I greet and thank you for sparing this precious time to read this magazine.
On this special day 11/11/2022, we are not just graduating our great students who have taken on great steps towards achieving their life goals but we are celebrating eleven years (11 years) of successful existence and launching our School of Medicine and Paramedical Studies.
All these events are extremely special to me, my co-director, the staff and the entire community of FINS and the world at large. I will talk about each of them briefly to show how special they are:-
Our 3rd
In 2011 on November 14th, when we officially opened doors to start our business and train health workers for the world, almost everybody did not believe that we would last for a semester. We had insufficient resources to do so. We only had 90 students, in dilapidated buildings, no experience in managing institutions and everyone including some of our staff did not have trust in us, nor did they believe
in our capacity to achieve this great vision. All they did was to discourage us. But our self- trust, determination, passion was that strong and we relied on hope, the “audacity of hope” to continue moving on, to working hard, to praying to God more and we spent days, we spent months, we spent years doing so. Our first students (identified as Set I) completed their studies and graduated, as well as Set II and Set III up to Set 13 who are graduating today not just with passes but with distinctions, and credits and not just with Certificates but with Diplomas as well. Those who did not trust and believe in us do believe today that we can and we did achieve our dream. That’s why thousands of you are here with us. A humble institution that started with only certificates but started the diploma program in 2014. Among the students who are graduating today are; Set 5, Set 6, set 7, set 8 and set 9. This is a testimony of success worth celebrating. These ladies and gentlemen have left great milestones. They are chosen by God to love and serve, they hustled in the cold nights during preps, ate posho and beans, saw dying people for the first time, they did not quit and are now celebrating success, and we choose to celebrate their success today.
Eleven years of successful existence is yet another milestone we are celebrating we are not just happy about being around for 11 years but meaningfully being around. First, as you are aware just like we have a high mortality rate in Uganda and Africa at large, we equally have a high mortality rate of businesses. It’s very hard to survive the first anniversary. But we did survive the first year, the second, the third and today we are almost making twelve years and yet getting stronger. We are celebrating the achievements we have attained in these eleven years. From successfully getting licensed, accredited, obtaining a centre number, establishing more courses, purchasing our own land, building a great hospital and most importantly to becoming the first Medical University in Africa. We are also celebrating a clear vision for the future. All these achievements have not just come but they came with your support, our self-denial for most luxuries, determination to work hard and putting together a great team which works tirelessly and selflessly.
Launching the school of medicine and paramedical studies is another milestone we are celebrating
Most of you present here have heard or known about my story, which I can briefly narrate. Having lost both my parents at a young age, I was raised by my aunt who could not afford paying for me fees in good expensive schools. I was always the best in my class and my dream was to work hard and become a doctor. Indeed I worked hard, and passed PLE in first grade, I went to a small day secondary school even when I had been called by “big” schools but couldn’t go because resources did not allow. I slashed the school compound for fees but still worked hard as well. In S.4, I and my entire class excelled and I again passed in first grade. I thought I was getting closer to my dream of becoming a doctor but I was blasted when the organization that had started paying my fees then refused to pay my fees if I was to do sciences in A-level. The only condition for me to get fees was to do an Arts combination and that’s where my dream of becoming
a doctor ended. But I did not give up, I decided to dream even bigger. I decided that; “if I can’t be a doctor due to my poor background, I can train a doctor when I get the opportunity one day”.
Dear Reader, NEVER GIVE UP ON YOUR
DREAM; conditions keep changing and one day you could achieve that big dream of yours. In that regard, I worked even harder, did my Arts and excelled and hey! Today, we are launching the school of medicine having sunk billions of money in putting up this massive structure, with great laboratories. We are not just going to train health workers but great health workers with passion. Reaching to this milestone is a great success that we are celebrating today.
It’s because of those reasons that we are here today and I am sure we shall together come back in future to celebrate more successes. We pray for your continued support, trust and prayers.
I thank all our partners who have moved with us this far, the government through hospitals we train from, especially Fort portal Regional Referral Hospital (FRRH), Bukuku HC IV, Kibiito HC IV and other Health facilities which have given our students opportunities to train them and even employ them thus showing trust in our institution’s training. We thank the parents who have entrusted us with their children to train and the community that has given us a supportive environment. The journey we are in is full of great mountains to climb and seas to cross, too much wind to fly through. We seek for every ones support to reach there.
May God bless you. Thank you.
I remain
KALENZI VICTOR
C.E.O Fins Medical University