HONOR Scholarship Fund
HONOR (Hope, Ownership, Need, Opportunity, Respect) Scholarship
It is hard for many in the U.S. to imagine our child not being able to receive an education. But being able to attend school can be a struggle for many students in Muko Sub-County. Students attending Muko High School (secondary grades) and Murole Preparatory School (primary grades) must pay tuition. Additionally, due to distances traveled and lack of dependable transportation, many of those who attend school must reside at the school, which is an additional cost. This can become too expensive for many families.
Through the HONOR Scholarship Fund, donors provide the financial support that offers “need-based” scholarships, called HONOR Scholarships. This program supports Muko High School students and Murole Preparatory School who are eager to be in school and serious about their studies. To be considered for this scholarship, students must go through an application process which is then reviewed by a committee consisting of a diverse group of Muko High School staff and ACT staff who balance the scholarships by gender, grades, need, and academic ability. In order to keep the scholarship, students must continue to show good progress toward their studies. ACT Uganda also employs a nurse and a counselor to work with the scholarship recipients and the school staff to support their progress.
The financial support allows students to remain in school in spite of many hardships that might prevent them from getting an education and allows guardians and families to be more involved in the care of their children. Additionally, the HONOR Scholarship addresses the following issues for desperate kids:
Being forced into marriage at an early age (ages 13-16)
Orphaned children without parents to support them
Children whose parents or guardians are not making the education of their children a priority, or are affected by parents who are sick and/or alcoholic, leaving the kids helpless.
The transition to HONOR Scholarships is an effort to control the entitlement that some students felt with too much assistance under the previous MukoHOPE program. In 2021, ACT transitioned our MukoHOPE Program of orphan sponsorship into the HONOR Scholarship Fund. All previous MukoHOPE orphans were automatically given an HONOR Scholarship, including those in primary, secondary and vocational school. As the program continues, however, new students will obtain funding for primary and secondary school only. To learn more about University and Vocational school opportunities, please read about our Maverick Scholarship Program below.
HONOR Scholarships cover school fees only, placing the responsibility on parents/guardians to cover other items such as medical needs and school supplies. This program has been designed by our Ugandan staff and suggested to us as a better program for their children. In addition to the benefits it provides to students, the HONOR Scholarship Fund also allows ACT to support nearly 50% more students. Many thanks to the devoted individuals who helped make this change happen.
Selection and Oversight Committees at Murole and Muko High School have been chartered to choose scholars and evaluate their progress each term. The committees are comprised of a diverse group of ACT staff and school staff who balance the scholarships by gender, grades, need and academic ability. In addition, ACT employs a nurse and a counselor to work with the scholarship recipients and the school staff to support their progress at both primary and secondary levels.
The annual cost for a student is $300. Donating to the HONOR Scholarship Fund brings hope to an otherwise hopeless situation. Any monthly or annual amount may be designated. As a donor, you will receive an update on the Fund and the Scholars 3 times a year. The recipient receives a better quality education at a boarding school and return home during school breaks to maintain the relationship with their family/guardian and community.
Thank you for your consideration of funding this essential need!
Maverick Leadership Scholarship
The Maverick Leadership Scholarship was initiated in 2015 with the inspiration of wanting to cultivate leadership in the country of Uganda. The aim of the scholarship is to support promising young people in Muko Sub County through educational opportunities. The hope is that these young people, once educated, will affect changes in their communities by providing leadership and community organizing. The Scholarship will be awarded to one student each year. The scholarship will allow the chosen student to complete S5 S6, attend vocational school or attend a university for 4 years. This scholarship is based on a students’ academic performance in school as well as their character traits.
The students chosen for this scholarship embody the following qualities:
Initiative – This student will be able to demonstrate taking initiative and responsibility for their lives and schoolwork without necessarily being told by an adult.
Visionary/dreams – This student will be able to speak about their future and the future of the country.
Conflict resolution/problem solving – This student will be able to demonstrate how they have dealt with resolving past conflict and solving problems they have encountered.
Sense of commitment to community – This student will be able to speak to what is good in the community and how (s)he has supported the community and plans to in the future.
Resourcefulness – This student will be able to give specific times that show how (s)he has made things work when they did not have what they needed.
Leadership – This student will be able to describe how they exhibit leadership with others, as in school groups and such.
Charisma – This student will exhibit charisma when others are in their presence. Someone who is charismatic and walks into a room – people notice how they stand out as exceptional.
Ability to express thoughts/ideas – This student will be able to be articulate in English and clearly express their thoughts and ideas.