City lawyer Tumukunde Tonny, in a touching and kind gesture, has come out to offer to clear the tuition fees of Owere Stephen, a bright student recently admitted to Makerere University.
Stephen, who scored 19 out of 20 points in the 2023 Uganda Advanced Certificate of Education, missed the government scholarship by 0.07 points. The sterling performance was followed by his admission on private sponsorship, though the future remained bleak due to the inability of his family to afford tuition fees.
Stephen’s situation was brought to light through a tweet by his brother, Okumu David, which trended and elicited public sympathy. Okumu’s tweet read:
“19 out of 20 Points at UACE-2023; missed government by 0.07 points to join Makerere but got a spot on Private. Doesn’t see any sign of joining the University, parents unable to afford University Tuition. In case of reach, please call him on: +256-744716037 or me on: +256-706705111.”
Moved by the story, Tumukunde Tonny reached out and offered to clear Stephen’s tuition fees for all three academic years pursuing his Bachelor of Arts in Economics at Makerere University.
Tonny expressed his support by urging Stephen to work hard at school, having faith in his academic abilities.
Stephen has got fees for all the 3 years he will be in Makerere doing Economics. I have advised him to concentrate on his books, him being a bright student. I also want to thank Okumu for being a good caretaker,
Tonny said.
Thanks to Tonny’s generosity, Stephen now holds his admission letter and awaits the reporting date to begin his university journey. The act of kindness did not only secure Stephen’s academic future, but it has also made a difference in the many talented students who end up losing morale due to a lack of support for their academic aspirations.
The story of Stephen and the intervention by Tumukunde Tonny serves as an inspiring reminder about the effect acts of generosity can have on others, encouraging each other to look for opportunities to support and uplift their fellow human beings within their communities.
