By Agatha N Biira
Joining the university in 2018, Enock Wanderema wanted to pursue a Bachelor of Arts in Education. Drawing the love for teaching from his mother, who is a primary teacher, Wanderema wanted to take the same path. “I admired her work ethic and how she associated with people. She is very calm, and I thought that was a quality I got from teaching,” he said.
Aside from that, Wanderema also wanted to do something that would cost his family less money. “Knowing where I come from, I wouldn’t want my parents to spend so much money on me when there are other children,” he said.
When he applied to Uganda Christian University (UCU), he was given Mass Communication. Unfortunately, he was unable to sit for his exams for the first semester because of financial problems. “I had to quit, and it really hurt. That was my breaking point, and I vowed never to come back to campus because it had been a waste of time,” Wanderema said.
His mother talked to him and encouraged him to go back in case he got another chance. Wanderema registered for a dead year and, in 2019, started with Sunking, a solar company where he sold solar panels, with no hope of going back to the university.
In September of that year, his father told him to go back to school, but he refused until his father made a deposit on tuition. “It hurt me at first seeing people I had been with in my second year while I wasn’t, but I had to adapt to the situation,” he said.
Born in the Sironko district, the second of six children, Wanderema, is now the family’s second graduate. He graduated best in his class with a first-class degree on October 28. Asked how he felt, he said, “It felt good because I saw my family smile.” My mother and father smiled. They were very happy and cheerful. “Seeing them happy was everything for me.”
His mother, Catherine Nandudu, said she was surprised by his performance. “This is a person who would stay at the university without knowing whether he was going to get something to eat or not,” she said. “Getting his tuition was not easy.” I used to call every person, but by God’s grace, he managed to graduate. I was really happy.”
Wanderema is grateful to his friends for giving him a social life. Growing up, he was a very reserved person who only got to make friends through participating in debates at school. “I managed to make friends at UCU. Whenever I had issues, I realized people were always there for me, and it made me reflect on my aspirations.”
