The month of February will forever be etched in the history of Sumayya Girls High School following a once-in-a-lifetime travel experience to South Africa the home of Standard Bank Group, the parent company of Stanbic Uganda Holdings Limited.
Sumayya Girls High School were crowned grand champions of the 2025 Stanbic National Schools Championship (NSC), held under the theme “Powering Innovation for Job Creation.”.
The NSC is the bank’s flagship initiative designed to complement the government’s National Development Plan by embedding entrepreneurship, creativity, and problem-solving skills within Uganda’s education system.
The school emerged as overall winners in the “Student Spark” category for their groundbreaking medical innovation the Uro Care UTI Detector.
The early-detection kit is designed to help young women identify urinary tract infections before they escalate into severe medical complications.
Jamimah Kutesa, a Senior five student and one of the project’s inventors, could hardly contain her excitement as she prepared for her first flight.
“I’m very grateful to Stanbic Bank for this opportunity. I never imagined that I would sit on a plane at my age,” Jamimah shared, adding that this is the best thing that has ever happened to her and that she looks forward to learning as much as possible during the experience.
The two students and their patron teacher toured the renowned Standard Bank Group Heritage Centre, explored Johannesburg’s iconic Jozi My Jozi attractions, and visited Soweto the historic home of celebrated Pan-Africanist Nelson Mandela.
Their experience also included luxury ocean excursions and an unforgettable cable car ride.
Over the years, the Stanbic NSC has become a cornerstone of youth empowerment in Uganda.
Speaking while flagging off the winners, Mumba Kalifungwa, Chief Executive of Stanbic Bank Uganda, emphasized that the bank’s investment in the championship is a direct response to the country’s demographic realities.
“Youth employment is a global issue, but it is especially critical here in Uganda, where nearly 78% of our population is under the age of 30,” Kalifungwa said. “Platforms like the NSC empower young people to transition from job seekers to job creators. This is firmly aligned with our purpose: Uganda is our home; we drive her growth.”
The victory secured UGX 20 million in business capital for the students, UGX 5 million in school support, two laptops, and a teacher’s award of UGX 2 million.
In addition, the winning students and their patron teacher received a fully paid trip to South Africa valued at UGX 50 million.
Diana Ondoga, Stanbic Bank’s Head of Corporate Social Investment (CSI), highlighted the programme’s broad impact:
“The NSC has impacted over 500,000 students and sparked the creation of more than 200 businesses. We are already preparing for the 11th edition, and the call for applications will be announced soon,” she noted.
Mentor Secondary School claimed the first runner-up position with their Patient Monitoring System. Secondary School earned second runner-up with their eco-friendly Koffia Candles, while Ibanda St. Noa Mawaggali SSS followed as third runner-up with their mobility innovation, Snoams Walk Mate. The runner-up schools also received business capital, school funding, laptops, and teacher recognition awards.
The championship continues to nurture young innovators and entrepreneurs by equipping students with practical skills in problem-solving, financial literacy, and business development.
This year’s winners demonstrated impactful solutions addressing health, safety, and sustainability reflecting the competition’s vision of developing future leaders capable of driving Uganda’s socio-economic transformation.
