Woman cleans her way to graduation

Dec 05, 2018

The mother of two aged 9 and 11years respectively says, she could not continue her studies owing to lack of tuition after she completed her senior six. She is 32 years old.

Evaline Namagunga

GRADUATION

Evaline Namagunga was no ordinary graduate during the graduation ceremony at International University of East Africa (IUEA).

Having worked as a cleaner at the university since 2013, she pursued a course in public administration juggling between her job as a cleaner and studies.

The mother of two, aged 9 and 11years respectively says, she could not continue her studies owing to lack of tuition after she completed her senior six. She is 32 years old.

Namagunga completed her Senior Six in 2005 at St. John's Secondary School Wakitaka in Jinja scoring 11 points in History Economics Geography and Divinity (HEG/D).

Since she was financially unstable to pursue her education, she got married immediately. However, she had faith that she would join higher institution one day.

 Graduands at the ceremony. Photos by Juliet Kasirye


Since she was desperately looking for a job, when IUEA opened in 2013, she applied and was offered a cleaner position.  At the job Namagunga made some friends who told her of the possibilities of getting a scholarship. By then, IUEA was offering scholarships to those unable to join University due to financial complications.

When she inquired with the university officials, she was advised to try her luck. "I applied alongside very many others and I was fortunate to be among the 11 who were granted a scholarship at IUEA in 2015 to offer a Bachelor in Public Administration," she said.

"I would love to encourage all of you there who are passing through devastating time to be patient and hopeful because anything can happen," she exclaimed.

This was during the graduation of over 400 Students at IUEA in Kansanga who graduated in various disciplines such as Technological, Engineering, business and management.

 

Over 62% of the graduands were male.

Some of the guests present included Prof. Emmanuel Tumusiime Mutebile, who doubles as the Governor of bank of Uganda and Chancellor of the university, Dr. Nishikant Sonwalkar from Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in USA and George Mutekanga, the commissioner of private and public institutions in the ministry of education and sports.

IUEA vice-chancellor DR. Emeka Akaezuwa, showered the graduating students with praises emphasizing how they had got practical and life skills of survival after campus.

 

Dr. Nishikant Sonwalkar, who was the guest speaker, noted that the Ugandan monograph of 2017 shows that the literacy in Uganda is concentrated in urban centers.


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