'Not luck': How this Ugandan student landed over UGX 800 million to study abroad

Can you share a bit about your background and what inspired you to write this book?

I was born and raised in Uganda and studied here until I finished secondary school. All my older sisters won big scholarships to study in the US and in 2020, I won one to study in Canada. Honestly, I wrote this book out of frustration that many students in Uganda and Africa in general are missing out on the same opportunities my sisters and I were able to get because they don’t know the truth about what it takes to win major scholarships to study abroad.

What can readers expect from the Education Revolution?

A lot of hard facts. I dispel myths like “scholarships are only for people with a perfect report card.” I also share up-to-date insights as someone who's family has been able to repeatedly achieve these results and as someone that’s coached other students to see similar success. I’ve been fortunate enough to speak to individuals who select scholarship winners about what they look for in a student and these are things I include in my breakdown of what students need to do right now to secure big scholarships in the future.

What do you see as the future for scholarship opportunities for African students?

The future is bright because more scholarships are being created for students, especially with universities wanting more international students. I run a program that coaches students–especially the ones in early to mid secondary school–on how they can position themselves to see my kind of success and greater. My own younger sister just finished in the program and won over $2 Million in scholarships to study in the US. She starts this year.

The future is bright because more scholarships are being created for students, especially with universities wanting more international students Pulse Live Uganda

How can someone work with you to see such results?

I train students who are serious and ready to put in top-tier effort to gain top-tier scholarships–not students just looking for quick money. A great place to start is by reading the book then we can get in touch afterwards. I genuinely believe that only someone who’s seen the kind of success you want to see is qualified to help you get there and I want to see other Ugandans and Africans be immensely successful with their scholarship applications too.

In addition to her book, Jonanda will also be hosting her second Masterclass in Kampala this October titled Breaking Barriers: Unlocking Million-Dollar Scholarships for African Students. Tickets for this exclusive event are available now