For over 120 years, Gayaza High School has been shaping some of Uganda’s most distinguished women — doctors, lawyers, politicians, academics, and business leaders. But according to the school’s alumnae, none of that would have been possible without the little chapel sitting at the school’s entrance.
Now, that chapel is too small. And the old girls are doing something about it.
On Saturday March 21, alumnae of Gayaza High School officially launched a Shs7 billion fundraising campaign to expand the school’s chapel — a project they have named “Pillars of Grace” — with the goal of transforming a facility that currently holds 400 people into one that can accommodate 2,000 worshippers.
By the end of the launch event, they had already raised approximately Shs1.4 billion through cash contributions, pledges, and in-kind support.
The launch was marked by a prayers and thanksgiving service led by the Archbishop of the Church of Uganda, Samuel Stephen Kaziimba Mugalu, assisted by the Bishop of Namirembe Diocese, Moses Banja. Senior figures from the Kingdom of Buganda were also present, including the Second Deputy Katikkiro Robert Waggwa Nsibirwa, who officiated the fundraising segment of the event.
In his sermon, Archbishop Kaziimba made the case plainly — the chapel that has spiritually grounded generations of Gayaza students was built more than 60 years ago. The school that once used it has grown enormously. The chapel has not kept pace.
“Education without spiritual grounding is incomplete,” he said, commending the alumnae for taking ownership of what he described as building a house of God.
Headteacher Robina Kizito Katongole explained that the chapel’s location at the school’s entrance is not accidental — it is a deliberate statement about the role faith plays in the Gayaza identity. Over the decades, the facility has hosted baptisms, weddings, prayers, and community spiritual programmes.
But with student numbers rising steadily, a chapel that fits 400 is simply no longer adequate. Nsibirwa put the gap in stark terms — the school needs a facility that can hold 2,000, and getting there requires Shs7 billion, roughly $1.8 million.
Board Chairperson Rosette Lubwama Kebba described the chapel as a cornerstone of the school’s spiritual and community life, calling on all stakeholders to rally behind the project’s completion.
The Chairperson of the Gayaza Old Girls Association (GOGA), Christine Kasule Mulimba, framed the campaign as more than a construction project. It is, she said, a legacy.
“This expansion is our gift to current and future students. Anyone who contributes to this project is helping build a lasting legacy of faith and empowerment,” she said.
With Shs1.4 billion already secured and momentum clearly building, organisers are urging more well-wishers — alumni, parents, religious organisations, and corporate supporters — to come on board and help close the remaining gap.
The Gayaza chapel campaign arrives at a moment when conversations about the role of faith, wellbeing, and community in schools are louder than ever. As mental health experts call on schools to become holistic support systems for learners, projects like this one make a quiet but powerful argument — that the spaces where students pray, reflect, and find community are not extras. They are essential.
For Gayaza, a school that has produced generations of women who have shaped this country, the chapel is not just a building. It is where it all begins.
Are you a Gayaza alumna or well-wisher who wants to contribute to the Pillars of Grace project? Contact the Gayaza Old Girls Association (GOGA) for details on how to give.
