Secondary Scholarship Stories of Hope: Meet Jordan, Swaburah, and Hakim

I visited Central College and Light Secondary School (my former school!) and interviewed three students who have been on the AIA Secondary Scholarship Program for the last six years! Our wonderful participants have been part of the program since 2016 when they joined secondary school; Jordan, Swabura, and Hakim are all senior six candidates who will be completing their final high school exams in the next two weeks.

Gatenyi Jordan

How special is the Action in Africa scholarship to you?

"I am an orphan that lives with my guardian. I lost both my parents, and it would have been impossible for me to access education without the Action in Africa Secondary Scholarship Program, so to me, the AIA Scholarship Program is that bright light. I appreciate the effort of AIA to enable us to achieve academic excellence in all ways, and I hope they continue doing it because it is helping us out, especially those of us with financial constraints."

Nakamate Swaburah

What would you like to be after finishing school?

"After my sixth year, I want to become a doctor in general medicine, and that is why I am studying biology, chemistry, and maths." I am really glad that Action in Africa has funded my education for the last six years, it has been a real help to my mother and me. We would have really struggled to access education if it wasn't for the Action in Africa scholarship program. I am also glad for Action in the Africa Community in general because my friends and I get to socialize with each other besides education."

Kezala Hakim

How did you get onto the program?

"I used to see Action in Africa people in my primary school before I joined the scholarship program; they were supporting students at St. Johnson primary school, and I wished to one day be part of their scholarship program." I was excited to join other Action in Africa programs after primary school, especially the library because I really like reading. And when applications opened, I decided to apply for support, seeing my mother’s struggle with school fees, I am so glad that Action in Africa decided to support me and my sister to attain education."

"I remembered that the real world was wide and that a varied field of hopes and fears, of sensations and excitements, awaited those who had the courage to go forth into its expanse, to seek real knowledge of life amidst its perils." a quote from Jane Eyre, Hakim’s favorite novel from the AIA Library.

The Action in Africa Secondary Scholarship Program gives these students the hope they need to get through their lives; their aspirations are supported and realized through this program, and that is the true impact of the AIA scholarship program.