Duchess' Story

Duchess, her five siblings, and a single mother operate a small farm on the outskirts of Kampala, where they grow and sell vegetables. The family has always struggled to thrive, but they have never struggled to do their best for one another. When Duchess completed elementary school, her mother had no other option: Duchess needed to quit school and return home to work. However, by the grace of God, Duchess' mother was connected to Hope Alive!, and sponsorship provided Duchess with the opportunity to continue her education.

Through the years at Hope Alive!, Duchess experienced Jesus' love, made friends, and received a high school education, but due to a number of circumstances, her academic journey was set to conclude at the end of high school. Her career prospects were very limited. 

What would she do for a living?

How would she survive? 

She knew that God had carried her thus far and would not abandon her, but it was difficult to see how it was all going to work out. It was a scary time for Duchess, but she never gave up hope that the Lord would provide miraculously. 

A family in the US had heard about the plight of Ugandan women and decided to begin sending $5000 a year to Hope Alive!'s University Scholarship Fund. They requested that the funds be used exclusively to further the education of vulnerable, young women. 

The miracle that Duchess had prayed for finally arrived in 2023; she was enrolled in a Bachelor's of Human Nutrition and Dietetics program at Kyambogo University. The family mentioned above had never heard of Duchess and didn’t know that they would be an answer to her prayers; it was something only God knew and only God could orchestrate.

Duchess is aware of the nutrition difficulties faced by women and children in Uganda and hopes to one day use her training as a dietician and her farming expertise to improve the lives of numerous vulnerable women and children in Uganda. Duchess says, "Working with women and children in the field of nutrition is one of my favorite things to do, and this scholarship is helping me realize that dream.”

The family mentioned above has now sent Duchess and five other young women on to pursue their dreams at a higher academic level than is normally possible with sponsorship. Praise God!