Originally from Uganda, Maria is a Strategic Partnership Coordinator at Watts of Love, a global NGO based in Chicago. She works with donors, corporate partners, and stakeholders to secure funding and expand their mission of poverty eradication. Passionate about social entrepreneurship and mentorship, she strives to drive socio-economic transformation in vulnerable communities.

Maria holds a Bachelor’s in Public Health from Uganda Martyrs University (2019) and a Master’s from the University of Notre Dame ESTEEM Graduate Program (2024). While at Notre Dame, she was a graduate researcher with the McWell Center for Student Well-Being and supported peers navigating graduate school, earning the Most Supportive ESTEEMer Award. She also volunteered for South Bend’s poverty eradication initiative.

She received the Amy Hirsh Guarino Force for Good Award for using innovation for social impact with Watts of Love. A One Young World Ambassador (2024) and Huduma Fellowship alum, Maria believes, like Mother Teresa: “Not all of us can do great things. But we can do small things with great love.”