lifestyle 3 May 2026 Daily Monitor (Uganda)
Esther Namukwaya: Turning Personal Pain into a Mission to Make the 'Invisible' Seen
Esther Namukwaya, founder of Tu Es Belle Foundation, shares how childhood bullying and her mother's early death inspired her to help overlooked women and children in Uganda. She stresses that a life without positive impact on others lacks purpose, blending faith, mentorship, and economic support in her work. Source: https://www.monitor.co.ug/uganda/lifestyle/reviews-profiles/-we-ought-to-understand-share-feelings-of-another--5445532
Over a relaxed lunch at Kampala Serena Hotel, Esther Namukwaya, founder of the three-year-old Tu Es Belle Foundation, opened up about her journey. Inspired by a bully who called her ugly, she named her organization ‘Tu Es Belle’—French for ‘you are beautiful’—to affirm the worth of those who feel unseen.
Raised by strong male figures after losing her empowered mother at age four, Namukwaya grew up in church settings witnessing widespread suffering, especially among women and children. This shaped her focus on ‘invisible people’—those surrounded by others yet truly unseen, like schoolchildren revealing hidden traumas even to their families.
Tu Es Belle provides school supplies, medical aid, mentorship, and job linkages, mainly funded internally by church and board members for transparency and value alignment. Challenges include timekeeping for new workers, but Namukwaya balances compassion with accountability, rooted in her Christian faith linked to Glory of Grace Ministries.
She rates their mentorship at a modest six out of ten, prioritizing real-life changes like happier families. Future plans include a hospital for free check-ups for women and children, a skills training center, and global expansion.
Namukwaya admits her work has built patience and strength amid stories of abuse, reinforcing her belief: ‘If your life is not impacting someone else, then I don’t think you have a reason to be alive.’
Source: Daily Monitor (Uganda)