Boy excels in UCE despite mental health challenges

Eldrine Nahabwe, who was diagnosed with schizophrenia, is St Peter’s Kibuzi Kayunga’s best performer in the recently released UCE results. 
The 17-year-old scored Aggregate 12 despite missing the entire first term of Senior Four.
“I was studying well from Senior One until Senior Three when the Covid-19 pandemic [broke out]. When I joined Senior Four, in the second week of first term, I started hearing weird voices and this affected my concentration in class,” he said.
Her mother sought medical attention from various hospitals but there was no diagnosis for Nahabwe. 

At school, he was advised to stay home until he got better. “My son was told to stay home for about two years because we had failed to find what exactly was wrong with him,” his mother said.
Nahabwe stayed home for the entire first term because he could not concentrate at school. While at home, he resorted to prayers and revision. A friend recommended that they see a psychiatrist, who diagnosed him with schizophrenia, a serious mental health condition characterised by delusions, seeing or hearing things that do not exist, trouble thinking, lack of motivation and withdrawal.

The struggles
Nahabwe started receiving treatment during the second term. He, however, resorted to being a day scholar due to his strong medication. At this point, most schools had completed the registration exercise for UCE candidates.
“We took him to a school that was near home and fortunately the teachers understood his condition but they had completed registration. I then took him to St Peter’s Kibuzi, Kayunga, where he managed to be registered,” she said.

The medication was so strong that it would make him drowsy most of the time, which prompted him to take sleep breaks between class sessions.
 For two months, he studied at Old Kampala and, thereafter, he went to St Peter’s Kibuzi Kayunga to sit for his mock exams.
“I scored Aggregate 56 in the mock exams but I did not get discouraged. I hoped to perform better. I am very happy about my results and want to be a surgeon,” Nahabwe said.