Stella

Stella lost her mother while she was still in primary school and did not know how she would continue paying her school fees. An MBB scholarship enabled her to attend high school and later university.

As MBB’s third alumna to graduate as a civil engineer, Stella joins a growing line of female pioneers. For her capstone project, she designed a floating, solar-powered waste-removal machine, which she dedicated to MBB in gratitude for the mentorship that shaped her journey.

Stella returned to Uganda’s Nyumanzi refugee settlement to address challenges including waste management, flooding, and access to clean water. Today, she serves as MBB’s alumnae liaison, strengthening the network of university graduates working to create change in their communities. She also organizes local fundraisers and serves as a peer mentor.

Education transformed how Stella sees herself--and how others see her: not only as a refugee, but as an engineer and community leader. In her words, “Without a root, a tree cannot grow. MBB has been that root for me.”