In an emotional and historic ceremony, the female campus of the Islamic University in Uganda (IUIU) received a monumental boost, marking a new chapter in its mission to educate and empower young Muslim women.
At the heart of the event was the official handover of a newly constructed academic building, funded by a generous $130,000 grant from the Islamic Solidarity Fund (ISF)—the first instalment of a total $260,000 pledge. The atmosphere was thick with gratitude and hope for the future.
The Director of the IUIU Female’s Campus spearheaded the proceedings, her voice resonating with profound appreciation. She hailed the ISF and its Executive Director for honouring their commitment, calling the new facility under the Faculty of Health Sciences a “dream realised.” However, she painted a poignant picture of the challenges still facing the institution, revealing that crippling infrastructure deficits—from cramped classrooms to a severe shortage of hostel space have actively limited student numbers.
“We make dua for the ISF every single day,” she confessed, underscoring the deep spiritual gratitude felt by her and her staff. With current enrollment nearing 1,600 students, she described a campus bursting at the seams. Her concluding appeal was for continued partnership: further support to build an additional skills lab for health sciences and, crucially, more scholarships for the vulnerable Sudanese students the ISF already assists.
Echoing this sentiment, Professor Ismail Simba Gyagenda, representing the university’s broader leadership, offered formal thanks on behalf of students, staff, and management. He traced the enduring partnership back to 2008 when the ISF helped purchase the very land the female campus stands on. Praising the current campus leadership, he highlighted the extraordinary growth from 300 to 1,600 students, attributing the institution’s sterling reputation to its unique blend of academic rigour and character building, which produces highly sought-after graduates.
The international significance of the project was underscored by high-profile dignitaries. The Vice President of the ISF and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia’s PR to the OIC, addressing the press, spoke with visible passion. He commended the project team’s dedication and framed their work as a blessed endeavour. Stressing the vital alliance between the ISF and the OIC, he pledged that more collaborative projects in Uganda would follow. In a powerful moment, he shifted focus from bricks and mortar to human potential: “Investing in buildings is one thing, but investing in human beings is everything,” he urged, emphasising the duty to use knowledge for the betterment of humanity.
Adding a strategic national perspective, HE Ambassador Nusurah Tiperu, head of the IUIU Estates committee, envisioned this building as the seed of a future “mega Medical project.” She revealed extensive benchmarking with institutions in Saudi Arabia and Turkiye, aiming to create a true “school of EXCELLENCE.”
With palpable pride, she gave testament to the IUIU female graduates’ exceptional character, describing them as “among the most disciplined Ugandans in our societies and civil service,” often entrusted with leading major institutions. She also credited the Ugandan government’s affirmative action policyspearheaded by H.E. Yoweri Kaguta Museveniwhich awards girls an extra 1.5 points for university entry, as a pivotal force in unlocking female potential. “The government puts the policies,” she concluded, “and the ISF has put the money to support a strategic project… a place where our girls have the privacy and freedom to fly.”
The Assistant Secretary General of the OIC provided the sweeping historical context, reminding all that the vision for IUIU was born in Pakistan in the 1970s. “Seeing these projects is a testimony that we are fulfilling our promises,” he stated. Reaffirming an unshakeable commitment to girls’ education, he promised to champion more projects for IUIU, aiming to propel it onto the world stage as a leading African university.
This gathering was more than a building handover; it was a powerful reaffirmation of faith in education as the ultimate tool for change, and a resounding commitment to the young women who will shape tomorrow.
