Sharon Namirembe

Sharon Namirembe

Sharon Namirembe, 14, lost her father, Michael Mubiru, to HIV/AIDS in 2007. Sharon’s mother died of HIV/AIDS way back before the father passed away. Sharon has four brothers and five sisters. Sharon and her siblings currently live in Nakifuma-Nankulabye adjacent to FINIDP offices with her step mum, Nantongo. Sharon narrated that much as her step mother does not mistreat her; the mother often fails to raise school fees since she is jobless. Sharon’s uncle, Ssula, contributes towards her school fees but due to his personal family demands and unstable income, he sometimes fails to pay Sharon’s fees.

Sharon is in senior two (S.2) at of St. Anne’s Grace Secondary School.  Efforts by Sharon’s mother to rent out some rooms of their family house as a source of Sharon’s fees were frustrated by their uncle who felt that it would undermine their family status. As a consequence, Sharon’s report cards have on several occasions been confiscated for failure to pay school dues. At the time of the interview, several report cards were still with the school authorities and so FINIDP staffs had to talk to the bursar of St. Anne’s Grace Secondary School to have a look at Sharon’s academic track record.

In her detailed application letter for sponsorship to FINIDP, Sharon narrates: “my life has not been so easy since my father died when I had just finished Primary Seven (P.7).” “When my father was still alive, I could get all scholastic materials in time so I used to concentrate on my studies but now I’m suffering, they chase me for school fees from the beginning of the term till the end.” “When our father was still alive, he cautioned us to be God-fearing, to respect elders and to focus on education; from that time I started thinking about  what I will be in future.” “I have always been thinking so hard about how to overcome the hindrances in my education which will turn down my ambition is to become a medical doctor.” “I need sponsorship to realise my ambition.”