Man Who Sold Rabbits as a Child to Pay School Fees Rises to University Vice-Chancellor, Shares Inspiring Story

Man Who Sold Rabbits as a Child to Pay School Fees Rises to University Vice-Chancellor, Shares Inspiring Story

  • Lawrence Muganga was raised in a family that struggled financially and was perennially unable to raise his school fees
  • To help out, he ventured into the business of rabbit farming and not only raised enough for fees but was also willing to help other needy students
  • However, when he shared the news with his teacher, the business was termed a distraction and shut down, something that prompted Muganga to work hard and change the education system

Dr Lawrence Muganga is a Vice-Chancellor at Victoria University in Kampala, Uganda.

He may be at the apex of his academic journey and achievements, but very few people are privy to the journey there.

Muganga holds a PhD in Educational Administration and Leadership from the University of Alberta, Canada, and is a Vice-Chancellor at Victoria University in Uganda.
At the time Lawrence Muganga's venture was closed, he had about 300 rabbits. Photo credits: Lawrence Muganga/NTV Mwasuze Mutya
Source: UGC

That was until the 45-year-old recently revealed in a media interview that he used to sell rabbits as a young boy to get school fees.

Ventures into rabbit farming

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According to the academician, he was nine years old when he asked his mother for money to buy a male and female rabbit that he would breed and sell the bunnies.

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It was an idea that worked as he had about 300 rabbits within a year and had raised enough money to go back to school in central Uganda.

In his quest to see other children from humble backgrounds like him benefit from the business, the young Muganga offered some of the rabbits to his school as fees for them.

However, that was a wrong move as the teacher convinced his parents that the venture was eating into his concentration at school.

Muganga was not only suspended for two weeks but his business was also shut down.

He said:

"It showed me that the education system is more theoretical than practical."

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It was a blow that served as a learning point for him, something that made him promise himself that he would work towards correcting the education system to help students achieve their potential.

Sinks into books and knowledge

The loss of his rabbit farm did not deter him from channelling the energy to education as his dream was to either be a doctor or professor since he loved teaching.

When he finished his Masters in Economic Policy Management from Makerere University, he applied and was granted a Canadian education visa.

It is from here that he pursued a PhD in Educational Administration and Leadership from the University of Alberta, Canada.

Fast forward to nearly four decades later, the married father of seven is at the helm of an institution of higher learning.

Apart from the teaching career, Muganga is also a respected author whose book You Can't Make "Fish Climb Trees" is a bestseller on Amazon.

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Appreciates his mother

One thing about the university don is that his exploits around Uganda and in over 36 countries around the world may have changed a lot in him, but not the appreciation he has for his mother.

He said in an interview with NTV Mwasuze Mutya:

"My mother is everything to me. She has been there through the hard times and struggled to get my school fees."

Muganga added that his mother would escort him halfway to school on daily basis, something that made him swear to never let her down.

Apart from being a Ugandan by birth, the author and policy advisor also holds Canadian citizenship.

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Legit.ng previously reported that a Ghanaian business owner and author, Eric Ebo Acquah, shared how he overcame challenges to become a successful businessman in the floral and affordable housing industries.

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With his birth characterised by strange circumstances, he had a turbulent childhood but defied the odds.

According to Acquah, two years after his birth, he did not take his first step and he suffered delayed speech. As a result, his mother named him Jephthah as she believed he would triumph over the challenges.

Source: Legit.ng

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