Remembering Betty Bigala

Betty Bigala, Bududa Learning Center’s beloved secretary of thirteen years, passed away. We lost her on February 3rd at age 69. Robert Kotaki (BLC’s Director) and I were fortunate to be able to visit her in the hospital, where her loving family surrounded her.

Betty's impact on the school and community was visible at her burial ceremony in Bududa. Her family, church, and community organized a truly wonderful ceremony, with over 1,000 people attending. The ceremony lasted five hours, featured many speakers, and ended with a fiery sermon. Betty was revered and well-known; after the service, we could not go anywhere in the village without strangers coming and commiserating with us about our loss of Betty. 

Remembering Betty makes me think back to when I first met her. It was 2011, and our headmaster suggested that we try to get Betty Bigala as our school secretary. She had been the secretary at Bududa Secondary School. He knew she was a good person and had an outstanding professional reputation. Betty came to work for us then and has become an example to all. As BLC’s secretary, Betty handled the school business and the Women’s Microfinance Initiative hub on the school campus. Betty’s work with WMI gave out small loans to hundreds of women over many years. While Bettyformally retired last year, her loss is deeply felt by the students and staff of BLC.

Betty was a pillar of BLC. She embodied everything you think of when imagining an ideal school secretary. Betty took the time to truly get to know our students, their strengths, and their needs. When she found a student was struggling to pay their school fees, she would help with her own money if a scholarship wasn’t available rather than have them leave the school. She was known to invite students to stay with her if needed. As her son Eric said at her funeral, she was generous and selfless.

We have lost our beloved, hardworking, popular, responsible, socially active, community-centered, welcoming, loyal, generous, selfless school secretary and friend.  May her soul rest in peace.