The Independent Uganda: You get the Truth we Pay the Price
London, UK | THE INDEPENDENT | Ugandan teenagers Bamurumba Leona Marylouise, Amara Hallelujah Atukunda, and Yiga Gabriel, have won medals for their outstanding performance in the prestigious International Greenwich Olympiad (IGO) held in London.
Bamurumba 16, triumphed in the creative arts category with a gold medal while Atukunda 14 and Yiga 14 scooped medals in the firefighting and geothermal energy projects, respectively.
Bamurumba won the category with a visual project themed “Zero Hunger”, aligning with the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
Her artwork highlighted solutions to combating hunger, a pressing global issue affecting millions.
“I was inspired to draw about Zero Hunger because it highlights the importance of ensuring that everyone has access to sufficient food, which is essential for a healthy life,” said Bamurumba after her win. Her presentation stood out in a fiercely competitive pool of international participants from countries including China, the Netherlands, and the United Kingdom, among others.
Meanwhile, Atukunda’s model firefighting system, designed to enhance disaster response in informal settlements, secured her a bronze medal in the engineering category. Yiga’s geothermal energy concept, a sustainable electricity solution adapted for remote Ugandan communities, won bronze in the energy category.
The International Greenwich Olympiad, hosted annually by North London Grammar School, is more than an academic contest.
Focused on project-based learning, the Olympiad prioritises real-world applications of knowledge. It brings together exceptional youth from around the world to showcase how innovation, creativity, and collaboration can address pressing global issues from climate change to hunger, urban resilience, and inclusive education.
This year’s Olympiad carried the theme “Innovating for a Sustainable Future”, aligning closely with the SDGs and empowering students to think beyond theory. It was perfect for Uganda, where education is increasingly seen as a catalyst for social change.
In recent years, Ugandan schools and informal learning hubs have begun investing in problem-solving curricula that emphasize both STEM and the arts, a shift that is now producing international-level talent.
Bamurumba’s mother, Linzy Musekura, said that her daughter’s journey into art was self-propelled and deeply ingrained from an early age.
“She was the kind of child who could draw anything, while other children struggled to sketch a ball, she would draw entire scenes. She’s always been gifted,” Musekuura said in an interview.
She says the selection process began at the girls’ school, where students received an open call to apply through a formal proposal system. They had to choose one of the 17 SDGs, and for Bamurumba, Zero Hunger was a natural fit.
She recalled how they watched the awards ceremony via livestream. “We were glued to the screen, watching one category after another. When they finally announced her name, we just broke down in joy,” she revealed.
*****
URN
