Muse alumni
Nswagiro Willy
My name is Nswagiro Willy. I’m 19 years old, in second year and stopped in primary seven with my education; I want to be a fine arts teacher and a professional photographer.
Muyimbwa Nathan
My name is Muyimbwa Nathan. I’m 19 years old, in second year and stopped in Senior Four with my education; I want to be a fine arts teacher.
Mugisha Dauda
My name is Mugisha Dauda. I’m 18 years old, in second year and stopped in Senior Three with my education; I lost my parents when I was young and I want to be a Musician.
Kiirya Jamil
My name is Kiirya Jamil. I’m 20 years old, in second year and I stopped in Senior Three with my education; I lost my parents when I was young and I want to be a Musician.
Nampijja Rebecca
My name is Nampijja Rebecca. I’m 17 years old, in second year and I stopped in senior one with my education; I want to be a Fashion Designer and a musician.
Nambatya Resty
My name is Nambatya Resty. I’m 17 years old, in first year and I stopped in senior two with my education due to financial problems; I live with my mother after the death of my father and in future I want to be fashion designer.
Akello Gloria
My name is Akello Gloria. I’m 16 years old and in first year. I stopped in primary seven with my education and I’ve lived with my mother for the past 20 years in Northern Uganda after losing my father; in the future I want to be a professional dancer.
Nalweyiso Everine
My name is Nalweyiso Everine. I’m 17 years old and in first year. I stopped in senior two with my education due to financial problems; I live with my parents and in future I want to be fashion designer.
Nanyonjo Angel
My name is Nanyonjo Angel. I’m 15 years old and in first year. I stopped in primary one with my education. I’ve lived with my grandmother after the death of my parents and in the future I want to be a painter. 
Nakyanzi Teopsita
My name is Nakyanzi Teopsita. I’m 16 years old in first year. I stopped senior three with my education. I’ve lived with my aunt from the time my parents separated and in the future I want to be a fashion designer.
Kobusingye Gorret
My name is Kobusingye Gorret and I’m 16 years old, in first year. I stopped in senior two with my education due to financial problems; I live with my parents and in future I want to be an actress.
Nalunga Zuluta
Babirye Norine
My name is Babirye Norine. I’m 17 years old and in first year and I stopped in senior three with my education; I live with my father after the death of my mother at the age of 7 and in future I want to be a photographer.
Namuddu Juliet
My name is Namuddu Juliet. I’m 19 years old and in second year. I stopped in senior four with my education; I lost my parents when I was young and I want to be a graphic designer.
Nabulya Teopista
My name is Nabulya Teopista and I’m 16 years old. I am in first year and I stopped in senior one with my education. I live with my father after the death of my mother and I want to be a fashion designer.
Nalwoga Suzan
My name is Nalwoga Suzan. I’m 16 years old and in first year. I stopped in senior one with my education and lost my father when I was young. I want to be a fashion designer.
Nassimbwa Rose
My name is Nassimbwa Rose. I’m 17 years old and in first year. I stopped in senior two with my education. I lost my mother in 2009 and I want to be a Graphic designer.
Nabakooza Nusula
My name is Nabakooza Nusula. I’m 15 years old and in first year. I stopped in primary seven with my education. My parents separated when I was still young. Now I live with my father and step mother and I want to be a fashion designer.
Naluwooza Immaculate
My name is Naluwooza Immaculate. I’m 17 years old and in first year. I stopped in primary seven with my education, I lost my parents when I was 9 years old and I want to be a fashion designer.
Nanyungwe Kuluthum
My name is Nanyungwe Kuluthum. I’m 15 years old and in first year. I stopped in senior two with my education in 2010. My parents separated when I was 7 years old now only my mother takes care of me and I want to be a professional photographer. 
Nanyanzi Joyce
My name is Nanyanzi Joyce. I’m 15 years old and in my first year. I stopped in primary seven with my education due to financial problems. I live with my parents and I want to be a fashion designer. 
Namuleme Alice
My name is Namuleme Alice. I’m 15 years old and in first year. I stopped in senior two with my education after the death of my mother in 2009 and I want to be a graphic designer.
Namutebi Judith
My name is Namutebi Judith, I’m 15 years old, in first year. I lost my father in 2009 when I was in primary seven. I stopped in senior one with my education and I 
want to be a painter.
Lyazi Denis
FAMILY BACK GROUND
My name is Lyazi Denis. I’m 19 years old in my second year at NIAAD under the Muzot program. I come from a family of 4 children and I’m the
youngest in my family. I live with parents; who are peasant farmers who only grow food for home consumption. My parents can only raise money for basic needs and very little money for school fees. It’s only my mother who takes care of the whole family, while unfortunately my father is an Alcoholic. I stopped in senior two due to the bad situation at home and after that, I had to look for school fees through working for people around the village. One day I told the director of our school about my family problems and that I was a good student. He gave me a scholarship up to senior four. This was a great opportunity in my life; since non of my elder brothers and sisters had ever reached this level. After this level my mother still had not raised enough money to help me continue with my education. I left my parents and came to the city to look for a job, to raise school fees. I got a job in the city where I worked as a sales person in a cosmetics company. I used to be paid a very low wage which was basically exploitation, but I had to continue working however tough the conditions were and however much I had complained to my parents. No one had a solution to my problem.
HOW I JOINED MUSE
My mother went to church and she heard an announcement informing parents who had children not going to school and would like to continue, but studying Art and Design to take them to NIAAD. Having been talented in Art, my mother called me and informed me about this opportunity, I went back home and went to do the interviews at church. After two weeks, the results were brought back that I had passed so I prepared to report to school in August, 2009.
MY EXPERIENCE WITH THE PROJECT
From the time I joined NIAAD, I have socially changed and am an exemplary youth in my community; this is due to the advice I receive from school. Academically my art skills have improved due to the knowledge I have gotten from different subjects such as sculpture, graphic designing, textile designing, music, dance, drama, drawing, painting and English. I was also introduced to photography by Brit-olam volunteers; they taught me how to use a camera and how to produce good photographs, I thank Brit-olam volunteers for this opportunity; though I still need further knowledge in photography to earn a living from it. In the future I wish to be a painter and I hope that with the skills I have received I will lead a good future. I need advanced skills in painting to enable me compete favorably with other painters. I humbly request the project to give me an opportunity to continue with my education up to the Diploma level after the certificate. 
Nanziri Jemimah
FAMILY BACKGROUND
My name is Nanziri Jemima; I’m 16 years old, I’m in first year at NIAAD under the Muzot project. I’m the 1st born in a family of 3 children. I stopped with my education in primary seven due to financial problems at home. I lost my mother when I was 9 years old and my Father died later on when I was 10 years old. Both of my parent died from AIDS. After their death, I started living with a distant Aunt who was responsible for providing my basic needs and education. When I had reached primary five, my situation at home worsened. My Aunt complained about my frequently, claiming to be having a difficult time providing my basic needs and school fees. I lived a life of misery until I reached primary seven. I expected to continue to secondary level education but due to her own children joining higher institutions of learning, this clearly proved to not be an option for me. I spent my time instead doing housework, hoping an opportunity would come my way. The situation at home affected my performance in all aspects of life, making me feel inferior and unimportant.
HOW I JOINED MUZE PROJECT
One day as I was at home doing house work, the brother to the husband of my Aunt visited our home and gave my Aunt information about a school that gives free Art and Design skills to orphans. I was very happy about this information, and in two days I visited the school to get detailed information. When I reached this school I did the interviews and passed, then in August I reported for my junior certificate in Art and Design after spending two years out of school.
MY EXPERIENCE WITH MUZE
The condition at school is very good and I’m very happy about the project, because my life has greatly changed due to the knowledge and skills I have received from the project. At home, the perception and attitude my relatives have towards me is changing, due to the help from the social worker and my teachers who saw the hard life I was going through. They spoke with my guardian about my strength and how I need their help to create a good future. I appreciate the opportunity to improve my English and mathematics skills and the new skills I have acquired in drawing, painting, sculpture, music, dance and drama, fashion designing ,graphic designing and photography. I thank Brit olam volunteers for introducing photography to us at school and I believe if I get a further opportunity to learn photography I can provide for myself with it. 
In the future I wish to be a Musician and I believe that with the skills I get from school I will be a good musician, though there is still need for advanced education for a better future. I request the project to help me continue with Art and Design to an advanced level.
Ssembatya Godfrey
Nalugwa Stellar
My name is Nalugwa Stellar. I’m 19 years old and in my second year at the Muse program. I come from a family of 4 children and I lost my mother and father in when I was 7 years old. After my parents died from AIDS and we were taken up by different relatives who were supposed to take care of us. Unfortunately the relatives we lived with were very poor and my aunt couldn’t give me school fees and some of my basic needs. After completing Primary 7, I worked in the market selling bananas; I used this money to pay school fees in addition to what my Aunt was giving me. After Senior 2 [10th grade], I could not continue any more with my education due to poverty at home.
How I joined Muse Uganda
I got the information about the Muse program from my aunt’s friend who told me there was a school located along Entebbe road that gives free art and design skills to orphans. When heard this, I was very surprised and almost did not believe it until I visited the school and and found out for myself.
My Experience with Muse Uganda
From the time I spent learning in the Muse program, I have learned how to cooperate with other people in community and how to live an independent life. I have also recieved more knowledge and skills specifically in; English, mathematics, textile designing, graphics and sculpture, bead designing, life skills, drawing, painting, music, dance and drama. In my second year I specialized in fashion designing which I felt to be the subject for my future because I want to be a fashion designer. I thank the project for bringing volunteers who have introduced different things that have improved our lives, like photography which I feel will also help me. However I still need more knowledge in fashion designing and photography. I thank the Muse program for the opportunity it gave me to continue with my education. If possible, I kindly ask the project to help me proceed to another level with my education to help me compete favorably with other professionals.
Kemigisha Ann Mary
My name is Kemigisha Ann Mary. I’m 17 years, and in my first year at the Muse program. My mother died during the labor process of my birth. She lived with her sister who didn’t know who my father was. Since my childhood I have never seen my father and I cannot even trace him; when I was seven years old, I was taken to a convent by a nun in my village and it’s where I still live to this day. This nun was able to pay my school fees and provide for me some of my basic needs, until I reached Primary 7 and she could no longer afford to pay my school fees, and so I left school. I was very patient, disciplined, and obedient, hoping that one day I would go back to school. I was at home for two years when an opportunity to go back to school presented itself.
How I joined Muse Uganda
Two years after completing my primary seven, some nuns from our convent applied in an institution to go for further studies in art and design and informed my guardian that it was a free education opportunity. My guardian was very happy about this news and I was brought to the Muse program to continue with my education in 2010.
My Experience with “Muse Uganda”
When I joined the project, I found a new environment; I took long to make a friend yet I did not have most of my basic needs and school requirements. After two days, the social worker, the warden and teachers talked to us installed in us the heart of sharing and being cooperative, after that I made friends and I coped with some requirements I was missing as I also shared what I had with other students. In terms of academics, I met very loving, encouraging and hard working teachers who introduced us to many subjects which even some of them surprised me as I have never heard about them. Since the introduction to Art and Design subjects, my level of thinking, reasoning and understanding have positively changed. At school I do the following subjects: English, Drawing, Graphic designing, fashion designing, computer, mathematics, life skills, print making, painting, sculpture, photography, music, dance and drama. With the knowledge I get from the above subject I believe I will be able to live a bright future. After my education I want to be a fashion designer, I still need more knowledge and skills to help me achieve my goals, since at school the materials we have are not enough yet. Most girls want to do fashion designing, because it fits in all the environments in our country.
I thank the Muzot project founders, and Brit-olam volunteers for the developments they have created in our lives and I humbly ask the project to help us continue with advanced certificate in Art and Design, so that we can compete favorably on the Art and Design market.
Ayinkamiye Gloria
My name is Ayinkamiye Gloria, I’m 15 years old and in my second year at NIAAD under the Muzot program. I stopped in primary seven with my education in 2007. My father died in 1999 when I was 3 years old. After the death of my father, my mother also left for Kampala city to look for employment. She became a house maid until she got married and she is now a mother of three children. When my mother left the village, I stayed with her sister who was to provide all the basic needs and education for me. Unfortunately, my Aunt was very poor and I lived a life of suffering because I had to raise money for basic needs myself. I went to a government school where I didn’t require school fees, apart from the school requirements that I could get by working on people’s farms and gardens.
HOW I JOINED MUSE PROJECT
In December, 2007, as I was doing my casual work, I met a woman who asked me whether I wanted to know where my mother is; I was happy about her idea and I collected all the money I had worked for to cater for my transport. After a week, she took me to the city to meet my mother. I left the village after completing primary level education; upon reaching the city, I was very happy to see my mother, but she was living a miserable life in a slum and married to a very poor man. After a week, this man started complaining about me all the time and beating my mother asking her to send me away from his home. I started doing house work for people, coming home only to sleep. One day on my way home from work, I met a stranger who was startled by the expression on my face and asked me about my family; I explained everything I was going through, and she told me about the Muzot project that gives orphans free education and also asked whether I was interested in Art and Design. I was very happy about this opportunity. She gave me the all the school requirements and brought me to NIAAD.
MY EXPERIENCE WITH MUSE
My behaviors have changed, because of the behavioral change lessons we receive in school, like the spirit of togetherness and social development built in us to live in harmony in all communities. I deeply appreciate the knowledge and skills I have gotten from the institution and from the project, because I have grown to be capable of handling most of the difficult situations I come across in life. At school I study fashion designing, drawing, English, entrepreneurship, textile designing, painting, graphic designing, life skills, print making and other Art related subjects. I thank Brit-olam volunteers for introducing me to photography since I did not have any knowledge about the subject as an art. I still want more practical skills in photography so that I can live a bright future. In the future I want to be a fashion designer, but the knowledge I have acquired for the junior certificate can only drive me a short journey into the fashion industry. I therefore ask for an opportunity from the project to continue with fashion designing to an advanced certificate.
