‘‘Every day when she wakes up to go to work, she can’t help but smile. She has been dreaming of becoming a mechanical engineer all her life. Every dream is valid, all you need is the right support system to ensure you get there.’’
Pursuing Mechanical engineering had always been a life-long dream for Ritah. However, coming from a family that could barely afford her university fees, this dream seemed more of an illusion, until she got an opportunity to be part of the Bujagali Energy Limited (BEL) scholarship program in 2016.
‘‘I dared to dream, and BEL’s sponsorship ensured that this dream became a reality. The company paid for my university fee from 2016 to 2018, it also provided me with an attachment opportunity before my graduation, whose recommendation secured me an internship at Isimba Hydroelectric Plant. I worked as a Machine operator at Uganda printing and publishing cooperation from September 2020 to July 2021. Currently, am working as a plant shift operator for Frontier Energy at Nyamagasani 1, Ruwenzori hydropower plant in Kasese district.’’ Says Ritah Nadunga.
According to Ritah, looking back in 2015 when she had just completed secondary school, she had no hope of joining a university because her family could not afford it. His father had many wives resulting in many children who were not easy to manage. Her mother struggled to pay for her fee in both primary and secondary school. By the time she completed her senior 6, her mother had accumulated unpaid loans.
With her position at Frontier energy, she can now provide for her siblings and parents. She also has a goal of ensuring that all her siblings get a chance to go the University and pursue careers of their choice.
“I will forever be grateful for BEL because that scholarship not only opened doors for me but also for my siblings and younger people in the community who look up to me.’’ Ritah Nadunga.
