graduate students.
Under the orientation theme, “Defining tomorrow, supporting doctoral students and shaping the future”, Prof. Kikooma emphasised to the PhD students that PhD is a life changing journey, and it is a turning point for their career and personal growth.
He noted to the students that the Directorate of Graduate Training was ready to guide all of them throughout their entire PhD process, “You all have the potential and once registered, you will have the support of our experienced staff. Makerere University is happy to be part of your academic journey and believes this will be a rewarding experience.” Prof. Kikooma added. Makerere University, Uganda’s oldest and biggest education institution received over 534 PhD applications in different disciplines and only 171 students were admitted for cohort II of the Academic Year 2024/2025.
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