A journey from Rural Uganda to Oxford

Dear friends and family,

My name is Catherine Namwezi, a 2017 graduate from Hope College in Holland, Michigan. I am reaching out to you today because I need your help to realize my vision of going back home to Uganda and investing in my own community.

Growing up in a small village in rural Uganda, I was confronted with the daily concrete realities of poverty: no electricity, no paved roads, and no running water. After losing both my parents by the age of 15, I became the head of my household, taking over my parents’ responsibilities, looking after my then 5-year old twin siblings, grandmother, and myself. As a 15 year old orphan who was also head of my family with no substantial source of income, I had to make conscious choices to keep my family together while staying in and excelling at school myself. At the beginning of 10th grade, I received a full scholarship to join the International School of Uganda (ISU) in Kampala. Four years ago, I was awarded the Geneva Scholarship to attend Hope College in Holland, Michigan where I pursued a BA degree in Political Science and International Studies with a minor in Business Management. All the while, I have been responsible for ensuring that my brother and sister are also educated and well cared for. Presently, I have been accepted to the University of Oxford in England where I will pursue a Master's Degree in Development Studies.