…to self-sufficiency and independence!
Acen Vivian Leah joined African Girls Can in 2019 in order to be able to finish her last two years of high school at St. Katherine’s Secondary School in Lira, Uganda. Vivian’s mother, Gloria, raised seven children, including Vivian and her twin sister, Olivia, on her own and without AGC, Vivian’s education would have come to the end of the road after 4 years of secondary school.
Vivian embraces every opportunity for personal growth and leadership that comes her way in and out of school and has always had the bigger picture in mind.
Her goals were clear right from the moment we met her:
“I chose the Physics, Economics and Math combination because I have always desired to be an engineer. I admire engineers’ work, but I see only a few African females going for it. And since the world is becoming one of creativity, innovation, and technology, this combination and all its associated future careers will help me cope with the changing world. Outside of class I enjoy reading novels, singing, and acting. I find it more interesting for one to express their ideas through song and action.”
Acen Vivian Leah – June, 2019
Vivian has always been outspoken about the importance of educating girls. In 2020, during the beginning of the pandemic and the long, country-wide lockdown in Uganda, Vivian jumped at the chance to speak on community radio in Northern rural Uganda on the topic of self-esteem. Later that year, she participated in a webinar attended by AGC supporters and continued to relay her ambitions about pursuing a career improving the infrastructure of her community and country.
Vivan’s Rallying Cry to Girls Everywhere: We CAN and We WILL!
As the pandemic wore on, Vivian continued to express herself by entering an essay in the Girl Rising Storytelling Challenge. Always industrious, Vivian kept busy during the school closure by working for a soap manufacturing enterprise.
Vivian is on track to earn a National Diploma in Architecture in 2024 from Uganda Technical College in Lira. She has finished two years of coursework (80% funded African Girls Can*) and is now doing field work for practical experience.
*African Girls Can’s post-secondary investment in Vivian was $1,346.
We are happy to say that Vivian’s twin, Olivia, is also gaining marketable skills by doing a certificate course in fashion and design (AGC is not involved).
Now 21, Vivian catches us up on her successful four semesters of post-secondary training.
“It was fun adapting to a new environment, making new friends, and having new experiences. With AGC’s support, I acquired knowledge in different engineering fields. The third semester seemed to be the toughest with lots of new material, brain work, and practical activities in most of the course units, but all in all it ended well. The most interesting part was learning to use architectural software (Archicad and AutoCAD), which were hard at the beginning, but I managed to learn with help from course mates.
As our final, we are expected to apply the practical knowledge of what we learned in class to our community during a three-month internship (September to December, 2023). We are required to carry out construction work, make house modules out of boxes, and draw plans. In the construction phase, we participated in building a girls’ dormitory at Bata Secondary School in Dokolo District and we have started a new project of constructing a commercial building in Kitgum District. Construction work is hard! It takes a lot of energy to carry materials and mixtures. The worst is the harsh weather – staying out in the sun for hours. I was the only girl in the group and they did allow me to rest.
After this, I have applied to an architectural firm in Gulu to learn more about drawing plans. We are awaiting our final results and I believe I will be among the successful graduates of the program.”
Acen Vivian Leah – November, 2023
We know you can and you will, Vivian! You are an excellent role model for everyone in African Girls Can – and beyond – and we are proud of you.
Stay tuned for Vivian’s future chapters!
