The Brian Mutebi Dream Scholarship Fund is Uganda's premier scholarship program for children from deprived backgrounds. Through this life-transforming program, scholarships are awarded to girls at risk of child marriage, violence survivors, and orphans in schools, technical colleges, and universities.
The Fund was established by our funder, Brian Mutebi, who harboured a dream to transform lives. Brian was orphaned at ten and nearly dropped out of school because of the lack of school fees. However, Brian met ‘Good Samaritans’ along this challenging journey, who supported him through school. Thanks to their support, Brian became the first graduate in his village in 2007! He conceived a dream, a joyful burden on his heart. “It was joyful because the thought of transforming lives was pleasant to the mind, yet a burden because I didn’t know how it would turn into a life-transforming reality,” Brian recounts. ‘Lord, how possible am I going to do this?’ he petitioned.
Brian wanted to do something to make a real difference in people's lives. His journey of grace made him understand that everyone needs a hand extended to them so they can realise their dreams. Convinced that education is key to transforming lives, Brian sold his land worth $1,500 and established the Brian Mutebi Dream Scholarship Fund.
“This was unconventional, as people from impoverished backgrounds like mine often seek to accumulate more rather than give away the little they have. But I was driven by a desire to transform lives,” Brian stated. The Fund has since awarded 78 scholarships to young people from deprived backgrounds who otherwise had no hope of attaining an education. These are HIV/AIDS orphans, children living in abject poverty, abandoned children, teenage mothers and survivors of sexual violence, children living with disabilities, and students whose dreams to attain a university education are all but shattered.
Lisa, our first university scholarship recipient, had lost all hope for a university education until she was awarded a scholarship in 2015. In 2020, she graduated from Makerere University with a Bachelor of Laws and is now a practising lawyer. The scholarships bestow upon such girls a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair.
We pay particular attention to girls because, despite the gains over the last two decades, significant barriers such as poverty, early marriages, cultural and social practices, gender biases, and unsafe or unwelcoming learning environments continue to inhibit them from enrolling in school at all levels and reaching pivotal learning milestones.
We also run an apprenticeship program for out-of-school girls. They are enrolled in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) apprenticeship training. The training breaks the stigma around girls in STEM.
We seek to touch 10,000 lives like Lisa's. However, the task is challenging to handle alone. We need your support. Will you consider becoming our Partner and Ambassador today? Come, let's transform lives together!