By Gaby Vivolo

On May 31, Divine Mugisha, a Mastercard Foundation Scholar at USIU-Africa and founder of the non-profit Supportive Pillar Organization (SPO) gathered with her fellow students and Scholars to screen A Divine Journey, a documentary film that narrates her touching life story of navigating the difficulties of poverty and displacement while also spotlighting the altruistic source of her motivation for initiating SPO—the desire to empower and provide education access and mental health services for vulnerable communities.

From a young age, Mugisha, a Psychology student at USIU-Africa, has been a changemaker and leader in her community, filled with the drive to advocate and fundraise for students and the youth at the Dzaleka Refugee Camp and other regions of Malawi.

Beyond highlighting this important mission, the screening allowed her to share more about herself and convey her inspiring calling with her refugee community, classmates and friends. “I'm not always open about my background and where I've been, so it was more of letting them know me more,” Mugisha said. “I [loved] the way they loved the movie; it [was] quite encouraging,” she added.

And although Mugisha has viewed the film multiple times, it still resonates deep within her and serves as a tool for introspection. “[A Divine Journey] has been about the audience's discovering themselves, which also gives me a chance to practice my passion of helping them navigate through the dreams that they are having,” Mugisha explained.

After the screening, Nancy Jada, a South Sudanese student, was moved to tears by the relatable story. "We are all Africans, and everyone should have a sense of home; everyone should be proud of their home. Now, I want to help my people more. I'm very proud of people like Divine, who have the courage to help,” Jada said.

This sense of enthusiasm and inspiration was not just individually felt by Jada but by the majority of the audience, who are now bursting with pride and excitement to start their own initiatives and give back to those who need it most.

“Her story taught me that it doesn't matter what you have, it doesn't matter where you come from, it's about your mindset – it doesn't matter what people say, you will pursue your dream [and] you will change lives,” stated Dudi Nyok Luat, a South Sudanese Scholar and second-year student. “It transformed my perspective, it ignited something in me to take action, [and] it's the same way it will ignite action in [the] thousands who will watch it,” he added.

A Divine Journey documentary proves that positive change is achievable with no other resources other than a kind heart and selfless motivation. To those who have been able to view the film, Mugisha now serves as an example of a modern hero and a reminder that they, too, can be the change they want to see in the world. She hopes that in the future, she will be able to share this film with the rest of the USIU-Africa campus community.

To host a private screening of the documentary ‘A Divine Journey’, contact Hello@splicerfilms.com

More information on ‘About A Divine Journey’ can be found here: https://www.unmaskedfilm.com/adivinejourney

For more information about is available here: Supportive Pillar Organization