JoEllyn coordinates over 50 sponsors and recognized donors to support over 500 students at UCU. 

 Can you imagine having one person coordinate the finances for 10% of the University's students?  That's JoEllyn's job.  It comes with the gamut of heartache and joy, mind numbing administrative tasks and challenging innovation in technology and procedures. 

The heart breaking circumstances of so many students can overwhelm anybody at times.  Fortunately, there are many generous donors who make a difference with as much as full tuition and fees, and with as little as $50 to help some students with some expenses. 

There are also some magnificent programs in place that are making a difference.  Compassion International, for example, supports over 80 students annually at UCU through their Leadership Development Program.  This program selects superior students and provides leadership on top of the University's programs.  JoEllyn has the privilege to serve on the board of the LDP program for Uganda.

JoEllyn's job is in part ministry and in part administration.  She counsels students who come from desperate circumstances and cannot manage the high cost of education.  She prays regularly with students who have no hope.  She also enforces the rules when students need it, and is a regular conduit of information between students and the administration.

Can you help support scholarships?  Contact Uganda Partners, UCU's support organization in the US, to make a tax-deductible gift.

Three Stories - Real Students

Regina has always wanted to study.  She is a young woman from Karamoja.  This region of Uganda is known for its poverty and the people of the region are known for being cattle herders and cattle rustlers.  The Karamajong tribe is insular and heavily armed with guns.

Regina has struggled all of her life to be valued.  From birth, her father told her mother that he would not pay to educate her.  Instead, he would raise her up and marry her off at an early age so that he could get 10 cows as bride price for her and she could live and work in the villages. 

In 1990, she ran away from home and found a school that would help her to become educated.  She performed well enough in primary school to qualify for secondary school.  Again, her father was unwilling to pay for her education.  At that time, she was approached by a man who promised her that if she would “have him” (marry or live with him), he would pay for her to go to school after he finished his own schooling.  She agreed so that she could study.  After finishing his schooling, he refused to pay any fees for her.  She found a local secondary school that would help her and she sat for her “O” and “A” levels.  Her husband told her that he did not want a woman who sought education.

Somehow, Regina managed to get the money for one semester at UCU.  She began her studies pursuing a Diploma Social Work in January 2006 but she doesn’t know where the money for the remainder of the semesters will come from.  She is pursuing Social Work because she sees that is the type of preparation that would enable her to serve her community as Christ would. 

Regina’s husband has continued to refuse to have a woman who wants to be educated.  While she has been studying, her husband has taken up with two other women.  Regina’s two children live with her mother in the village.  Regina fears that if she must return to her husband, it could mean her death from AIDS or something else.

Regina has a goal of getting a degree.  This would mean she would need a sponsor for a total of 4 years to go from Diploma to BA in Social Work.  Can you help?

Robert is studying Law at UCU.  Born to peasant farmers in Northern Uganda, Gulu District, Robert's father (deceased) had 4 wives and 28 biological children.  He is now one of 9 children living with his mother (both biological and adopted children) in an Internally Displaced Persons Camp (IDP) for those left homeless by the 19 year war in Northern Uganda.

Neither parent ever went to school.  In fact, Robert is the highest educated in his entire clan.  There is only one other person who has achieved Senior 4 but went no higher.  Robert is a high-achiever; he received a Grade Point Average of 4.22 (out of five) during his first semester at UCU.  This is an exceptional GPA for a law student, especially one who comes from an IDP and it has earned him a partial scholarship for his final three years at UCU.

Robert is a very humble and determined young man.  He attributes his academic success to God alone and he feels that God has called him to study law.  He is passionate to study law because he wants to stand for the rights of those who can not speak for themselves.  He is especially passionate about the women and children who have suffered as a result of the war and in the IDPs. 

His passion and determination to study touched the heart of one woman in the US who had visited him in the IDP and has been sacrificially supporting him to the best of her ability and enabled him to begin his studies here. Now that Robert has earned a partial scholarship, he prays that the two together will enable him to complete his four years at UCU and a final year at the Law Development Centre.   

Gertrude is studying Development Studies at UCU.  She is the 4th born of nine children, seven of whom have survived.  She has three younger siblings who are still in school and her parents are peasant farmers.

Gertrude came to UCU straight from secondary school.  She had a benefactor who had helped pay for her fees all the way through secondary school and had promised to pay for her University.  However, just before she was to report to UCU, her benefactor informed her that he would only pay for her fees if she agreed to become his second wife.  She refused.  Because of her commitment to Jesus Christ as Lord, she knew it would be wrong and would not compromise for her education.  This is laudable because many Ugandan women make that compromise because they see no other way of getting higher education.  Moreover, many of those same women end up contracting AIDS in the process and their education is wasted.  When Gertrude shared her story with the University Chaplain, the University administration decided to act on faith that there would be someone who would be willing to help this young woman study.

Gertrude feels called to work with women and children especially.  She is studying Development Studies because she wants to work to lift the poor and disadvantaged out of poverty.  She is passionate in this call.  Gertrude suffers with ulcers and some heart issues but has a irrepressible spirit and determination and praises God in all things.