Can UCU be part of a national strategy in transformational leadership?  Sure!  Maybe!  Consider Uganda’s remote Northeastern regions which house the Karamojong, a nomadic and fiercely isolationist tribe.  The region is economically depressed and famine-prone.  Cattle are the measure of a man; education has little value. 

Uganda’s First Lady, Mrs. Janet Museveni, is working to overcome this.  One strategy is to identify then assist qualified students to get a University education. 

Recently, two young ladies approached Doug as he walked back from class.  It was 7pm on a pitch black evening.  Doug had just lectured on maternal health to 175 students in a large hall without a microphone – deaf from his own voice, it was hard to hear their soft spoken voices.

 “We are from Karamoja. The President’s office sponsors our tuition.  They also gave us $75 (equiv.) per semester to help with food and living expenses. Those at home will not help with our upkeep. We ran out of money and have not eaten in 3 days. This is starting to affect our studies.”

Doug helped them eat that night and referred them to JoEllyn’s office – but to do what? Find cash?  Pray?  Negotiate with the President’s office?  Answer: all three.  This is what JoEllyn does every day, why 900 students takes so much effort.   We’ll see what comes, stay tuned.