General
DFCU Bank Uganda Supports the Mastercard Foundation Scholars’ Giveback Initiatives
On 30th September 2025, DFCU Bank Uganda Ltd made a generous donation of twenty million shillings (20,000,000 UGX) to support the Mastercard Foundation Scholars at Makerere University in their upcoming give-back project at Bwera Primary School in Kabale District, Western Uganda. Over the years, the Mastercard Foundation Scholars have engaged in various community give-back projects, significantly transforming the lives of many young people. Their initiatives have included building classroom blocks in Karamoja and Agago districts, constructing boreholes in Bulamwiki, Iganga District, and planting trees. These efforts have had a positive impact on the communities they serve.
While speaking at the handing-over ceremony of the dummy cheque, Ms Maryann Wanjiku Michuki, the Chief Business Solutions & Marketing Officer, who represented the Chief Executive Officer, Mr. Charles M. Mudiwa, expressed gratitude for the partnership between the Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program at Makerere University , which has lasted over 10 years.
“We are very proud of our partnership with the Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program at Makerere University that has lasted over 10 years. We commend the efforts to renovate the classroom blocks and build a modern pit latrine. We commend the Scholars for taking on such impactful causes for the community.” Ms Wanjiku remarked.
On her part, Prof. Justine Namaalwa, the Program Director of the Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program at Makerere University , expressed gratitude to the generous donation towards the Scholars giveback efforts.
“We are very grateful for this generous gesture by DFCU Bank towards the Scholars’ Give Back efforts. We are more than partners in this journey; we plan to allocate this donation into a general project fund, have an independent project undertaken by DFCU, and invite you to launch it.” Prof. Namaalwa remarked.
Prof. Namaalwa highlighted that giving back is a central focus of the Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program at Makerere University . It aims to cultivate a service-oriented culture among scholars and alumni of the Program, fostering a sense of responsibility and commitment.
“As part of the Scholars Journey at Makerere University , the Scholars are made aware of the Philosophy and practice of giveback, and then encouraged to empower communities through sharing and action voluntarily.” Prof. Namaalwa remarked.
The Mastercard Foundation Scholars at Makerere University have, over the years, made significant contributions to communities. Initially, these contributions were solely by the Scholars. From 2020 on wards, resource mobilisation expanded beyond the Scholars to include the Program Implementation Team, Scholar alumni, and the Program partners.
The selected Scholars Giveback Project for 2025
For the year 2025, the Mastercard Foundation Scholars at Makerere University designated Bwera Primary School in Kabale district as the giveback project. Bwera Primary School was established in 1983 as a community-based institution and later became a government-aided school. It educates 268 pupils in the rural Kabale District. Despite its vital role in the community, the school faces many challenges, including:
- Dilapidated classrooms
- A shared mud and wattle pit latrine shared by students and staff
- Lack of clean water
- Lack of electricity
- Insufficient staff housing
Proposed Interventions and Support
There are four proposed support areas which shall be prioritised or ranked based on the projected resource mobilisation.
- Renovation of two classroom blocks, including plastering the walls and working on the floors.
- Construction of a 4–5 stance modern pit latrine to enhance sanitation, health, and dignity for learners and staff.
- Provision of 50 bench desks for the candidate class.
- Installation of a water harvesting system to guarantee access to clean water for drinking and handwashing.
Call to Action:
We call upon all people of goodwill to contribute to creating a safe, inclusive, and motivating learning environment at Bwera Primary School, Kabale district, through the following avenues;
- Contribute financially (any amount makes a difference).
- Mobilise others within your networks.
- Contribute physical building materials, i.e. Cement, Iron bars, Bricks, etc.
All school-going children deserve a safe place to learn, access to clean water, and the hope of a brighter future. Your support is not just transforming Bwera Primary School — it is changing lives. Together, we build for the future. Together, we shape tomorrow.
Bernard Buteera is the Principal Public Relations Officer for the Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program at Makerere University.
The Makerere University Vice Chancellor, Prof. Barnabas Nawangwe has today, Friday, 26th June 2026 handed over the CCE (Complex) Hall of Residence Site to National Enterprise Corporation (NEC) Managing Director and CEO, Lieutenant General James Mugira for renovation and overhaul works. The UGX 12billion Government of Uganda-funded works, expected to be completed within a year, are the fourth project to be undertaken by NEC. They were preceded by; construction of the University Perimeter Wall, Renovation of Lumumba Hall, and Renovation of Mary Stuart Hall.
NEC’s Record Lauded
Prof. Nawangwe in his remarks at the handover ceremony lauded these projects. “The quality of work done by NEC makes us proud because we can finally say that we have Ugandans who can do the things, which we previously depended on foreigners to do.” He therefore thanked the Government of Uganda for fully funding the projects and the First Lady and Minister of Education and Sports, Hon. Janet Museveni, whose visit set the renovation projects in motion.
The Vice Chancellor added that as the Alma mater for most members of both the Contractor and Project Management Teams, this was a moment of great pride as their expertise and skills have saved the country billions of taxpayers’ money. “Thank you for being patriotic”, he commended.
Prof. Nawangwe concluded by noting that CCE Hall, by virtue of its location, provides a first impression of Makerere University as a whole. He therefore urged the contractor to ensure that upon renovation, CCE Hall would create a memorable and lasting first impression, exceeding even that of the renovated Mary Stuart Hall.
A Project Fueled by Nostalgia
Speaking of impressions, Lt. Gen. Mugira, with nostalgia recalled that close to 42 years ago, he not only attended his first lectures in Hall 1 of the CCE Complex but also, on a more personal note added, “my wife was a resident, and so I have every motivation to put in a lot of effort and make sure that I deliver more than was done with Mary Stuart and Lumumba.”
He therefore extended heartfelt appreciation to his Alma mater Makerere University for the trust and confidence bestowed in NEC, which underscored their ability to deliver. “Trust is earned through performance, through integrity and consistency, and your decision to engage us motivates us to work even harder to exceed your expectations.”
In his remarks, the Deputy Vice Chancellor (Finance and Administration) Prof. Henry Alinaitwe reechoed the need to ensure that the project is executed with adherence to the cost, quality, specifications and safety related issues as earlier shared by the Acting (Ag.) Chief Engineer of Estates and Works, Eng. Ezra Sekadde.
“NEC has already demonstrated this (with previous projects), and that is why we have all the confidence that you can deliver this project within 12 months” remarked Prof. Alinaitwe. He equally lauded the Project Management Team (PMT) led by Arch. Dr. Kenneth Ssemwogerere whose supervision ensures timely project completion.
Relatedly, Arch. Dr. Semwogerere was on 25th June 2026, the eve of the handover, promoted to the rank of Associate Professor, a milestone Prof. Alinaitwe attributed to his track record as Head of PMT. He therefore, on a light note, urged him to keep up the good work as this could equally contribute to his promotion to the rank of full Professor.
Also present at the handover ceremony was the Principal, College of Education and External Studies (CEES) Prof. Anthony Mugagga, whose unit will be greatly affected by the renovations. He nevertheless welcomed and reiterated his full support for the project, noting that just as renovation of Lumumba and Mary Stuart Halls had resulted in many alumni revisiting, the CCE Complex would upon renovation attract former residents and teaching professionals to give back or forge new partnerships.
Student Welfare at the Forefront
On her part, the Dean of Students Dr. Winifred Kabumbuli lauded the renovations of Halls of Residence as a clear demonstration of Government’s dedication to the improvement of student welfare, and creating an environment conducive for nurturing responsible citizens who can contribute to national development. She pledged her Office’s and the Student Leadership’s readiness to ensure that the renovated facilities used responsibly for the benefit of future generations.
As a resident of the recently renovated Mary Stuart Hall, 92nd Guild President H.E. Kadondi Gracious could not help but appreciate how impactful the renovation of CCE Hall would be to student welfare. “The female students will be very excited (to occupy CCE Hall) but the male students will be left complaining – so we shall be expecting more renovations, not just for the female but also the male students,” she amiably concluded.
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