Women’s Day hero: Meet Agatha Kenyonza Justine Rubanda, the woman who has educated hundreds of children

As we celebrate International Women’s Day today, we bring you the unsung hero who has helped in educating hundreds of the nation’s children. Here is her story;

Born 64 years ago, Agatha Kenyonza Justine Rubanda is a daughter to Mr Kabagambe Yosam and Mrs Edrai Kabagambe of Kyaruhanga Ibanda. She is a wife to Mr Elly Rubanda of Bisheshe Ibanda, a retired Sub County chief. Agatha is a mother to 10 biological Children and uncountable others. She has mothered the young and old, she has and still cares and fosters so many children in her home together with her husband.

She has gone far and beyond to see that all the children in her care attend school.  She believes so much in education, her motto of life is “A Child’s Education, is their Life”. She is an educationalist who believes that no child is dense. She will send any child to school at any cost.

When she retired from teaching, she realised a lot of children in her village and neighbouring villages were going to gardens instead of schools.

Agatha with one of her daughters Gloria and grand daughters Miranda (in front) and Princess (behind)

She immediately birthed an idea of starting up a school nearby so that dry child could go to school.  She couldn’t fold her hands and watch her dream to have the entire village educated slip through her palms. She thought support from ISSIA, a financial institution and in 2012 opened the school, and she decided that it was a community school where parents can pay in installments but have their children learn how to read and write. She believes every child is Bright and every child is a star in their parent’s eyes, reason she named the school “Bright Stars Nursery and Primary school”.

Dear Mother, Mistress (as most of us called you), teacher, foster parent, grandmother, guardian, custodian, this Women’s day, we celebrate you for believing in Education, for sending all of us who crossed your paths to school. Happy Women’s Day.

Do you have a similar story of unsung hero; send it to us on showbizuganda@gmail.com