Sarah Kutesa
My name is Kuteesa Sarah, a second of five children to Mr. Naika Paul and Mrs. Kuguminkiriza Matama of Nakabembe village, Bukutula parish, Kagulu Sub County, Budiope East constituency, Buyende district.
Early Schooling
My journey started in 2004 when I joined P.1 at Igalaza Primary School, a government school near our home, where I studied until P.6. I sat my PLE at Bukonte Primary School in Namutumba district, also a government school.
After P.7, my story became emotional and frustrating — the fees to join a secondary school felt out of reach. One day, my father spoke to a friend from church who directed him to a church-based secondary school with fair, flexible fees. In 2011, I joined Kaswabuli Senior Secondary School, where my father paid my fees in maize and beans. My parents encouraged me to work hard, and I did.
A Family That Worked Together
My good performance built a strong relationship between my parents and the Headteacher, so my father was never pressured for fees — the school waited as he brought instalments of maize and beans until the balance was cleared. Watching my father cycle over 100kg of maize from Buyende to Namutumba set a high standard for me; I wanted to make his efforts worthwhile.
During holidays, we grew crops, weeded gardens, and burned charcoal together as a family to raise money for school fees and our survival. While many girls in the village saw this as a burden, my sister and I were determined to work hard and stay in school. I finished S.4 in 2014 with a first grade (23 aggregates).
Almost the End of the Road
The family was happy but also stranded — what next? My father called my former Headteacher, asking him to help me find a government sponsorship so I could earn a certificate, since he could not afford fees for A-Level or a private institution. The Headteacher arranged a meeting with the school director, and my father and I were invited. The meeting secured a bursary for me to join A-Level on full scholarship, with my parents only providing personal scholastic requirements.
My father and I left that meeting in tears of joy. I started S.5 in 2015 and worked hard to maintain the bursary, since it was performance-based, and I am thankful I kept it throughout the two years of A-Level. Still, it felt like the end of my education story, and the whole village was watching and talking. Some mocked my parents for “wasting” their money educating a girl who would only be married off, now with no money left to take her to university. We prayed hard, asking God to open a way through.
A Turning Point
One evening, a former teacher of mine, Mr. Walusimbi Gerald, called to tell me about a scholarship advertisement for girls who had studied sciences at A-Level to join university — he had seen it in a newspaper and noticed Buyende district was included, so he urged me to look into it. I couldn’t wait a minute. It was an advert from the Forum for African Women Educationalists Uganda Chapter (FAWE Uganda) and the Mastercard Foundation’s Higher Education Access Program. I went through the screening process and was granted the opportunity to pursue a Bachelor of Science Education at Busitema University.
“It was my turning point! All hope awakened.”
Life with FAWE Uganda
My journey with FAWE Uganda began at Mbarara University of Science and Technology, where I attended the Extended Orientation Program preparing successful candidates before joining their universities and institutions. It was an amazing experience filled with words of wisdom, encouragement, and mentorship. I thought that was enough — but for FAWE Uganda, it was only the start. Throughout my university education, FAWE Uganda supported me with tuition fees, accommodation, meals, stationery, a laptop, leadership training, and mentorship, among much more.
On Friday, 24th June 2022, I graduated with a Bachelor of Science Education (Agriculture Double Main) from Busitema University — as the best graduand of the Faculty of Science and Education, with a 4.66 CGPA, at the university’s 12th graduation.
Gratitude
I thank my family — my father, mother, sister, and brothers — for your endless support throughout my life. I turned to you whenever it seemed hard to continue, and I will never take your encouragement and prayers for granted. God bless you!
It was an honour to have been chosen as a beneficiary in 2017 of the FAWE Uganda and Mastercard Foundation Higher Education Access Program. I am the first in my family to attend university, all because of this generous support. Growing up in a less privileged community brought financial and academic challenges, but it also helped me appreciate the true value of a university education.
I am truly grateful for this scholarship, which offered extraordinary support — tuition fees, a computer, accommodation, a stipend, health insurance, leadership training, and life mentorship, among many other benefits. It allowed me to focus on my studies and other opportunities. Since becoming a FAWE Uganda and Mastercard Foundation scholar, my dream of becoming a professor has started becoming a reality, and my family is equally grateful for how this scholarship has changed our story.
I am committed to responding to any responsibility FAWE Uganda asks of me, and giving back to the community is part of who I am now.
Thank you again for your genuine support!