By DeNae Thomas
Assistant Lifestyles Editor
There are a few college students who know exactly what they want to do with their lives. Senior Jane Kembabazi is one of them.
In 1999, Kembabazi came from Uganda in Eastern Africa to the United States in order to finish her education, and fulfill her dream of helping unaided women and children in her country.
“I knew that in order for me to have a voice and be an advocate for children, especially orphans because they have no one to be a voice for them, I had to be part of the policy-making process,” Kembabazi said. “In order for me to be a voice for those children, I needed to study and understand policy and be able to compete with other politicians.”
Kembabazi studied in Dallas for two years at El Central College before coming to Pepperdine in 2001.
This year Kembabazi is a member of the Black Student Union and is a Resident Advisor in George Page Apartments. She will be graduating this spring with an international studies major, an emphasis in politics and a minor in sociology. Next year Kembabazi is planning on attending law school and furthering her study of dispute resolution.
“Sure enough Pepperdine law school is my first choice,” Kembabazi said. “A miracle happened when I got a scholarship to come to Pepperdine and I am hoping that another miracle will happen so that I can complete a joint program of public policy and dispute resolution at Pepperdine’s law school.”
After law school, Kembabazi wants to return to Uganda where she will help the people she watched suffer when she lived there in her childhood.
“If I graduate from the Strauss institute at Pepperdine I will set up a conflict resolution center in Uganda to help children and women who can’t pay their legal fees,” Kembabazi said. “Through dispute resolution, mediators can get parties to resolve conflict peacefully outside of court instead of paying a lot of money for a trial.”
She wants to return to Uganda instead of advocating from the United States because she wants to be as close as possible to those she is helping.
“It is hard to handle conflict from another country,” Kembabazi said. “I have to interact with the people in their setting in order to fully understand and empathize with their situation.”
What is your passion?
It has always been my passion to work with people who are needy and to see how they feel and listen to their stories and make a difference.
What is the path that led you to studying in the United States?
I grew up in a rural area of Uganda then moved to the capital city, Kampala, when I was 11 years old for high school. When I finished high school I went to an institution of social development for one year, which specializes in social work. I worked in London for a year and then returned to Uganda to work with children in orphanages. At the orphanage I met Alexis Hefley, who is now the president of the Uganda Children’s Charity Foundation. The UCCF has their office in Texas, but when Alexis visited Uganda and the orphanage where I worked, I expressed my desire to come to the U.S. to study because I knew I needed to get more skills and education. Alexis gave me an opportunity to come to the U.S. in 1999 when the UCCF organization gave me an initial scholarship to go to El Central College in Dallas, Texas, for two years.
Why did you choose to come to Pepperdine?
I knew I needed to study dispute resolution to change policies in Uganda and one of my professors in Texas said that Pepperdine has the best dispute resolution program. Initially when I looked at the tuition I thought that I was not going to apply because it was so expensive. But then I thought maybe a miracle will happen. So I applied to Pepperdine and sure enough, yes, the miracle happened. Pepperdine gave me a scholarship so I came here and I love what Pepperdine is all about. I am sure that what I have learned will help me make a difference for others and will push me in the direction I have always wanted to go.
Why are you focusing on public policy and dispute resolution?
Some of the things that negatively affect the women and children in Uganda are policies that were designed by the country and I want to play a role in changing them. Also, I feel that Pepperdine has the strongest resolution program in the country, which is why I am here.
What kinds of questions are you asked when people find out you are from Uganda?
Some people have a misconception of Africa because they think the world is like what they see on television. I have been asked if people in Uganda wear clothes. Sometimes I get surprised to get such questions from people in a place of higher learning. But for the most part Americans are very courteous. I realize now that people do not know and they want to know so they have to ask questions. For that reason I don’t get offended.
What is one of the best things about studying in the United States?
Once I return to Uganda I know that I have made friendships with people I can call upon from time to time for help. This is what really helps — when you have friends all over the world you will always have people to rely on.
February 20, 2003
