Teenage Orphan Who Repeated School Twice Secures Scholarship to Join College

• Mark Longora’s life turned bleak when he lost both parents three years apart
• Unable to pay fees, he decided to repeat classes, hoping to score a grade that would earn him a government scholarship, in vain
• He was on the verge of losing hope when a Good Samaritan offered to sponsor him through Teso College Aloet for his O-Level studies

Mark Longora, a 14-year-old boy from the Karamoja sub-region in Uganda, has finally re-ignited his dream of pursuing further education.

Longora was all smiles as he bid his people bye to join college. Photos: Daily Monitor. Source: UGC

Longora was on the verge of giving up on the education dream after sitting his second Primary Leaving Examination (PLE) exams.

Longora hoped for a scholarship

The teenager, who repeated the exam due to lack of fees, had initially appealed to the president for help to join secondary school before a Good Samaritan offered him a scholarship.

Daily Monitor reports that Longora scored 13 aggregates in his first attempt in 2022 and 14 aggregates in his second attempt in 2023.

“I was forced to attempt the same examination in the same school in the hope that I would get a government scholarship but ended up bagging 14 aggregates,” he revealed.

He, however, watched helplessly as his peers joined Form One while he sat at home facing economic hardships that threatened to derail his journey.

Things changed when his plea caught the attention of a sponsor named Robison Freddie, who offered him a college scholarship.

Longora lost parents 3 years apart

Longora, an orphan who lost his father in 2019 and his mother in 2016, expressed joy and gratitude upon joining Teso College Aloet for his O-Level studies.

“I never imagined that this would happen but it has come to pass,” the overjoyed student said.

He was accompanied to his new school by his former head teacher, Mr Robert Okiror, who has always supported him.

Mr Okiror expressed his confidence in the young student’s commitment to education, noting that Longora had always shown passion and dedication.

The scholarship is facilitated by Alex Namurani, a coordinator at Strengthening Education Systems and Bridging Learning Loss (SESBILL).

Boy who sold charcoal for fees joins college

In another uplifting story, a Ugandan boy who sold charcoal to pay school fees was emotional after joining college.

Joshua Tendo Mwanje struggled to remain in school due to financial challenges but still emerged among the top performers in the final exams.

The bright boy was worried that his education had reached a premature end as he could not raise the required funds to continue.

He emotionally broke down and cried when the director of his former school offered to support him through college.