Exiled Ugandan activist and scholar Dr Stella Nyanzi has shared an emotional milestone after her twin sons graduated from Bavarian International School in Germany, describing the moment as the culmination of two decades of struggle, sacrifice, and resilience as a single mother.
In a heartfelt reflection, Nyanzi said she was overwhelmed with joy during the graduation celebrations, calling it one of the most defining moments of her life.
“Today, I am the happiest woman on earth! My babies are graduating from Bavarian International School,” she said.
“I am thankful to all their teachers over the years. To all the good people who helped me raise, love and educate my children, our twins are done with high school!”
She added that the family’s celebrations extended beyond the formal ceremony, noting that her son Baraka was equally jubilant. “Tonight, we shall all break a leg!”
Emotional milestone after years of sacrifice
Nyanzi also revealed that she broke down in tears during the graduation gala, describing the emotional weight of raising her children largely on her own while navigating financial and political hardships.
“At the twins’ graduation gala last night, I cried for joy,” she said. “For me, as a single mum of twenty years, the hardest assignment in my life has been educating my three children.”
She recounted years of financial strain, explaining how school fees were often paid in instalments and carefully managed around academic schedules.
“The bursars in all the schools my children attended know me well. Each term, I kept an open book for paying tuition fees in instalments,” she said. “Paying all my school dues before the start of exams at the end of each term has been my sole goal for two decades. Some years were better than others.”
Juggling motherhood, work, and public life
Beyond financial pressure, Nyanzi highlighted the logistical challenges of raising children involved in multiple school activities at once, often requiring her to be in different places simultaneously.
She described attending overlapping school events, from sports competitions to music concerts and parent-teacher meetings.
“Cheering for a swimmer at the pool while one child had a badminton competition and the other was playing football for the school team became my practice ground for multi-tasking,” she said. “Balancing quality time for each child was the challenge.”
Despite these difficulties, she credited a wide support system for helping her raise her children, including teachers, caregivers, and even online communities.
“It has taken a whole village of family, friends, neighbours and even strangers to raise and educate my children,” she said. “Teachers, school nurses, coaches, bursars, caterers, drivers, security guards, counsellors, cleaners… Even Facebook advisors helped over the years.”
From Uganda to Germany
Nyanzi also reflected on the difficult decision to relocate her children from Uganda to Germany, noting the cultural and linguistic adjustment challenges they faced.
“Uprooting the children from Uganda to resume school in Germany was tough. Nobody prepares teenagers for the sharp changes of a new country with a completely new language,” she said.
She added that her years of political struggle, including periods of imprisonment, further underscored the importance of community support in her children’s upbringing.
“The toughest years when I was a political prisoner confirmed the roles of our support network beyond me,” she said.