Building a Different Legacy: Jacqueline's Story of Steady Faith

Growing up in Kitgum, Jacqueline Aciro Bowman never really knew the love of a father. Her dad, already married, had taken her mother as a second wife. Jacqueline was just nine when he passed away. Not long after, she moved to Kampala to live with her aunt so she could continue school, but even that season came with uncertainty. When her family could no longer afford school fees in the city, she returned to her hometown and began a long journey of bouncing between relatives, trying to stay in school and find a place to belong.

It wasn’t easy. Her older brother struggled with alcoholism and even sold the land their mother lived on. Her sisters had eloped by Senior 4. Neighbors didn’t see much promise in their family. But Jacqueline was determined: “I didn’t want that life. I wanted a degree. I wanted something different for myself and my future family.”

That turning point came through a cousin who introduced Jacqueline to Sarah, the site manager at Hope Alive! in Koro. Jacqueline had just completed Senior 6 and wasn’t sure what would come next. But Sarah saw potential in her and eventually encouraged her to apply for a mentorship position at Hope Alive! “Aunt Sarah showed me a different way of living—that I need to be patient so my family can be different,” Jacqueline reflects.

In 2020, Jacqueline graduated with her degree in Business Administration. She now works full-time as the Economic Development Assistant at Hope Alive!, a role that perfectly matches her gift for details and deep heart for others. “I handle all the money!” she says with a smile. From managing ledgers and expenses for the farm to supporting men’s and women’s microloan groups, Jacqueline keeps the financial systems running smoothly—and always with a heart for transformation. “The part I love most,” she says, “is when those who once tried to dodge us begin to understand the purpose of what we are doing. When people really begin to change.”

That theme of transformation runs deep in Jacqueline’s story. Her childhood home didn’t center around faith, but through the influence of her cousin Irene and later a neighbor named Vicky, Jacqueline began going to church. “I really committed my life to Christ when I was staying with my mom, preparing for A-Level exams,” she shares. Faith became an anchor for her—one she now passes on to her own family.

Jacqueline married her husband, whom she first met as a teenager, in 2022. Their first pregnancy ended in heartbreak when their baby was born prematurely and didn’t survive. But in 2024, they welcomed their beautiful baby boy, Rwot-dit Joseph—whose name means “God is big.” The joy of motherhood came with new challenges, especially in those first few months back at work. “It was hard,” Jacqueline admits. “Sometimes I brought him to the office. I made some mistakes in those early months. But then God provided someone to help—Harriet, a girl who not only cares for my son but helps around the house too.”

Jacqueline lights up when she talks about her eight-month-old boy. “My favorite part of the day is playtime with him. Seeing him grow, healthy and active, moving around the house.” As a mom, her greatest prayer is simple but powerful: “That he would know Jesus. I want him to grow up valuing people, valuing effort, and letting Christ lead him.”

With a loving, supportive husband by her side and a faith that has carried her through so much, Jacqueline is building the kind of life she once only dreamed of. Her story is one of quiet resilience and persistent hope—and every day, she shows what it looks like to invest not only in financial development but in lasting change that begins at home.