Nancy Akumu

Having lost both parents to AIDS, Nancy was raised by her grandmother. In order to make ends meet, they used sledge hammers to break up quarry stones to sell to road crews. Despite attempts to keep her safe, Nancy narrowly escaped abduction twice by the rebel army.

Unable to pay for the last two years of high school, the Ugandan NGO United Youth Action for Progress (UYAP) was able to assist financially. Nancy graduated from high school first in her class. On this basis she was accepted to Makerere University in Kampala as a work-study grant student in the department of forestry.

ChildrenUP supports Nancy as she completes her university degree. Director of ChildrenUP, Charlie Laliberte, met Nancy in June, 2008 and was impressed with her dedication to education and her resourcefulness.

 

ChildrenUP has been supporting Nancy at Makerere University. This is her last semester of undergraduate work. Nancy will be doing field work and thesis writing this semester. We wish her well. She hopes to continue with a master’s degree in the Environment and Natural Resources. Uganda is facing enormous climate change problems in the northeastern sector due to drought and famine. Nancy would like to be in the forefront attacking these problems in Uganda.

Nancy's education is partially supported by a grant from the Elmhurst Rotary.