NUI Blog - Northrise University Initiative

Northrise’s 8th Annual Auction Banquet was held this past Sunday at the Crevier Classic Car Showroom in Costa Mesa, California. 320 people gathered for a night of fellowship, dinner, auction bidding and fun to raise funds in support of Northrise. Moffat and Dorren were there to share about what is going on in Zambia. Three 2008 Northrise graduates, Agness, Banji, and Godfrey woke up at 3 am Zambian time to prepare for a live Skype call broadcast during the event. The guests were able to see and hear from them first hand, how Northrise University has changed their lives for the better. A net of $125,000 was raised at the event, with 100% of these funds being sent directly to support Northrise in Zambia! To God be the Glory!

Dr. Mutesa is Northrise University’s Academic Dean. He joined Northrise University in June 2009.  The media team were privilaged to steal a few moments of his time and here is some of what he had to say…

Why did you choose to come to Northrise?
Northrise University offers a unique learning environment. First and foremost, NU is a Christ centered learning institution which helps Christians to grow their faith. Secondly, NU offers excellent academic standards. Northrise enables you to not only grow spiritually, but also excel academically.

What do you think about NU (as the Academic Dean) so far?
NU is increasingly gaining recognition as the leading private university in Zambia. I suppose this is because of its excellent facilities and rigorous academic standards. We have been reciving positive feedback from organizations that employ our graduates and I think this has led to increased confidence in what we are doing.

What do you like the most about your job?
I like the interaction with different people. We have students drawn from all parts of the country and Ndola city in particular. This diversity presents a unique opportunity to gain insight into the different worldviews people hold and this makes learning interesting and fun.

What do you look forward to seeing at NU in the future?
We will open a Faculty of Sustainable Agriculture in 2012. This will act as a catalyst for the diversification of the economy away from copper to agriculture. The benefits are numerous and I pray that I will be there to see this happen.

How do you hope to impact NU?
Christ taught us that we are all a key part in His Body. I am part of a larger team of very talented and dedicated faculty and staff. I hope that my work will be part of a larger effort to positively impact the lives of our students, community and world.

Dr. Mutesa comes to Northrise with many intellectual gifts and Northrise has truly appreciated his coming on board…

Saturday, the 8th of May 2010, Northrise Staff spent their entire day at the main campus on the farm grounds. This unusual gathering was intended for Northrise University to make room for storage for the equipment that is on its way to Zambia from the States. The day was started out with laughter and the mood was generally that of a social gathering… It was nice to see everyone show their muscles by lifting heavy stuff and just having fun in the process.  

2 PM was time for a break and everyone enjoyed the fellowship while barbecuing some steak. After lunch, the ladies gathered to take a rest and enjoy the breeze under some shade.  The men, as always, took the lead to pick up where it was left off and practically did most of the manual work in the afternoon. Before long, the afternoon was over and everyone was ready to head back home after a good all day exercise…

by Godfrey Mpala