Chapter IV: Finished school, what now!.

Chapter 4: 

Finished school - what now!? 

After my senior six studies in 2022, I had to return back to my village and continuously assisted my mother in farm activities. It is a necessity to farm so that we can get something to eat and survive. 

Our high school results were released in early 2023, but unfortunately I couldn't access my result slip, since I had left school fee debts. Raising that money was a serious struggle for me. I was told by the school administration to first clear all the tuition balance that had remained uncleared in order for me to access my results.

It was another very hard moment for me I had to struggle tirelessly but still I couldn't get the required money. I looked for different kinds of job opportunities, I only got access to very tiresome and life risking Jobs which were even low paying. So I couldn't raise the money required throughout the year of 2023. I did different labor jobs such as ice loading, sand drying, garbage collection, I also worked as a helper on construction sites several times and very many other different kinds of jobs but I still couldn't raise the required money... the debts were still too much and I started losing hope. 

A photo of me doing ice loading, looking for money to get my result but still I failed to raise the money on my own.

Towards the end of 2023 that's when, I asked David for help. The amount of money that I was being demanded at school were 380,000 Ugandan shillings.. way too much for me and my family. But I needed to so get my documents which were being confiscated, to get any chance to continue education and reach my dream!

Indeed David even if we have met only a few times before put my request into consideration and looked for different people who helped me raise all the money. And when David returned to Uganda in February 2024 he came to our home and brought the money with him. He collected it from a few friends and family members and himself and I was so happy that there are people out there in Germany who do not know me, but were still willing to help after hearing my story!  

Immediately on the next day I went to my school and picked my results slips after clearing all the charges. It was a very great moment for me, I was so grateful and my hopes rose higher that one day I could even join university!! ...since I had the documents now with me.

A picture, of me ,my mother and David when he visited our home again in early February of 2024 and brought all the money that was required to clear fees that was being demanded from me at school.

A photo  of the clearance note that I received after paying  all the tuition that had remained .

A photo of my result slip after getting it from school.

After receiving my documents, me and my friend David we started looking for scholarships for further studies, he helped me make applications to different organizations that we thought may help me raise the funds required for my university studies. I really had much passion for doing a medical course due to my dream of improving the health status of my community. We made several applications to a number of organizations but most of them were not successful.

In around mid June of 2024, we made an application to the Higher Education Students Financing board, it's a government organization that provides study loans to students from disadvantaged families in Uganda to attain higher  education. The loans are repayable after studies. For this time I was successful and granted an opportunity to join Kampala International University to do a diploma in pharmacy. It was again one of my happiest moments to finally achieve this after several trials.

A photo of me on reporting to university after getting the scholarship.

But even though I was granted a scholarship to study, it could only cater for tuition and functional fees, leaving the hostel fee and feeding at my expense. I still could not manage it on my own as living on campus would be way too expensive for me! 

So I had to request David once again. And indeed he was able to request for donations on my behalf and we received a number of funding from different people. I was so grateful and happy once again as I was finally able to join university on a medical course which was my dream since childhood. I always tell David to send my best regards to all the donors and tell them how happy I am about getting an opportunity to a better life because of their donations. 

A photo of the compound of Kampala International University teaching hospital.

I now could start working towards a better future for me and my family and started my first semester at the University.