Thousands of runners pounded the roads around Islamic University in Uganda’s (IUIU) Female Campus on Saturday, turning the 4th Run for Girl Child Education into the largest fundraiser yet for needy female students.
The 20‑kilometre charity race—held under the slogan “We Run; She Learns”—generated fresh tuition support for girls at risk of dropping out.
“This run is our lifeline for more than 500 young women who cannot meet university fees. Since 2022 it has already kept 230 students in class; today’s turnout means we can help even more,” campus director Dr Madinah Nabukeera told participants at the finish line.
Corporate backing swells
Banks and telecoms filled the sponsor roster, with Tropical, Stanbic, DFCU, Centenary, Cairo, Bank of Baroda, MTN and others underwriting kits, water points and a parallel medical camp run by Worldwide Smiles.
Rector Assoc. Prof. Ismail S. Gyagenda thanked the companies for “standing with the girl child,” urging continued support as the annual event moves to 21 June 2026.
A “national mindset”
Vice‑Rector for Academic Affairs Dr Jamil Serwanga called the turnout “marvellous and massive,” noting most runners completed the hilly course in under an hour despite humid weather. “This is no one‑day spectacle,” he said. “It signals a national mindset: we keep running until every girl finishes her degree.”
Only one participant required stretcher assistance, organisers reported—a testament to tight coordination between campus medics, police and traffic officers.
Unique women‑only campus
IUIU’s Kabojja site—Sub‑Saharan Africa’s only single‑sex Islamic university campus—enrols more than 2,000 women. Nabukeera said tuition shortfalls remain the biggest dropout driver. “Every shilling donated today puts another future teacher, nurse or entrepreneur back in lecture rooms,” she added.
Looking ahead
With runner numbers leaping from 900 in 2022 to 4,000 last year and climbing again in 2025, IUIU plans to institutionalise the race as its flagship social‑impact event. “We are ready to partner with anyone who believes girls’ education is non‑negotiable,” Vice‑Rector for Finance and Administration Dr Mukhlis Mutumba told sponsors.
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