In an increasingly broken world, Woman of Valor brings a much-needed call to action for women to be courageous, wrote Marilynn Chadwick, she believes that God still speaks today
Rose Nalwanga, is a mother of eight children who are on a mission to collect a lorry full of firewood as a way of paying for their school fees.
She survives on an avalanche of loans from banks, microfinance institutions, local SACCOs, and individuals who can bear with her while surviving at her home in Kiswa Village, Kammengo, in Mpigi district, Mawokota North Constituency.
In the world, she brought Henry Ssuubi Kiyimba, an aspiring engineer, Ssuubi, a Makerere University fresher then was attacked on social media for carrying a metallic suitcase to begin his university life, has been granted a full scholarship to study his dream course at Makerere.
His head was loaded with words of power from his single mother, Rose Nalwanga, she spoke HOPE, its meaning, into (his) life. And hope does not disappoint. His journey from Mpigi District where he hails might have been rocky but it is safe to say he has found himself a soft and safe landing.
The woman of valor, who never ceases to pray. In the parable; How Prayer Changes Things by Pastor Peter Watts, the persistent widow, Jesus teaches his disciples that justice has its source in God.
“Though many barriers exist in the world that prevent us from receiving or experiencing justice, we get justice by petitioning the one who brings about justice on the earth. As Jesus instructs in Luke 18:1-8, we are called to be persistent in prayer, persistent in seeking justice, and resilient in everything we do,” he wrote.
In his tweet on March 8, 2023, Joel Aita Jaffer the Chairman of Joadah Consult Ltd and Development Infrastructure Ltd, he tweeted: SSUUBI HENRY Time flies. “Ssuubi Henry is in his final semester his final year project is the Development of Liquid Pyrolytic Fuel from Waste Plastics. In simple terms Making Petrol out of Plastics.”
Literary, Ssuubi will be able to transform plastic waste into useful fuel. Remember, Ssuubi was an innocent freshman who was mocked on Twitter by a fellow student while reporting on the first day of university with a metallic suitcase more associated with boarding schools in 2019.
Through a successful campaign to find him a place in his dream profession, Ssuubi’s dream course became a reality even though engineering and his parents were economical enemies because he could not afford to privately fund himself for the course due to costs involved.
His humble journey was further ignited when Joadah Consult and Development Infrastructure, a construction company, offered Ssuubi a full sponsorship to his dream course in mechanical Engineering at Makerere University and the company signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between them, Makerere University, and Ssuubi.
“Joadah Consult and Development Infrastructure would like to give our official offer for a full scholarship for Ssuubi Henry Kiyimba for a course in Mechanical Engineering at Makerere University,” the letter read in part.
Ssuubi made his first day at the School of Engineering on Monday, August 11, 2019, as he officially awaited results from his application for a change of course. He was admitted to do a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering, one of the top 3 Engineering programs.
Nalwanga is also a teacher by profession at St Mary’s Sana Primary School. She collects firewood and avocado vending business which is harvested at home.
Nalwanga strives to take care of her family tooth and nail.
“The challenge we have is it rains in bits and the place is hilly. It is really hard to fend for a big family if you are a woman. I struggle hard but I ask myself; Who is going to help me? I do a lot of work like for 4 men and the work of a woman but I trust in God,” she told the BSCS Media team.
