Ecobank Uganda has donated learning tablets and assistive equipment to Angel’s Centre for Children with Special Needs in Wakiso District to support children with intellectual and developmental disabilities as part of celebrations to mark the Ecobank Day 2025
The visit to the centre forms part of this year’s Ecobank Day celebrations held under the theme “Enabling Inclusive Learning for All,” as the bank marks 40 years of service across Africa and 16 years in Uganda.
Ecobank says the decision to partner with Angel’s Centre is a deliberate effort to ensure that even the most vulnerable children are included in the country’s education journey and not left behind.
Grace Muliisa, the Managing Director of Ecobank Uganda, stated that Ecobank staff across the 32 African countries have stepped out of their offices and into the community.
“This month we celebrate 40 years of Ecobank on the continent and 13 years of our foundation supporting education. In Uganda alone, we have spent 16 and a half years working to ensure that vulnerable communities are not forgotten.”
Muliisa reflected on Ecobank Uganda’s previous initiatives, including supplying sanitary pads to keep girls in school and supporting visually impaired learners with reading equipment.
“We have seen firsthand how something as basic as a sanitary towel can keep a girl in school,” she said.
“Today, we extend that spirit of inclusion to children with disabilities because inclusive education must truly include everyone.”
The bank doNyanziin partnership with Simplifi Network, Victoria Nyanzi have donated 25 learning tablets, CP assistive chairs, food supplies and essential items to aid therapy and daily care. The bank pledged long-term engagement with the centre.
Angel’s Centre was founded in 2012 by Rosemary Nambooze Nuwagaba and her husband after their son was born with Down syndrome.
“Angel’s Centre was born from our personal story,” Nambooze said. “Today we care for over 55 resident children and support another 82 in the community. Our mission is to give disability a human face because every child deserves dignity, belonging and an opportunity to thrive.”
The centre employs over 30 specialists and caregivers, working with children who live with Down syndrome, autism, cerebral palsy and other conditions. But running the facility is a daily financial battle.
“The cost of raising a child with a disability is high,” Nuwagaba explained.
“We need assistive devices, medication, trained staff, nutrition therapy and hygiene supplies like pampers and sanitizers. Parents are already overwhelmed emotionally and financially, so we fundraise continuously just to stay operational.”
In an emotional appeal, Muliisa urged Ugandans to embrace local giving as a culture, not just an act of goodwill.
“As Ugandans, we are a generous nation,” she said. “We contribute to weddings, funerals and family moments without hesitation. But this is the moment to channel that generosity to causes like Angel’s Centre because foreign aid is drying up — if it hasn’t already. We must build our own support systems as a community.”
Both leaders agreed that what children with disabilities need most is consistent community commitment, not occasional sympathy.
“If every Ugandan reached out to just one child or one family, it would change everything,” Nuwagaba said. “These children wake up every day needing therapy, food, medical attention and a safe learning space. Commitment is what makes a difference.”
Angel’s Centre has directly supported over 160 children and provided counselling and community support to 150 families, with more than 30 staff and therapists offering daily specialised care.
