Equality for all as poor students reap NBL scholarships rewards
Subile shares a moment with a relative soon after receiving his UCE results. PHOTO BY PAUL TAJUBA
What you need to know:
Right to study. ‘Equality Scholarship,’ an initiative by beer company Nile Breweries Limited, to offer scholarships to poor but talented primary leavers from deep rural schools to study in elite secondary schools where they would not afford the high fees.
The best student in the 2014 O-Level results for Serere District scored Aggregate 17. Similarly, Teso College Aloet’s best student scored 12. No student in the entire cluster of schools in eastern and northern Uganda, stretching from Iganga to Lira, scored 8 in 8.
Teso College was John Ochom’s first choice school. However, he could not afford school fees, and was on the verge of dropping out of school even after topping Serere District in the 2010 Primary Leaving Examinations after he scored Aggregate 4, at Akus Primary School.
Four years later, Ochom was one of two students at St. Mary’s College Kisubi who scored aggregate 8 in 8 in the recently released Uganda Certificate of Education results.
Then there is Emmanuel Okello, whose father became sickly in 2009 making him less productive to fees for Okello and six siblings.
For two years, the older Okello battled sickness and later died in 2011, weeks after the younger Okello had joined Senior One, leaving behind a financially struggling family headed by their mother who depends on subsistence agriculture.
“When I look at children from rich families wasting their opportunities to study and compare myself to them, I cry as some of us are being helped by Samaritans,” Okello says from his home at Acowa village.
The Good Samaritan Okello refers to, is Nile Breweries Limited.
Ochom and Okello, just like eight students are pioneer beneficiaries of the ‘Equality Scholarship,’ an initiative by beer company Nile Breweries Limited to offer scholarships to poor but talented primary leavers from deep rural schools to study in elite secondary schools where they would not afford the high fees.
Exceptional performance
The 10 pioneer beneficiaries of the scheme, which started in 2011, passed in Division One in the recently released O-Level results.
Okello scored Aggregate 13 at St. Mary’s Boarding Secondary School – Kitende while Jimmy Muhangi and Ivan Subile scored Aggregate 9 at St. Mary’s College Kisubi and Seeta High School, respectively.
Others are Claude Odubi, Daniel Kibet, Moses Godfrey Mucunguzi, Peter Emuru, Viviane Cheronoh, James Odiama, and Celestine Alianat, from Apac, Amuria, Bukwo, Kabermaido, Kapchorwa and Serere ,respectively.
These students, according to Nile Breweries Corporate Affairs Director, Mr Onapito Ekomoloit, have potential but they are disadvantaged due to poverty and the quality of schools.
“In colonial and post-colonial time, many rural talented students were given opportunities to go abroad and study. This is what we are doing,” he told Jobs and Career adding, “We are extremely happy for them because when they succeed, they are not going to transform themselves but their families, regions and the country.”
According to Mr Ekomoloit, the average entry costs to the selected schools, fees and other requirements, is Shs2 million, which would have been a dream for their families.
“We wanted to bridge the gap between brains and money,” Mr Ekomoloit said.
They were enrolled at Namilyango College, St. Mary’s Secondary School Kitende, King’s College Budo, Ntare School, Nabisunsa Girls School, Uganda Martyr’s Secondary School Namugongo, Seeta High School, St. Mary’s College Kisubi and Gayaza High School.
With the admission of 10 more students into the scholarship this year, the total number of beneficiaries will reach 51, drawn from poor households from the districts of Budaka, Bukedea, Buikwe, Bundibugyo, Dokolo, Hoima, Isingiro, Kabarole, Kamuli, Kanungu, Katakwi, Kiryandongo, Kisoro, Kitgum, Kween, Lira, Mubende, Nebbi, Ngora, Ntungamo, Oyam, Soroti and Zombo.
“And we encourage the students to criss-cross the country, like it was in the past. For example we have students from Kabermaido, Lira, Bukwo and Kamuli all the way at Ntare School in the west,” says Mr Ekomoloit.
“This is why we call it the Equality scholarship.”
Criteria
The scholars were independently selected using the Uneb computerized system, on the strength of being the best in their districts (excluding schools in large towns). Nile Breweries is meeting the full costs of their entire secondary education.
