{UAH} Who is Victoria Sserunkuuma Kisarale??

Victoria attributes her administrative skills at Gayaza to Hajji Abaasi Kawaasi who she says happens to be her mentor, role model, inspirer and daddy. She says Hajji Abaasi who found her teaching at SMACK Entebbe Road told her that, "You must either teach at Gayaza or Kibuli SS and am causing your transfer henceforth to Kibuli SSS so that you are close to me. I want to mentor you as the next Headmistress of Gayaza High school". That was 30 years back

  The 10 plus years serving Headmistress of Gayaza High School is a daughter to Suzan and Ezekiel Sserunkuma of Sseguku – Entebbe Road. She was born on 19th August 1959 in a family of over 15 siblings 5 of whom were her mother and others from her father as a true Muganda of those days. Her father was a self employed man who owned Kattambwa Block Factory along Entebbe Road.

  Victoria attended Sseguku Primary School but left the school for Matale Boarding School. She however came back to Sseguku in P6 where she finally sat her PLE. At Sseguku she was a school head girl in 1972.

  Victoria then joined Gayaza High School in 1973 – 1976 where she did her O-Level. While at Gayaza, Victoria was among the 6 junior Prefects the school had as a setting of their time. While at Gayaza, Victoria was actress of the year for 3 consecutive years in 1974, 75 and 76 which she says has had significance on her leadership to date.

  She says Gayaza was and is a school of its kind. When it came to Easter seasons, Girls would wake up at 4:00 am and move to different dormitories singing Easter carols and says during their times, girls could also go outside the school but because the world changed, engaging with the community in regard to Easter morning carols went into memory.

  She recalls her days of Gayaza when she was sworn in as a junior prefect as one of the things she can never forget. The function was and is still a unique experience in its organisation and is equited to swearing of Mps at national level. It so happened that the culture made and still makes the school to go on a stand still.

As junior prefects,their roles were round and not specific as it is today and so used to supervise preps and the general cleanness of Gayaza. She also remembers the farming like milking cows, collecting eggs, digging in the vegetable gardens and says each girl had vegetable garden and would sell these vegetable to the dinning and earn extra pocket money which culture she has mentained todate in the school as headmistress. She continues to say that Gayaza had a fish pond as well, where S1 practiced and learnt about fish farming.

  She then joined Kibuli Muslim School. She says moving from a single sex was challenging because she started experiencing befriending moments from boys which was a rude awakening and says didn't know how to handle.She enrolled to do History Economics and Literature (HEL) but also served as a Dining prefect. She was at Kibuli when Hajji Mukasa was replaced by Hajji Abaasi Kawaasi.

Victoria hails Hajji Abaasi so much and adddresses him as her administrative father figure, a disciplinarian, mentor, role model, educationist and source of inspiration. She says, Hajji Abaasi's Administration was a religiously liberalized kind which gave students of different religions freedom of worship and that Hajji Abaasi often told staff that he wanted to teach people that religions can work in harmony and that Hajji Abaasi has lived that today.

  She left Kibuli for Makerere University to do a Bachelors of Arts with a concurring Diploma in Education graduating in 1982. Her teaching subjects were History and literature although now she changed to English and GP. Victoria says her high school and university tuition was fully paid by the government through the district education quarter schemes as was the setting of the days.

  Victoria joined university in 1979 at a time the political wave of the country was tense. This was the transition from Amin to the ushering in of the Obote 2 regime and as young people, they were none partisan but always joined the mob to sing for any party that happened to get to their reach at University. She remembers the DP 'Egumire' slagon.  After university she went to teach at St. Mary's College - Kisubi for 3 yeas.

  She says she was one of the first female teachers to teach in this Catholic Brothers' founded school together with her friend Joaniter Kiggimbo. Her life at SMACK was such challenging in that boys always teased them as young females of about 23 years over their physic whenever they passed by the HSC block.

Boys could say, "what is the name of the fat Girl? The fat girl is Vic. Noooo The fat Girl is Joaniter, noo she is vic", Can you comment on transport?"Transport we give her B Plus and Passport we give her C. Transport was the legs and passport was the face. Vic says she really hated those boys".

  Kisubi was really challenging as they had to make a lot of research to be able to present before the extremely brilliant boys from well to do families. She says she was also helped to cope up by Mr. Mwanje who was a co staff and a chief examiner in the East African Examinations Council who conducted CPDs often in the school but also availed himself for consultation   Victoria says, "It was at SMACK that Hajji Abassi Kawaasi found me teaching and caused my transfer that same day to go and teach at Kibuli. Hajji Abaasi said he wanted me to be close to him such that he mentors the next Gayaza High School Headmistress. That was 30 years back. When I joined Kibuli, I was an English teacher but also appoitend metron".

  She says "While teaching at Kibuli, I really mentored, inspired, guided and counselled girls of Kibuli and at one time, out of the 16 streams the schools had, girls were number 1 in 12 streams in academic performance".

  Her work in Kibuli can never be underrated as head of the over 400 girls hostel. Her legacy still counts in that upto todate, she has a National Eassy Writing Competition at Kibuli dubbed Sserunkuma Victoria Kisalare which she annually presides over. She was at Kibuli for 10 years and Hajji Abaasi called her and told her, "Vic, I have done enough mentorship to you and so your almost ready, in the next Deputy Headteachers Interviews, apply to be substantial Deputy and I want you in Gayaza".

She sat for the interviews, passed and was posted as Deputy Headteacher at Gayaza High School in 1998 at a time Mrs Ruth Kavuma was Headmistress. When Ruth Kavuma left to join politic as Woman Mp, Mrs Joy Male came in as Headmistress and she deputized her as well. When Joy Male retired, she was anonymously endorsed by the PTA, GOGA, Board of Gorvernors, staff and student as the befitting acting Headteacher until 2009 when she was fully appointed and posted to head the school by the Ministry.

  While at Gayaza as headmistress, she helped the school to attain many tangible and various status on top of keeping the school as an academic giant. During her tenure;
Gayaza has put up e-Learning Platforms
Organised holiday Farm camps
Become a Microsoft pathfinder school
Become Microsoft mentor school
Helped her teachers to win many award nationally and internationally
Awarded as Headteacher of the year in 2009.
Awarded a medal as a contributor of girl child education by the president
Completed the swimming pool
Currently constructing the stadium at Gayaza High
Constructing the swimming pool changing and shower rooms
Expanding the dining hall
Bought a school bus and a brand new Double Cabin
Helped the school to attain a brand new tractor with 6 implements to boast the farm camp ideas to girls.
Renovating the Senior house which used to be the official Headmistress' Residence
Embarked on expanding the administrative offices through the 'Tambula' project initiative
Helped the school to acquire a new cattle barn from the Netherlands embassy
Worked on the facelift of the Gate to its new look

She is a Rotarian and a charter member of the Rotary Club of Kasangati and once the Club president.

She is a member of the Uganda Association of University Women

A member of Action for Development (ACFODE) – a voluntary, non – gorvernment organization for women

A member of GOGA (Gayaza Old Girls Association)

Victoria is a really traveled lady who has been to US, Portugal Spain, Netherlands, South Africa, Zimbabwe, Canada, United Kingdom, Singapore

She is a parent to 4 biological children but with quit many more as Mrs Kisalare and as a great lady of her time. 

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Allaah gives the best to those who leave the choice to Him."And if Allah touches you with harm, none can remove it but He, and if He touches you with good, then He is Able to do all things." (6:17)

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