Matooke Republic
Saturday, July 12, 2025
  • Home
  • News
  • Entertainment
  • Gossip
  • Features
  • Business
  • Sports
  • Health
  • Photos
  • Relationships
Matooke Republic
  • Home
  • News
  • Entertainment
  • Gossip
  • Features
  • Business
  • Sports
  • Health
  • Photos
  • Relationships
No Result
View All Result
Matooke Republic
No Result
View All Result

IN HER POWER: How the 2015 Miss Uganda Sports Queen, Patience Akankwatsa is helping hundreds of children stay in school

Alex Taremwa by Alex Taremwa
June 21, 2019
in Features
Reading Time: 4 mins read
37
SHARES
Share on FacebookShare on Twitter

Born in Mbarara on May 2, 1995, Patience Akankwatsa, the last born of four had a different view of life from her siblings. She loved the lifestyle of socialites, idolized Judith Heard and carried herself like her. She made a mental promise to her innersole that she’d be her own star someday. 

Even at school, you didn’t need to look hard for her in class or dormitory if there was an Entertainment Club practice or outreach ongoing. She was at forefront of music, dance, modeling, Mrs this and that, all through her education. This confidence emboldened her to take up leadership roles and become an upstanding personality. 

Akankwatsa taking pupils through Physical Education at a rural school.

But underneath her outgoing lifestyle was an incurable love for children. She loathed the sight of starving children or others languishing in their rural homes when their age mates were busy in school.

RELATED POSTS

Luxury Getaway at Just $70: Discover Affordable Comfort at Dolphin Suites

Forest Cottages Unveils Extended Stay Offers with Exclusive Perks

In 2015, Akankwatsa auditioned for the Miss Uganda beauty pageant and made it to the finalists’ list. She was just 19. The pageant was a game changer for her career despite not wining the crown. The networks she made have been significant not only for the charity organisation – Raising Hope – that she went on to start soon after, but also boosting her modeling career to even greater heights. 

At the Miss Uganda Finals, she was voted Sports Queen – a position she used to encourage fellow students to engage in co-curricular activities outside of their class schedules. This is an activity that she preached across schools in Western Uganda. During holidays, Akankwatsa organised talent shows in the region where youths exhibited, while others revealed their hidden talents. 

A parent finally affords a smile after receiving scholastic materials from Akankwatsa’s charity.

Raising Hope

Whereas popular opinion has it that Western Uganda has benefitted most from the incumbent government, the facts on ground say otherwise. Children drop out of school due to lack of basic items such as exercise books, sanitary towels, food and the like. 

There is also growing number of early marriages, pregnancies, rapes and drug abuse and other social vices that interfere with the normal cycle of young people. This is the gap that Akankwatsa identified and is attempting to plug. 

“I want to truly affect the lives of impoverished children, their families and communities through my projects,” she says. 

The Raising Hope initiative has partnered with five Primary Schools in Western Uganda to give pupils exercise books and pencils. The schools are Divine Mercy Nursery and Primary school Fort Portal, Kyantambara Primary school also in Fort Portal, Rwebishuri Primary School in Mbarara, Smiles Day Care in Mbarara and Nkokonjeru Primary School. 

GOOD OL DAYS: Akwankwatsa at Miss Uganda 2015/16

The plans are as simple as the noble intentions of Akankwatsa and Raising Hope – to further the educational experience of the pupils and relieve some financial burden from their parents so that they can invest in other aspects of their children’s education.

In her own power, she has already touched the lives of over 600 children. She told Matooke Republic in an interview that he focus is now to build a nursery school for children whose parents are unable to foot their education bills.

Related

Tags: Miss Uganda 2015Patience AkankwatsaRaising Hope
Share27Tweet4Send
Alex Taremwa

Alex Taremwa

Founder of The Workshop Uganda

Related Posts

No Content Available
Next Post

I almost sold my land to marry a woman; she dumped me and asked me to sing on her wedding- singer Chris Evans

Goat Races return with promise of the ultimate fun show of the year

RECOMMENDED

Bebe Cool pushes for East African collaboration and use of collective numbers to take over the world musically

July 11, 2025
Fatuma Bbuye Nabiwemba.

State Prosecutor found dead at her home in Kasangati

July 11, 2025
  • 643 Followers
  • 23.9k Followers

MOST VIEWED

  • Here is how to use NIRA’s new online portal to register or renew your national ID

    3924 shares
    Share 1570 Tweet 981
  • DNA test confirms late MP Ssegirinya was father to only 4 of 9 children presented after his death

    97 shares
    Share 39 Tweet 24
  • Kampala University proprietor Prof Kateregga’s wife rejects DNA results indicating one of three children is not his, demands fresh test in the United States

    94 shares
    Share 38 Tweet 24
  • Properties owned by late billionaire Aponye at risk of auction over Shs15 billion loan arrears

    78 shares
    Share 31 Tweet 20
  • Pastor Bugingo’s daughter Doreen Gift awarded scholarship to Arizona State University in the US

    61 shares
    Share 24 Tweet 15
Matooke Republic

Uganda's only free Newspaper. Out every Thursday. Freshly peeled info. kiwatule, Kampala, Uganda.

  • Home
  • News
  • Entertainment
  • Gossip
  • Features
  • Business
  • Sports
  • Health
  • Photos

© Matooke Republic 2024

© Matooke Republic 2024

This website uses cookies. By continuing to use this website you are giving consent to cookies being used. Visit our Privacy and Cookie Policy.