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Uganda has been chosen to host the  university postgraduate scholarship for persons from underprivileged communities in the East African Community member states, in the quest to ensure efficient access to higher education for all.

The James Aryam Scholarship was initiated in 2023 by Windle International Uganda and Windle Trust International, some of the government's key education development partners in recognition of James Aryam’s legacy.

Aryam who died in 2021, was the first executive director of Windle International Uganda and worked hard with the government to ensure refugees get education opportunities through putting up schools on top of sourcing for scholarship opportunities.

Under the scholarship currently, there are 12 beneficiaries undertaking different master’s degree programs in Uganda with 10 being at Makerere University and two being at Kyambogo University.

Guests posing for a group picture during the launch of the James Aryam scholarship in Kampala on Tuesday. Photo by Lawrence Mulondo

In the second cohort expected in July this year, the country is expected to receive 10 students with five coming in from Somalia and five from Sudan.

While addressing the official launch of the scholarship program in Kampala on May 7, 2024, Simon Daale, the director of programs at Windle International Uganda said beneficiaries of the scholarship are chosen from communities affected by wars, and natural disasters among other conflicts.

He noted that beneficiaries are encouraged to incorporate the aspect of leadership in whatever field they are studying so as to influence change in their communities after school.

He said with the scholarship being named after Aryam, they are hopeful that the insight he had in terms of leadership will follow up with the program to better leaders who can take their countries to a greater horizon.

Windle International executive director Uganda Andrew Omara explained that the scholarship came up as a way of reflecting on the leadership and legacy of the late Aryam whose passion for education has laid a solid foundation for many underprivileged people to access education.

He noted that despite the number of refugees increasing due to Uganda’s humanitarian open door policy, funding for education support to refugees is declining, calling on more partners to contribute to ensuring that more underprivileged persons attain all levels of education.

“Education perhaps is the only thing that refugees can carry away from their countries of asylum if they choose to go back home one day,” Omara said.

Omara thanked Uganda for allowing refugees into the country with open hands and allowing their incorporation into the education system.

Windle Trust International country director David Masua explained that they have been running different postgraduate scholarships for over 40 years and would send the students to the United Kingdom.

He said they realised this was very expensive as one scholarship would cost 45,000 pounds (over sh200m).

Masua said in 2015, the discussion started to expand the scholarship to take in more beneficiaries with less cost for each person and that’s how the African program of the James Aryam Scholarship came in 2023 with Ugandan universities being chosen to host it.

The acting assistant commissioner for refugees in the Office of the Prime Minister, Douglas Asiimwe, pledged that the government is to continue cooperating and strengthening the response to refugees especially now that the numbers are increasing.

UNHRC data indicates that as of March 31, 2024, the total number of refugees in the country is about 1,611,732, while asylum seekers are 48,792.

He however said there is a need for the provision of more resources towards the cause especially now that the most populations affected by displacements are youth who entirely need education.

“As Nelson Mandela put it, the only weapon we can use to change the world is education, it needs collective collaboration between governments and partners to offer education support to the guests to ensure they become responsible knowledgeable persons that can develop their communities,” he said.

The education attaché at the South Sudan Embassy in Uganda, Lual Akol Nhial, said the hope is that the beneficiaries after graduation carry home a vast amount of knowledge that can transform the country to development.

“As soon as they finish school, we encourage them to join politics and vie for leadership post home. If politics is done by good educated people it can deliver development and if it is left to the uneducated, it can contribute minimally,” he added.

Nhial said his country has no scholarships and therefore thanked Uganda and its partners for educating the people of South Sudan.

The assistant country representative for the United Nations High Commission for Refugees, Michael John Wells, said in his time of service in different countries, he has seen how scholarships and other opportunities have enabled the recipients to cause change in their communities and families.

He said partners are all in uncertain times as globally there are crises around the world in the Middle East, Ukraine and parts of Africa making it overwhelming to respond.

“Uganda is truly a model of generosity for those refugees that arrive in search of hope and a better future. Let this scholarship be a stepping stone for beneficiaries to have a bright future," Wells said.