Dear well-wisher,
Thank you for your continued support. In this newsletter we bring you an update on our activities during the past year.
Our primary mission is to provide scholarships to needy students at our beloved school, OKSSS. In some cases, where the student lives very far from the school, we also provide nominal transport costs.
We are pleased to report that, due to your generosity, we were able to provide 45 scholarships to needy students during the past year. This matched the previous year’s number, and was a huge increase from previous years, mainly because, during the COVID years 2020 and 2021, the school was completely shut down, and therefore we had zero scholarship-related expenses.
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Success Stories
The students we sponsor continue to make us proud. And we are sure they will make our sponsors and donors proud, too. We keep getting stories of students achieving lofty goals, and fulfilling their lifelong dreams, something they likely would never have been able to accomplish without our collective help.
The following are some noteworthy examples.
We have observed that many of our scholars, once they graduate, are eager to help others in their community. They do this by volunteering and supporting needy people and organizations, expressing their gratitude, and realizing that they, too, were once helped. An apt demonstration of the desire to ‘pay it forward’, as they say…
Jeremiah Lwasa. OKAS Fund scholar, 2016 and 2017.
He stood first in OKSSS in the ‘O’ Level exams, with 14 points from 8 subjects – all distinctions!
In 2018, he secured a seat in M.B.B.S. in the School of Medicine at the Kabale University.
He graduated with honors, and now plans to pursue residency in neurosurgery.
Ogiire Kenneth. OKAS Fund scholar, 2015 and 2018.
He is currently at Makerere University pursuing a bachelor’s degree in software engineering. He will graduate on 10th January 2024.
Mirembe Faith. OKAS Fund scholar, 2017 and 2018.
She is pursuing a Diploma in Pharmacy at Fort portal college of health sciences. Will graduate in 2025.
Kyabaggu Christopher. OKAS Fund scholar, 2017 and 2018.
He is pursuing a bachelor’s degree in medicine and surgery at Makerere University.
He will graduate in 2025.
Arinaitwe Brian. OKAS Fund scholar, 2017 and 2018.
He is pursuing a bachelor’s degree in medicine and surgery and will graduate in 2025.
Sempiira Isaac. OKAS Fund scholar, 2016 and 2017.
We have mentioned his achievements in previous newsletters. He graduated with a bachelor’s degree in software engineering and is currently working at Centenary bank.
Luwagga Mark. OKAS Fund scholar, 2015 and 2017.
He is currently pursuing a Bachelor’s degree in telecom engineering at Kyambogo unversity. He will graduate in Dec 2023.
Lubega Steven. OKAS Fund scholar, 2018.
He is currently pursuing a bachelor’s degree in medicine at Kampala International University. He will graduate in 2027.
Nantongo Lillian. OKAS Fund scholar, 2014-2016.
She studied accounting and finance at Kyambogo University and is currently working as a shop attendant in Kampala, dealing with medical and laboratory supplies.
Our Team on the Ground at OKSSS
You might wonder, how do we select suitable candidates for scholarships? How do we determine if someone is deserving? Well, to do that, it is always a good idea to involve the help and assistance of people who know the students well, right at the school.
For this we have a capable team of four main individuals who do the bulk of the work in screening potential scholarship candidates.
The competition is stiff. The students must go through a rigorous selection process that includes filing a detailed application form, provide proof of good (academic) grades, and, most importantly, prove that they are need of financial support. The students and their parents (or guardians) are invited to a meeting where their case is presented. The selection team looks at their history of past fee payments and their past academic report cards.
The students then go on a short list of deserving candidates, and the best among them get a scholarship for the year (they need to requalify every year).
And here is our team on the ground:
Harriet Apolot
deputy HM in charge of academics.
Namirembe Irene Nanyonga
Assistant Bursar.
Mulyowa Catherine Bisereko
Our coordinator between OKAS Fund and OKSSS.
Dennis Mangeni
Transport coordinator.
Appeal to Our Donors
We desperately need more funds to ensure that many of our capable students at OKSSS continue with their studies beyond 2023
FUNDS AVAILABILITY
For 2023, our annual outlay on grants to 45 students was £20,329.
At current level of sponsorships, we only have sufficient funds to sponsor for the next 18 months.
Please note, OKAS Fund has zero administration costs so every penny you donate goes directly to help these students.
We humbly appeal to you for your much-needed financial support.
If you wish to donate to OKAS Fund, please click red buttong below:
Canadian donors, please visit: https://health-education.ca/ to get an official charitable donation receipt. After clicking on the ‘donate’ button, in the 'project' drop-down menu select ‘Old Kampala’ from the drop-down menu., select 'OKAS Fund'.
“Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world” – Nelson Mandela
Compiled by Dinesh Dattani, Trustee, OKAS Fund