Former Stromme Beneficiaries Reflect on Lives Transformed as Foundation Marks 50 Years

What the report says

Nile Post reports that Stromme Foundation marked its 50th anniversary in Uganda by highlighting former beneficiaries whose lives were changed by support received at difficult points in their education and personal lives. The story centers on Minister of State for Trade, Industry and Cooperatives David Bahati, who said the foundation helped him while he was in Senior Five after he had lost both parents at a young age and was struggling to stay in school. He said even modest assistance gave him hope and helped him continue on to university and public service.

The article also profiles Dr Stella Jackline Wagabona, who said financial hardship in a single-parent household repeatedly put her schooling at risk, but Stromme support helped her finish primary school, secondary school and later study medicine. It further highlights Evelyn Kojo Duku, a South Sudan refugee who fled to Uganda in 2017, later dropped out of school and became a teenage mother, then rebuilt her path through Stromme’s Bonga programme with life-skills training and hairdressing skills. She later started a salon, returned to school and now works as a focal person in a Ministry of Gender programme.

Stromme Foundation Uganda Country Representative Dinah Morgan said the anniversary is also a moment to reflect on how poverty has changed and how the organisation should respond. The foundation, established in 1976, says it works through local partners on education, economic inclusion and community-based development. Secretary General Erik Lunde said its renewed brand emphasizes “fighting poverty” while keeping its core mission focused on education, jobs and local partnerships. The story underscores the role of long-term support, skills training and schooling in helping vulnerable people move toward self-reliance.