I want to pursue law to fight for the landless - Atuheire

UACE | UNEB | ATUHEIRE

RUBANDA - Daphine Atuheire scored 18 points in the recently released Uganda National Certificate of Education (UACE) exams. 

The 21-years-old is a former student of Immaculate Heart Girls School Nyakibale in Rukungiri district. She hails from Nyamiyaga village in Rubanda district.

Growing up, Atuheire dreamt of being an engineer. But she now wants to pursue law at university and rescue her family land that was grabbed.  

Her story

I come from a humble family. My parents; Anaseti Kanyarwanda and Austoria Kyomuhendo are peasants. 

I started my education at a village school called Bright Future nursery and primary school. I wanted to be an engineer but I almost dropped out in primary one due to financial hardships.

Thankfully, Aunt Ferediana Rweyora took over my school fees. She enrolled me at St. Maria Goretti Nursery and Preparatory School Rushoroza. I scored 10 aggregates in the Primary Leaving Exams (PLE).

Again, my hope of becoming someone great in future faded because, around this time, my family migrated to Kyenjojo. We were running away from land conflicts fueled by our relatives.

I couldn’t continue with school because my parents couldn’t afford to educate all their six children. Fast forward, they told me to look for a boarding school that charges less than sh200, 000. I imagined the kind of school that would be and how I could achieve my dream from there! 

Fortunately, my aunt and her husband Wilbroad Katureebe offered to support me. I couldn’t stop thanking God. l joined St. Cecilia Girls vocational school in Bushenyi for my O level and scored 31 aggregates. 

I later moved to Immaculate Heart Girls School Nyakibale but was offered the combination of art because I did not perform well in sciences especially physics. I was broken seeing my dream slip through my fingers.

Every time someone asked for my future career, I would remain quiet and agitated. However, back home, there was need to pay fees for my other siblings.  

My parents sold part of our land cheaply because they had no choice. Sadly, the remaining part was grabbed. Dad tried to rescue it in vain. He did not have money and so, we lost our land was just like that. 

This hurt me so bad. I realized my family needed a lawyer. 

I immediately forgot about engineering and embraced law. I got serious with the combination (HEG/IT) I was given and by God’s grace I have excelled with 18 points.

Why we helped Atuheire

Anne Rweyora Katureebe says she was touched by Atuheire’s plight. Her older siblings had all dropped out of school in lower secondary due to financial challenges.

“Being a girl, I was worried for her future. With my husband we took her on,” she explains.

“She is a prayerful, hardworking and disciplined child who aspires to join Makerere University and become a lawyer,” she adds.