Celebrating Uganda, Celebrating Home: Vienna College Namugongo and the Bonds That Last
Celebrating Uganda, Celebrating Home: Vienna College Namugongo and the Bonds That Last
As Uganda marks another Independence Day, the nation’s story of freedom stands tall but so too do the quieter stories of those who found a home here. For decades, Vienna College Namugongo, an international school on the outskirts of Kampala, has welcomed students from across Africa and beyond. Within its classrooms, dormitories, and sports fields, young people from different countries discovered more than an education they discovered belonging, the kind that turns a foreign land into a family.
For Samba Mjomba, an international student in 2004-2005, the feeling of home began on the basketball court. “Being on the ladies’ basketball team, traveling for regional tournaments, and winning together it wasn’t just sport; it was family,” she recalls. Teammates and coaches, including Stephen Okias, Jacky Mbabazi, Charlotte Bukirwa, Mary, and her Rwandese sisters, Gaelle and Joelle, offered care, encouragement, and camaraderie that extended far beyond the game.
“I remember a time I was sick,” Samba reflects. “The whole school, including the director, made sure I was okay. That level of concern was extraordinary. That’s when I knew Vienna was a safe place, a home away from home.” Sports, friendship, and attentive mentorship combined to create a nurturing environment in which she could thrive, both on and off the court.
Maggie Wasuk’s experience echoes this sentiment. Stepping into Vienna as a newcomer, she was initially daunted by the unknown. “First time in Uganda, I had no idea what to expect. I only knew I was stepping into a new academic chapter,” she recalls. What she found went far beyond textbooks and lectures. Vienna offered immersion in Ugandan culture music, dance, drama, sports, history while welcoming students from East Africa, the UK, the US, and beyond. “Learning resilience, especially during visitations when homesickness quietly crept in, Vienna taught me that belonging isn’t about where you are from but about the people who welcome, share, support, and grow with you,” Maggie says.
The 2004-2005 basketball season was a defining moment. Under Stephen Okias’s guidance, the teams swept national championships, and the girls’ team represented Uganda at the East African Schools Tournament in Mombasa, Kenya. “The support from the Vienna community was overwhelming,” Maggie remembers. “Teachers cheering, students celebrating, families showing up, it was collective pride in its truest form.” Even a two-week WNBA camp visit provided a glimpse of international recognition, reinforcing the lessons that greatness can emerge anywhere, even in the quiet corridors of Namugongo.
Majura Tungaraza, a Tanzanian student from the Class of 2002, experienced a similar journey of integration. Arriving as a teenager, he faced cultural differences, language barriers, and the weight of homesickness. Yet basketball became his bridge. “In Vienna, I found not just a place to play, but a family,” Majura recalls. His team’s Spirit School Championship win at Kyambogo, where he was named Most Valuable Player, exemplified how unity, effort, and shared purpose could build belonging regardless of nationality. A subsequent sports scholarship gave him the opportunity to travel across Uganda, deepening his connection to the country and its people.
For all three alumni, Vienna College represented more than an academic institution. It was a microcosm of Uganda itself: inclusive, supportive, and alive with communal pride. Friendships forged in classrooms, on basketball courts, and during school outings sustained them through homesickness, challenges, and moments of triumph. Teachers and management alike nurtured their growth, offering both flexibility and encouragement, ensuring that student-athletes could pursue their passions while feeling cared for and valued.
On this Independence Day, Samba, Maggie, and Majura celebrate Uganda not only for its freedom but for the openness and communal spirit that allowed students from across the globe to find a second home.
Home, they have learned, is not always where you are born, it is where you are welcomed, nurtured, and celebrated. At Vienna College Namugongo, international students from years past can attest: that home exists in classrooms and dormitories, on basketball courts, and in the quiet gestures of care that turn a school into a family.
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