By Jafar Mugera
From building schools in rural Uganda to sponsoring university education at home and abroad, House of Zakat and Waqf Uganda (HZWU) is leveraging Zakat and sadaqah donations to transform education, giving thousands of needy Ugandans access to opportunities that would otherwise remain beyond their reach.
Over the past two years, the charity organisation has committed more than Shs 750 million towards the construction and expansion of Lodonga UMEA School in Yumbe district and Degeya UMEA Primary School in Gomba district, providing modern learning facilities for Muslim communities that previously lacked adequate educational infrastructure.
The investments form part of HZWU’s broader mission of using Zakat and Waqf resources to improve access to quality education while empowering vulnerable Muslim communities through sustainable development. The institution’s contribution to education has previously been recognised in academic research as an example of how Islamic social finance can advance educational opportunities in Uganda.
In April 2026, the organisation launched another flagship education project worth Shs 630 million at Kishuro Muslim Primary School in Isingiro district. The project, undertaken in partnership with Iqra Foundation and Salam Charity, was dedicated to honouring the legacy of the late Dr Anas Abdul Noor Kaliisa, a renowned Muslim cleric and philanthropist.
The initiative will deliver five classroom blocks, a computer laboratory and a library, significantly improving the learning environment at the school while benefiting more than 1,330 learners in the surrounding community.
Beyond physical infrastructure, HZWU has invested heavily in human capital development through scholarship programmes that have opened doors to higher education for hundreds of deserving students.
The organisation has facilitated studies at Albukhary International University in Malaysia, where 30 Ugandan students have already graduated, while another 30 are currently pursuing their studies under the scholarship programme.
Within Uganda, HZWU has also supported higher education at Metropolitan International University, where more than 800 students have successfully completed their studies through the organisation’s scholarship initiatives.
At secondary school level, more than 500 scholarships have been awarded to learners at Kampala High School, Wakatayi Secondary School in Luweero district and Sumayya Girls High School in Wakiso district, enabling students from disadvantaged backgrounds to remain in school and complete their education.
