Hellen, Class of 2025
She’s the First was founded on a simple belief: when a girl is educated—especially when she’s the first in her family to graduate—she can become “the first” to achieve extraordinary things.
Hellen, age 28, is living proof of our mission. (or shall we say Dr. Hellen Nabutuwa Timbe!) She was just entering her teenage years when She’s the First began partnering with her school, the Arlington Academy of Hope (AAH) in Uganda. AAH provided life-changing support to Hellen, who lost both her parents and faced a high risk of dropping out.
This year, she graduated from Kampala International University with her Bachelor of Medicine and became the first female doctor to graduate from AAH. 🎉 She’s currently exploring obstetrics and gynecology, doing cesarean sections, delivering babies, and managing a variety of obstetric conditions.
While She’s the First’s funding supported Hellen’s education, our partnership with AAH ran deeper than scholarships, having a profound influence on Hellen’s career choice — and an entire generation of girls in the village.
“She’s the First has been so supportive of empowering young girls at AAH to be goal-oriented and teaching them about prioritizing decision-making, especially regarding reproductive health and education. I benefited from some of the workshops they organized.”
Hellen is working at one of the best hospitals in Uganda, supporting women’s health.
Over the course of a decade, She’s the First guided AAH in introducing reproductive health education and establishing a mentorship program for the girls. These programs had a strong influence on the school’s teen pregnancy rates — there was a 60% reduction in cases in the last two years alone.
Hellen isn’t just a legendary graduate of AAH, whom teachers and the founders of AAH, John and Joyce Wanda, speak about with pride. Although she works in one of the best hospitals in the capital city, she personally makes the long trek back to AAH, in a rural village, to speak to the students herself.
“My message to them is that education opens many doors. Equip yourself with a skill or a service you can offer; this leads you to different offices, officials, countries, and in turn earns you money that changes your life completely.”
As Hellen shows, when you’re the first, make sure you’re not the last.
Please consider ending the year with a gift to our Stronger Together campaign:
Your donations unlock firsts. Hellen is stronger with Arlington Academy of Hope. AAH is stronger with She’s the First. And we are stronger with you.