By G. Asege
The Islamic University in Uganda (IUIU), is urging all Ugandans to participate in this year’s university’s 3rd edition of the girl child run.
The annual event is designed to support girl child education by ensuring that talented individuals are able to stay in school through financial assistance for those who cannot afford tuition fees.
Prof. Ismail Simbwa Gyagenda, the IUIU Rector, stresses the importance of educating girls as a means of educating the entire nation.
He expressed concerns about losing talented students due to financial constraints during a press conference held at the launch of the girl child run at the IUIU female campus.
The event, organized by the female campus, is set to occur on June 30, 2024, starting at 6:00am at the same campus located in Kabojja.
Those willing to participate can purchase kits at different price points, including Uganda shs20,000 for the Silver package, shs30,000 for the Gold package, and shs50,000 for the Platinum package.
The event is sponsored by Stanbic Bank, Tropical Bank, Sumz, and UBA Bank among others.
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Gyagenda expressed gratitude to everyone who has participated in previous runs to support girl child education.
He urged the entire nation of Uganda to participate in the upcoming third edition to further champion the cause of the girl child.
He disclosed that in the previous year, they were able to provide assistance for the education of 103 girls, and are optimistic that this time, they will be able to increase that number twofold.
Gyagenda stressed that it is crucial for the country to ensure that all girls receive an education, as they play a vital role in society.
He pointed out that girls are caretakers of the nation, responsible for nurturing the next generation, managing households, and supporting their families, a reason why their education should be prioritized.
“Last year we were able to support 103 girls and we hope that this time around we shall be able to double the number. We cannot afford to have girls who are not educated because they are the owners of the nation, they are the ones who take care of the children, family and homes and therefore educating them should be our priority as a nation,” he said.
He commended the partners for their prompt response in supporting the cause, as well as acknowledging the IUIU female campus for their commendable efforts in championing the rights of the girl child through this innovative idea.
Dr. Madina Nabukeera, the chairperson of the run and director of IUIU female campus, emphasized that it is the collective responsibility of each individual to contribute towards fulfilling the government’s objective of achieving Sustainable Development Goal IV, which focuses on promoting equality in education.
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She mentioned that out of the 1250 students at IUIU female campus, 42% of the female students are unable to afford tuition fees, which led to the creation of the run event.
“We saw this as a problem to the campus and we realized that our salaries cannot solve the problem and there was need to make it a country problem so that people come up and help us to solve the problem,” she noted.
She mentioned that the campus welcomes female students, including both Muslims and non-Muslims, many of whom are enable to raise tuition and thus many fail to finish their higher education.
“Students who can afford admission fee are about 1000 but those but those that report are not even at 50%. That means that every girl that picks an admission is desirable to have higher education, so we couldn’t sit on the problem, that’s why we decided to come up and lead the cause and tell the world the need of helping the girl child,” she said.
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She observed that the selection process for beneficiaries is transparent, with both students and staff participating in the process after the list of admitted students is released. Additionally, she emphasized that their efforts are focused on benefiting girls in need, aiming to reach 5000 runners, which could be a significant milestone in promoting girls’ education and ultimately contributing to the country’s development.
“We want the whole country to know we have a problem here and we are requesting your support by buying the kits,” she noted.