Nambajimana Junior, an 18-year-old student at Rwaramba Secondary School in Kisoro District, has achieved outstanding results in the Uganda Certificate Examinations (UCE), scoring 1A, 6Bs, and 2Cs.
His accomplishment is particularly remarkable considering he balanced his studies with working as a night watchman and breakfast cook to support his education.
An orphan raised by his single mother, Nyirahabizana Schola, in Murambi village, Rwaramba parish, Nyakinama Subcounty, Junior emerged as the top-performing candidate at his school, out of 50 students, all of whom qualified to receive their certificates.
Junior’s demanding daily routine involved working as a night watchman, providing security for the school premises, before attending classes. Early each morning, he would also prepare porridge for boarding students.
Balancing his work with school assignments was challenging, but Junior understood that education was his path to a brighter future. “I wanted to go to school and make my single mother proud,” Nambajimana explained. “Raising the fees was a huge challenge because of my poor family background. Night watching, providing security, and cooking became my way of contributing, even if it meant sacrificing everything I have.”
Every night, Nambajimana worked as a night watchman, simultaneously revising his books. At 5:00 AM, he would begin preparing porridge for the boarding students, after which he would attend classes and discussions.
Junior expressed gratitude for his performance, acknowledging the support of his single mother and the school headteacher, Dan Mbonigaba. He called on students at Rwaramba to embrace discipline and respect their teachers and parents to achieve academic excellence.
Now, Junior faces the new challenge of funding his further education. He dreams of studying Biology, Chemistry, and Mathematics (BCM) or Physics, Chemistry, and Mathematics (PCM) at the A-level and ultimately pursuing medicine or engineering at the university. However, his family’s financial constraints make this dream seem distant.
“I want to be a doctor or an engineer, but I’m doubtful I can achieve this,” Nambajimana said. “I may not succeed because I don’t have fees for A-level. Even though I want to go, I don’t have the money. If I don’t get a bursary, it will be the end of my education, because there is no A-level program at Rwaramba Secondary School.”
He appealed to well-wishers for assistance, recognizing it as the only way to achieve his dreams, as his mother cannot afford his educational expenses. “I am appealing to all well-wishers and the public to help me achieve my dreams,” Nambajimana noted. “My struggling family background cannot meet the expenses of my education.”
Dan Mbonigaba, the Headteacher of Rwaramba Secondary School, praised Junior’s discipline, hard work, and dedication. He explained that he had given Junior the night watchman job to help him raise school fees. “I realized that Nambajimana was going to miss the UCE exams because of school fees, so I gave him a job as a night watchman at the school,” Mbonigaba said. “Nambajimana is a well-disciplined, cooperative, and dedicated student. That is why he passed so excellently.”