Journey to University: Shadiah
Shadiah Nakayaga joined Action in Africa in 2016, during her Senior Four year. Born and raised in Mpigi District, she completed her primary education at Nakirebe Primary School before attending St. Juliana High School for her first two years of secondary school (S1 and S2). When her mother heard about Action in Africa awarding scholarships in Nakuwadde, Shadiah transferred to Light Secondary School in Bulenga for S3. Under the AIA scholarship, she completed both her O-Level and A-Level studies. She went on to earn a Bachelor's Degree in International Relations and Diplomatic Studies from Kampala International University in 2023.
“The past is deep,” she reflects, “but I am glad of who Action in Africa has made me.”
Shadiah grew up with big dreams of becoming a lawyer or a successful politician, but financial struggles threatened to derail her aspirations. Her mother, who faced serious health challenges and had four children to care for, couldn’t afford to fund her higher education. After completing S4, the family had decided Shadiah would take a short course in hairdressing so she could start working and help support her siblings.
“As blessings locate the ready ones, I was ready to go further with my education if I could get financial support,” she says. After submitting her S4 results to AIA, her mother unexpectedly received a call asking Shadiah to sign a new scholarship contract. “This made my eyes wet because I started seeing light in my future,” Shadiah remembers.
Her mother, a small boutique owner in Nakuwadde, had once been hesitant about Action in Africa, but everything changed when a fellow scholarship recipient explained the organization’s mission and support. After hearing the student’s testimony, her mother gave her blessing for Shadiah to attend AIA’s programs.
Shadiah quickly became an active participant in The Center’s holiday programs, finding a sense of belonging and purpose through drama, traditional dance, and especially debate. “I have always loved being heard,” she says. “Through these programs I could make the audience listen to my voice.” She also credits the counseling sessions provided by the AIA “mamas” for helping her stay grounded and resilient: “I could come to the Center with a heavy heart, and by the time the session ended, I could feel relieved from different stress.”
Beyond academics, AIA programs helped her develop confidence, public speaking, research skills, and teamwork, opportunities her schools had never offered. She proudly became known as one of the top debaters at The Center.
Her internship with AIA remains one of her most cherished experiences. “I loved how I could play with the kids, serve them porridge, make them feel loved, and laugh out loud when they did funny things,” she says. “I love the bond with kids. It’s so pure and honest.”
Today, Shadiah serves as a Scholarship Assistant at Action in Africa, following a one-year fellowship in 2024. In her current role, she ensures that scholarship beneficiaries receive support in a friendly, accessible environment. She also engages with parents, whom she sees as vital stakeholders, ensuring their concerns and needs are met in collaboration with her supervisor.
“I am very optimistic about what the future holds for me,” she says. “I see myself building a successful managerial career, supporting other people to find their worth, and being a good mother who will inspire her little ones to do and become better.”
Shadiah’s gratitude toward AIA is profound. “How far they have supported me melts my heart every time I think of how my life would be if I had stopped my education journey in Senior Four.”
She holds deep appreciation for Aunt Sarah, the founder of AIA, whom she describes as “an amazing parent to us.” Shadiah credits her and the AIA team with addressing not only education, but health and hunger through medical camps and porridge programs. “It’s AIA that made me,” she says, “and I will live to make their legacy live forever.”
