Kampala, Uganda: The Uganda National Association of the Blind (UNAB) has awarded Hyomyoung Scholarships to 20 visually impaired students, thanks to a growing partnership with the South Korean–based Siloam Foundation for the Blind.
At a ceremony held Friday, 25 July 2025, at UNAB headquarters on Kireka–Namugongo Road, UNAB chairperson Richard Anguyo handed out the bursaries, each worth UGX 500,000 for 10 incoming university freshmen and UGX 300,000 for 10 Senior One entrants, amounting to UGX 8 million in total support.
“These awards are a token toward the independence of blind people in Uganda,” Mr Sun‑Tae Kim, Siloam Foundation chairman, said in a live video link from Seoul. “We want to empower them to study, get jobs, and enjoy social life.”
The Hyomyoung Scholarship programme began in 2023; this year’s class is the third cohort. Siloam’s cooperation with UNAB dates back to 2020.
UNAB executive director Denis Tumwebaze applauded the gesture but stressed that much more is needed.
“The grant helps with immediate scholastic materials,” Tumwebaze told DailyExpress. “But two of the university beneficiaries are still home because fees exceed what a one‑off scholarship can cover.”
Chairperson Anguyo, blind for 60 years, urged families not to define their children by disability. “Lack of sight doesn’t mean lack of vision,” he said. “God compensates with stronger senses of hearing, touch, and even a ‘sixth sense’. Hold on, one day society will salute your child’s achievements.”
On behalf of the awardees, Titus Muganga, who scored 16 points in last year’s A‑level examinations, thanked Siloam and UNAB. “We once lacked Braille textbooks; today we have them and we excel,” Muganga said, advising peers to spend the funds “purposefully, not luxuriously.”
UNAB appealed to corporate firms and individual well‑wishers to fund Braille materials and tuition for visually impaired learners as Uganda prepares for a post‑pandemic tourism and employment boom.
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