U-TOUCH Uganda Education Project

We are very proud of Stephen’s progress from the time we met him in 2007 until now 10 years later. U-TOUCH began sponsoring Stephen’s education and delighted to meet him in Gulu at his high school. He was then a tall, thin shy boy who barely pulled his chin from his chest to look at anyone. Unremarkable for the war-torn region though most unfortunate for the students, the school had no running water, electricity, textbooks, computers, a library or any books. It was void of writing tools other than some chalk for the teacher to write lessons on the pitted blackboard. Students walked barefoot though all wore uniforms. The teachers and headmasters cried for help. It was the moment the seeds were planted for the expansion of U-TOUCH, to dig in deeper and help thousands in need.  

Stephen performed very well in high school and then at Gulu University. It was a terrific challenge for a reserved student in an environment that was war-torn with a bleak future at the time. However, Stephen was determined to succeed. His drive and motivation helped him rise up to become a successful professional earning a healthy income for his family. Being the eldest child in the family it was of paramount importance that he earn an income to put his siblings through school. Stephen was the first in his family to graduate high school and then from a university achieving a Bachelor’s Degree. Shortly after graduating he was offered a position with an excellent salary as a grant writer. However, Stephen did not want to end his education there. After working a two years he yearned to continue and to achieve a graduate degree in Human Resource Management, which will again improve his profile significantly.

Meeting his family in a far off village was an honor for the U-TOUCH team. The humble family survives, as do most, off the land. They welcomed us warmly, gave us a tour of their land including huts, and fed the group a delicious Ugandan meal of beans, posho and bo before the long ride back to Gulu. There was certainly a peaceful existence however, education was a bare minimum in the far off village.

My success story and appreciation to U-TOUCH!

My name is Stephen. I live in Gulu town, Northern Uganda. I am so grateful to U-TOUCH for contributing immensely towards achieving my career goal. I must admit that it would have not been possible for me to complete my studies up to the University without the great support from U-TOUCH who raised the funds to sponsor my education. At 14 years of age, I was in my first year of high school at Alliance High School Gulu. However, that was not my first choice of school after completing my primary education as I dreamt of studying in one of the best schools in my country. Because of my excellent performance in the primary exit exams where I emerged the best pupil from my school with a first grade, I was admitted to study at St. Josephs’ College Layibi, one of the most prestigious government owned high schools in Uganda with excellent academic track record. However, my dream of studying in this school did not come to pass as my family could not afford the high tuition and costs of requirements at this school. I ended up joining Alliance High School, a privately owned school in my town, Gulu. Joining this school did not guarantee smooth learning for me either. I was from time to time disturbed by the school for failure to meet the fees requirements. Sometimes I could be sent out of school by the authorities because of this and often missed many classes as would stay out of school for some time. Despite all the hard times I was going through, I still remained focus and determined to succeed academically and in life. However, all this changed when I was admitted by U-TOUCH into the school sponsorship programme. With all the tuition fees and scholastic materials catered by U-TOUCH I remained focused in school. Through the programme, I managed to successfully complete my six years of high school and passed with high grades. As a result, I was admitted to Gulu University to pursue an undergraduate degree programme leading to the award of a Bachelor Degree in Public Administration. This was a three-year programme, which I successfully completed, scoring a second-class upper division and I was awarded a Degree in Public Administration. Through my studies, I volunteered a lot with U-TOUCH at the Digital Library Centre in Gulu where I supported the ICT facilitators to conduct training in computer skills for youths at the center. This gave me the opportunity to interact a lot with my fellow youths where I gained strong computer and transcription skills as well as confidence as a public speaker. Through U-TOUCH I also volunteered as a team leader for the Peaceconferencing program, an online problem solving technique that applies gaming simulation to solve world and community issues. I coordinated this programme with the United States Institute of Peace (USIP) in the US, which gave me the opportunity to lead the Uganda team in communication with high school students in the US. My volunteering work at the U-TOUCH Technology Innovation Hub, Gulu enabled me to acquire a lot of skills including typing and keyboarding, report and resume’ writing, interpersonal and communication skills among others. All of these experiences and skills enabled me to be accepted for a job with a rights and governance based civil society organization where I was offered a position as a Field Officer for the organization. As a result of this job, I have been able to support my family and afford my basic needs. Currently, I’m pursuing a one-year Postgraduate Diploma course in Human Resource Management. However, I am unable to adequately meet the tuition requirements for the course. This graduate programme will enable me to enrich my career in management and administration. Once again, I appreciate U-TOUCH for contributing towards my academic success. Thank you from the bottom of my heart! Apwoyo Matek! Thank you!

Stephen

With your kind and generous donations, U-TOUCH supports Stephen and all their sponsored students to achieve their greatest educational dreams. They are highly successful students in school and becoming successful wage earning adults advancing their livelihoods and improving the economic standards of their families and communities. With your kind and generous support, We are sincerely most grateful for your contribution! Please share your caring with your friends and family as together we are making a difference for all those U-TOUCH!  

With deepest gratitude,

Deb and the U-TOUCH Team