On her first day at the Aga Khan University School of Nursing and Midwifery, East Africa (SONAM EA) in Uganda in 2006, Helen Kyakuwaire was two people at once. She had come to teach, and she had come to learn.
"I started working with the Aga Khan University Uganda in 2006," she recalls. "After successfully interviewing for a faculty position, I was also admitted into the Bachelor of Science in Nursing programme. From my very first day, I was both a lecturer and a student."
It was an unusual beginning and one that would shape not only her own growth but the growth of nursing education in Uganda. Twenty years later, Helen's journey reflects SONAM EA's own, as the School celebrates 25 years of advancing nursing and midwifery education across East Africa.
In those early years, Helen taught nursing students while pursuing her own bachelor's degree. She became one of the faculty members who pioneered the University's distance learning programme, a role which took her across the country.
"The students would come to the University for theory sessions, but I travelled throughout the country to assess them in their clinical placements. It allowed me to understand health care delivery across different regions while supporting nurses where they served."
Those experiences reaching nurses where they lived and worked shaped her understanding of what nursing education could be and set the stage for a career that would grow alongside the institution itself.
When Helen joined, SONAM Uganda offered just two nursing and midwifery programmes. Today, that number has doubled to four, alongside increased enrolment, stronger faculty and better infrastructure.
"I have seen SONAM grow in programmes, facilities, and human resources," she says. "The student numbers have increased significantly, and we now have modern facilities that support quality teaching and learning."
A defining milestone came in 2025, when SONAM Uganda moved from Old Kampala to its state-of-the-art campus in Nakawa, claiming its autonomy as Aga Khan University Uganda, bringing modern classrooms, laboratories, and simulation facilities that continue to strengthen nursing and midwifery education.
As the University grew, so did Helen's contribution. After completing her master's degree in nursing, specialising in Midwifery and Women's Health, she helped establish SONAM's Bachelor of Science in Midwifery – developing the curriculum and welcoming its first cohort in 2015.
"I am proud to have participated in developing the midwifery curriculum," she says. "I implemented it, learnt alongside the students, identified areas for improvement, and later contributed to revising the curriculum using those experiences."
For Helen, preparing for future health care professionals means continually adapting education to meet changing needs. And she is clear about where SONAM's greatest achievement lies: in its graduates, many of whom now lead departments in hospitals, universities, government institutions and health programmes across the region.
"SONAM's biggest impact in Uganda has been training nurses and midwives who now serve communities. Seeing our graduates lead departments and shape health care is incredibly rewarding."
If there is one lesson from twenty years, it is that learning never ends. "Aga Khan University gives you a strong foundation, but graduation is only the beginning. Continue learning, be patient, grow professionally, and always strive to become the best health care professional you can be."
As SONAM marks 25 years, Helen Kyakuwaire's journey is a reminder that institutions grow because of the people who dedicate themselves to learning, teaching, and service.
