Regarding Henry

Several of you have kindly asked how things are going with Henry – the boy I met during my first visit to Uganda in a juvenile prison and with whom I am (hopefully) in the process of publishing a book.  After being released from prison in May of 2010, he completed eighteen months at Bob Goff’s Restore Leadership Academy in Gulu, where he finished second in his class and was voted as the student with the most “Outstanding Character.”  He then completed his last two years of secondary school at a leading science school – Uganda Martyrs Namugongo.

During the late summer of 2014, he was admitted into Kampala International University’s Biomedical Program.

Despite its name, KIU is not located in the capital city of Kampala, but is instead six hours to the west in Ishaka.

Because Uganda is a former British Protectorate (independence in 1962), its educational system mirrors England’s.  Hence, Ugandan school kids complete thirteen years of post-kindergarten education before beginning university, the last two of which are called “A Levels” and focus on three primary subjects that lead into their undergraduate program of study.  Additionally, both law and medicine are actually undergraduate majors and allow the students to begin their careers earlier than their American counterparts – five years post-secondary graduation for law and six for medicine.

Henry decided when he was young that he wanted to be a doctor after observing the relative scarcity of doctors in Uganda.  Consequently, he focused on Physics, Chemistry, and Biology during his A Levels.  After scoring quite high on his national entry exam, he was admitted to KIU into their Biomedical Program, which began in September of 2014.  During his first semester, he and the other 400+ students provisionally admitted into the program were required to take (and pass) thirteen subjects in order to be officially declared Biomedical students:

Biology, Physics, Chemistry, Entrepreneurship, Behavioral Science, Ethics, Research Methods, Communication Skills, Epidemiology, Biostatistics, Computer Science, Mathematics, and First Aid.

After first semester grades were released last week, 35 were dismissed from the program for failing to make the grade.  Another 35 were also dismissed, but are allowed to repeat all thirteen subjects a second time to see if they can make the grade.  Yet another 102 have been provisionally advanced into the Biomedical program on the condition that they take additional supplementary courses.  The other 300 or so have been officially admitted.

I am pleased (and proud) to report that Henry was in the latter group – passing all thirteen subjects comfortably.  We couldn’t be happier.

This semester, he is taking Biochemistry, Physiology, Human Anatomy, Environmental Health, Nutritional Disorders, and Nursing Practices.  Please continue to pray that his studies are blessed.

We are still “patiently” waiting for the ruling in the appeal I argued on his behalf just over two years ago, and there have been no developments in the ongoing saga concerning his family’s land.

I am heading back to Uganda next week for ten days and really hope my schedule allows me to visit Henry at school.