“From humble beginnings to a life of impact…”. This is how Ms. Mary Namukisa, one of the 32nd cohort of MUST graduands, describes her inspiring journey.
I come from a family and community where no one I knew had ever gone beyond primary education. After completing Primary Seven in 1999, I dropped out of school and enrolled in a tailoring course, but I could not even afford to buy a sewing machine. Determined to change my situation, I worked as a village vendor, gardener, cook, and cleaner, saving every coin I could but nothing seemed to work.
Despite my challenges, my dream for formal education never faded. I prayed for an opportunity every day, wishing for a miracle. That miracle came when I got a job as a cook at Mityana Secondary School in 2005. I earned thirty five thousand shillings per month (35,000 UGX), which I hoped to save and eventually buy a sewing machine.
After one and a half years of working, a teacher named Ms. Betty Namale noticed my energy and interaction with students during a sports gala and asked why I was not in school. I explained my story, and she shared it with the head teacher, Mr. Godfrey Musuuza, who then offered me a chance to return to school six and a half years after completing Primary Seven. I used my savings for a sewing machine to buy a school uniform and scholastic materials. Studying while working during holidays was difficult, but it was a blessing and the beginning of a new chapter.
During my Senior Four vacation, I met Ms Hawah Namusoke, who employed me as a maid and later helped me secure a half bursary for my Advanced Level education at Mityana Secondary School. Her kindness and faith in me gave me another chance to pursue my dream.
Through continued hard work and perseverance, I was admitted to Mbarara University of Science and Technology (MUST) for a Bachelor of Nursing Science on Government Sponsorship in 2012. This program equipped me with clinical, research, and community health skills that opened doors to opportunities with leading research institutions. Among these are; the Uganda Virus Research Institute/International AIDS Vaccine Initiative HIV Vaccine Program (UVRI/IAVI), the Medical Research Council/Uganda Virus Research Institute and London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine Uganda Research Unit (MRC/UVRI & LSHTM), Uganda Research Unit, and now, my current position as Research and Infrastructure Manager at the Global Health Collaborative (GHC) a partnership between MUST and Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) in USA.
In 2023, I took another leap of faith and enrolled for a Master of Public Health Research Ethics at MUST. Balancing this demanding program with my responsibilities as a single mother, business owner, and full-time professional was not easy. Yet, I was surrounded by incredible support; my lecturers who encouraged me especially my research supervisor Prof Gertrude N. Kiwanuka, colleagues who understood when I had to miss classes and shared materials with me, supervisors who ensured I was covered at work, and God who kept me strong when I felt I could not stand.
Graduating with this incredible master’s degree on record time is a testimony that no dream is too big and no beginning too small. My journey proves that with faith, determination, and support, anyone can rise beyond their circumstances and achieve greatness.
Succeed we Must
