“There is a saying that when you educate a girl child, you educate a nation.” For Grace Kobugenyi, Epicenter Manager, Kagadi District and African Rural University alumnae, this is more than just a saying, it’s a living experience .

In 2004, Grace embarked on a life changing journey at the URDT Girls School through the URDT Continuum, a unique education model that nurtures girls from Primary Five through University. At an early age, she was introduced to the visionary approach which that taught her and her family to envision a better future, assess their current reality, and chart actionable steps toward her goals.

After completing her A-levels, Grace joined African Rural University (ARU) and upon graduation,  she was employed as Epicentre Manager  by URDT-ARU’s mother Organisation to fast-track development disseminating the three Masteries (3Ms)-Creative Process Principles, Systems Thinking, and Sustainable Development.

This year alone, under the Young Africa Works Programme, Grace has impacted 2,298 young women and men, including persons with disabilities, by equipping them with vocational skills and soft technology to learn, work, and earn. She has empowered them to secure employment and create work opportunities. Of these, 1,618 are women and 671 are men.

Grace Kobugenyi with ARU Vice Chancellor-Dr Mwalimu Musheshe during the graduation of Youth under Young Africa Works Programme

In her own words
“The visionary approach taught me to see beyond obstacles. Through the URDT Continuum, I not only transformed my own life but also uplifted my siblings by paying their tuition. My story is proof that when you transform a girl, you ignite a ripple effect of change in the entire community.”

Visionary Approach is an approach to Development that permits democratic participation of community members in Development activities, thereby improving their ownership hence spearheading the Development processes. With this Approach, people learn that they are key to their own Development. Therefore, they formulate Visions of what they want to create in relation to their current reality and work towards achieving them according to Robert Fritz, the author of Visionary Approach, in his book of “Your Life as Art” (Fritz, 2022)

Grace’s journey is an example of how ARU education is contributing to sustainable development and nation building based on the Visionary approach.