Awarded scholarship Link to Progress by Smit & Zoon

From grass to grace

Today, we want to share with you the story of a girl who became a woman.

Her name is Atyang Daphine, a girl from Uganda, who got awarded a scholarship by Link to Progress to study from 2017-2020. She managed to get her bachelor’s degree in Arts with Education, at Kyambogo University.

Daphine is very grateful that someone supported her education and believed in her. But it is foremost thanks to her willpower and altruism that she is now able to use the chance she has been given to speak up and to help the community.

Her life now

Currently, she is working for AT-Uganda (Agenda For Transformation Uganda) as the only female Executive Director. AT-Uganda is a youth-led community-based organization that aims to transform lives for development.

The latest project she has been working on, in partnership with Plan International Uganda, is called `Decide end child marriage`. They have collaborated with partners like policemen, cultural leaders, religious leaders, the community, and the district. Thanks to this project, they have been able to rescue many adolescents from child marriage and teenage pregnancy, informing them about their sexual rights through different health outreaches. In addition, they have also helped some girls in developing their skills to learn a profession like a hairdresser, to earn money and help their families.

AT-Uganda counts 120 young people, who are the agents of change within the community. They are willing to help in the fight against child marriage by sensitizing the community about the danger.

Atyang Daphine is very thankful for the help she has received so that she is now able to help other people.

“Thank you for making me the lady I am right now and the woman that I will be in the future. I am now an empowered woman financially, a lady who is the voice of others in the community”

– Atyang Daphine