As a landed immigrant without skills, it took me two years at assorted jobs – from packing Styrofoam cups at a factory to working as a junior draftsman in Northern Quebec – to raise enough money to attend a university. My goal was Chemical Engineering and McGill University was the only one offering a program in English. My education in English was done in Uganda and India and without Canadian schooling my chances for acceptance at McGill were remote.
However, I enrolled in the Faculty of Engineering at Concordia University where I was accepted. Long hours of hard work and determination helped me to achieve excellent grades in the first year. I applied to McGill University confident that I would be accepted. I was devastated when my application was rejected.
I had a part-time clerical job with Sheldon Azimov who ran a business from his house. Sheldon’s mother, Mrs. Azimov, felt sorry for me and took me under her wing, treating me like a son. She was the one who suggested that I question why my application was rejected.
I decided to meet Professor Douglas, Chair of Chemical Engineering at McGill. I told him my application was rejected to study Chemical Engineering at McGill. He granted me an interview to discuss my application and asked me to bring all my credentials and transcripts. Professor Douglas forwarded my case to the admissions office. Whatever the learned man did, I do not know. Two weeks later, I was accepted to study for a bachelor’s degree in Chemical Engineering.
I needed money to continue studying at McGill so I reached out to student aid both for a loan and bursary. I was refused. David Elisha, a student advisor, was puzzled about why I was declined a student loan given my dire financial situation. Elisha looked into my application for a loan. A couple of months later, I was granted a loan and bursary. In addition to summer jobs, I took other odd jobs to make ends meet. I graduated with my bachelor’s degree in 1980.
I am grateful to Mrs. Azimov for encouraging me to question McGill regarding my application. I appreciate the time that Professor Douglas took to fight my case with the McGill admissions office. If it wasn’t for David Elisha, I would not have had the financial capability to complete my degree and achieve my life-long dream. I strongly believe that these three people inspired me to set up a charity, which I have been operating for the past 26 years. During this time, we have donated over $70,000 to people in need in Canada, India, Uganda and Kenya.
In the last couple of years, I have raised funds on my own to help children and families in Northern Uganda that have been affected by Nodding Syndrome. This is a rare neurological disorder that affects young children living in internally displaced camps during the war in Northern Uganda. A cure has yet to be found, but in the meantime the families need medical help and food. I am in the process of setting up a charity dedicated to empowering these families to grow their own food. It has been appropriately named “Help U Grow Charity for Uganda”.