Moved to action: A tuition fundraising campaign by UCU Medical Students

Generosity provides you with fresh lenses and an additional set of feet, the former allowing you to notice the need around you and the latter propelling you into action. Wanyana Christine and her fourth-year students at Uganda Christian University's Medical School sprung into action when they realized the need of two of their friends, Mark and Andrew [not actual names].

The two students had enrolled in the hopes of rising tuition through student loans issued by the Ugandan government. When the loans did not come through, Mark and Andrew struggled to raise and pay their tuition during their third and fourth years of study. The two medical students had acquired a tuition debt of 55 million Uganda shillings and faced the prospect of missing their examinations due to non-payment.

It was at that point when Mark and Andrew's classmates initiated the "Let's Help Together. 10k 4 Tuition Campaign.” The goal of the campaign was to raise 20 million Uganda Shillings, or almost half of the total debt. To date, the class has raised 5.8 million Uganda shillings of their target of 20 million Uganda shillings.

Mark, one of the two recipients, was able to pay off half of his tuition debt with the help of his mother. In light of this, he requested that the collections be directed to Andrew so that he, too, could discharge at least half of his obligation. Andrew still requires at least 7 million Uganda Shillings to pay off half of his tuition.

The campaign is still ongoing and more details on how to support can be found in the poster above. For no act of kindness, no matter how small is ever wasted.