Roderick’s Story: A Future Teacher Shaped by Love and Perseverance

We sat down to talk with Roderick over a video call. The connection wavered a bit at the beginning, but the moment his face appeared, he greeted us with such a warm smile that I felt instantly at ease. I had read through a few details about his story before the call, but I really didn’t know what to expect. What I learned has stayed with me long after we ended the call.

Roderick grew up in Masaka, a small city in South Central Uganda, with his mother and siblings. His father has not been present in their lives for many years, and his mother has been the center of their home, doing everything she can to care for and provide for her children. She now works as the cook at the Hope Alive! Masaka site, and you can hear the pride in Roderick’s voice when he talks about her. Hope Alive! didn’t just help with school fees. It equipped his mom with support, encouragement, and a community. Their home is stronger because of it.

Hope Alive! has shaped not only his education, but his understanding of love, family, and faith. His mom attended parent meetings and trainings at the site, and Roderick shared how those meetings transformed the way she cares for and encourages her children. Their home became a place of warmth, not just survival. During the COVID lockdown, when work was impossible to find and food was scarce, Hope Alive! stepped in with basic necessities, easing the weight his mother had been carrying alone. And through Bible teaching and mentorship, Roderick learned what it means to trust God with his future, even when his family story felt painful or uncertain.

There was a moment in our conversation when Roderick talked about the hurt he felt toward his father. For years, he struggled with the thought that he might not be wanted, or even that he might not know who his father really was. Mentors at Hope Alive! gently walked with him through this, encouraging him not to let that pain define his life or his dreams. They reminded him again and again that God is faithful to rewrite stories. Roderick said those words kept him steady during the hardest parts of school and life. He took them to heart, and he kept studying.

Roderick also shared about his close friend Derrick. The two of them grew up side by side and share a nearly identical story of  hardship. They encouraged each other through school, sometimes studying under a neighbor’s security light when they didn’t have electricity. They would sit outside together, pushing each other to keep going and holding each other accountable for their actions. Roderick told us that finishing Senior 6 was something they accomplished together. It meant something big. It meant they really could become the men, fathers and husbands they had talked and dreamed about during some of those late-night study sessions under a neighbor's security light. 

Now, Roderick is studying to become a secondary school science teacher. He told us that he has always loved helping others learn, and that seeing a classmate finally understand something used to give him this deep sense of joy and purpose. He was inspired by teachers at his school, by his older sister who studied education, and by mentors at the Hope Alive! site who encouraged him to keep going. He was also a student leader at Hope Alive!, someone others naturally turned to. Teaching isn’t just a career plan for him. It is who he already is.

When we asked him what he hopes people supporting his education will know about him, he didn’t pause or search for words. He said, “I want them to know that I am a born-again Christian. And I am determined to study. I will see that I complete my education.” The determination in him is steady, not loud. He simply knows what he is working toward, and he is willing to put in the effort it requires.

"I want them to know that I am a born-again Christian. And I am determined to study. I will see that I complete my education."

His dreams are not only about his own future. He hopes to help his younger siblings access school. He wants to lift up his community. He wants to honor his mother’s sacrifices. He wants his life to ripple outward.

Just before we ended the call, Roderick paused and said there was one more thing he hoped people would know about him. He smiled and said, “I am a friendly person. Relationships matter to me.”

And then he proved it. He asked each of us, one by one, how he could be praying for us.

I was honestly taken aback by that moment. Here we were, interviewing him, asking him to open his story and his dreams, and he turned around and cared for us. It was so simple and so sincere. It was kindness that didn’t need to be performed or explained.

I’ll be visiting Uganda soon, and I told him how excited I am to meet him in person. After talking with him, I can already imagine his presence in a classroom one day. I can see the kind of teacher he’ll become. The kind who notices students who are trying their best. The kind who encourages. The kind who believes in futures that don’t look possible yet.

This Giving Tuesday, we are raising support to cover Roderick’s university costs: tuition, room, meals, transportation, and books. He has already done what many would consider the hardest part. He has made it this far through perseverance and grace. Now, he simply needs the financial support to stay and finish.

Supporting Roderick’s education means investing in a young man who is faithful, hardworking, and deeply committed to using his education to serve others. I cannot wait to meet him in person soon. I already know I will be smiling before I even say hello.