YALI – UGANDA HISTORICAL VIST TO THE OMUKAMA OF TORO

On 27th May 2016, the YALI RLC Chapter of Uganda was delighted to meet the Omukama of the Royal Kingdom of Toro H.R.H. Oyo Nyimba Kabamba Iguru Rukidi IV in His beautiful palace in Fortportal. This magnificent visit came a day before the team held an event dubbed an evening with” with the youth of Toro at Daji Building on 28th May 2016, in which the youth of Fortportal interacted with their one and only Member of Parliament Hon. Alex Ruhunda.

Led by the Chairperson of the YALI RLC Chapter of Uganda Ms. Esther Namboka, the team comprised of Nabatte Proscovia, Penelope Katanagi, Sylvia Kakyo, Agnes Kemigisa and Dr. Eda Kakemba was humbly welcomed by the King and His Royal Entourage; the Prime Minister- RT. Hon. Bernard Tungwako together with the Deputy RT Hon. Steven Tinka at 4:30pm.

The historical visit to the Omukama was purposely to have a discussion on how the YALI Uganda Chapter can collaborate with Toro Kingdom to stimulate growth, enhance leadership and transformation skills among youth of Toro with the aim of contributing to societal transformation and national development.

Other issues discussed were;
• How the Chapter can mutually collaborate with the kingdom
• Present a brief account of the YALI and how the Toro youth can tap in some opportunities available at YALI
• Brief the king on Chapter’s event of an evening with and its desires to have more related activities with the Toro Kingdom and Fort portal at large.
• How some of Toro Youth Development Associations can be incorporated with the YALI Chapter activities to realize fruitful transformation in Fortportal region and Uganda at large.

According to the Chairperson of the YALI RLC Chapter of Uganda Ms. Esther Namboka, the chapter will be able to share transformative leadership and development skills and knowledge with the youth of Toro. Ms. Namboka said that with the changing global interest, there is a need for the youth to actively engage in different sectors of economy.

“The world is rotating and changing every day but the question is who will take over leadership for the next generation? It is high time we the youth leave our comfort zones and actively engage in activities that connect us and led us to economic and transformative development,” she said.

“As the youth leaders, we should exercise the action of integrity, honest, be creative, confident, self driven and courageous. We should be able to engage others in an ethical manner to generate a positive and lasting change. As the YALI RLC Chapter of Uganda, this is what we want to instill among our fellow youth of Toro,” she added.

Addressing the team, H.R.H King Oyo, was grateful to meet a young empowered team having an interest in engaging and influencing a positive change in the community. He commended the Kingdoms mutual relationship with the YALI RLC Chapter of Uganda saying that it will be of great importance for his youth to realize the need of active engagement in development.

The Omukama of Toro also said that the Kingdom of Toro has identified several development projects for the youth. He highlighted that the projects identified are culturally and economically interlinked with the well being of the people of Toro.

“We have embarked on elevating the cultural awareness among the people of Toro, increased economic, political and health awareness at the grassroots level. Encouraged the youth investments in agriculture so as to create employment opportunities and alleviate poverty. The kingdom has also engaged in revamping the tourism sector of the region and we hope to earn a lot from it,” he explained.

The team was honored when the king graced them with the Toro pet names such as Abwoli, Amooti, Atwoki, Akiiki among others. On the fateful day the team was also hosted on KRC radio where they sensitized youth on leadership transformation.

By Nabatte Proscovia

I am a woman called to lead Africa from the frontline, Proscovia Nabatte

https://suewanjiru.wordpress.com/2016/03/23/i-am-a-woman-called-to-lead-africa-from-the-frontline-proscovia-nabatte/

Is Africa the Africa we know?

The interaction I had during the YALI Cohort 5 training on this is Africa opened my mind widely to understand what really Africa is. Thanks to the program organizers and sponsors. With its facilitator (this is Africa training) David Kamau, I was able to challenge my mind on the perspective, vision and image of Africa.

Sitting in one of the important rooms of Yali East Africa-Nairobi; slightly opposite to a legendary room in which the U.S.A President Barack Oboma addressed the YALI participant of Cohort 3 in 2014, I closed my eyes and envisioned my beloved mama Africa. In this vision I saw a fresh water body equating to our Lake Victoria in Uganda. It was an early morning with a warmth breeze, the wind was sweeping across the lake and small calm waves were coming towards the lake showers.

The sun is starting to rise. I can see a spot of light at the horizon, as if the sun is rising right out of the water. See the light growing on Lake Victoria as it begins to rise above the horizon. Small streaks of light shine into the sky, as the sky grows lighter and lighter with the growing dew.

I heard a swift bold voice, rise up mama Africa. Africa we rise, we rise like the beautiful sun.”

At this moment I noticed the colorful simple and gentle rays splitting the lake, opening my eyes widely to see what was happening, I saw a beautiful continent rising from the beautiful and fresh Lake Victoria covered with the shinny colorful sun rays. It was my home, my freedom, love and peace, my mama lands. IT WAS AFRICA.

For many years, Africa has been portrayed as a dark continent by various scholars and story tellers. Several books have been published talking about Africa as a land of devils and beasts. Others referred to it as a continent of no hope.

The Journalistic negative impression in reporting has raided away the beauty of Africa and for many years the rich and resource endowed continent has been portrayed by media as hopeless, futureless, poverty-stricken, corrupt, under-developed continent.

As young children, we have been brain washed with these negative and unimpressive comments on the continent. We have been brought up with this mentality that we have no hope for the better. And this has culminated into more and more challenges in Africa. The kind of image shaded and stereotype drawn, have created low self-esteem among Africans.

These have made us think that we cannot support ourselves. In this way, we have become dependants, beggars, inferiors and puppets of what we think and call the superior and famous continents.

However, not all these things present a true reflection of how blessed and resourceful the continent is. It might be true that the continent is faced with immense socio-political and economic challenges. It might be also true that the continent has the longest list of leaders who have long overstayed in power and continue to plunder much needed resources while ignoring the endless needs and complaints of the poor masses. But it does not mean that we do not have the best for ourselves.

We have witnessed several peaceful countries, we have a beautiful cultural set up, and Africa is well and heavily endowed in minerals. We have had legendary and brilliant-highly honored people like Nelson Mandela; we have got great writers and professors globally known. Gifted by nature; we have good climate and soils facilitating agriculture and we are known as the world’s basket when it comes to food production.

In her story “the dangers of a sing story”, Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie a renowned Nigerian Writer says that the environment we live determines our fate. A singles story to a given society formulates their daily life. People will attach and associate themselves with that single story.

“So that is how to create a single story, show a people as one thing, as only one thing, over and over again, and that is what they become…………… When we reject the single story, when we realize that there is never a single story about any place, we regain a kind of paradise,” she says.

We should therefore turn at the back cover our books and read the rest of the pages about Africa. History should be changed to have the other story of Africa. I believe we have a long nice and interesting story to tell. That story which presents the legacy, the power and love of Africa. Africa we should rise for this.

By Nabatte Proscovia

Creativity in mind: design thinking

I have drawn great inspiration and wonderful lessons from Nasreen Dhanji the concept of design thinking. I therefore believe that this will help me to create and implement innovative, influential communication and leadership programs.

This is because the concept of design thinking presents one of the best frameworks for marketing and communication professionals to understand as they adjust to the current socioeconomic trends transforming business.

The unstated ideas and principles of design thinking have been in practice for centuries and have served as the basis for many technology and business model innovations.

Companies like Apple and Dell have famously validated these principles to create significant game changing business models and innovations that in many ways have redefined the landscape of their respective industries.

Wikipedia defines design thinking as a process for practical, creative resolution of problems or issues that looks for an improved future result.

It is the essential ability to combine empathy, creativity and rationality to meet user needs and drive business success. Unlike analytical thinking, design thinking is a creative process based around the “building up” of ideas.

Tim Brown says, the process of design thinking provides approaches to solving problems in very creative and innovative ways. Instead of making the best choice from existing alternatives the idea is to create new alternatives.

It all starts with asking the right questions followed by getting active participation by the community.

Design thinking is a “human-centered approach,” which means truly getting down to the core of what we think it means to be human, of what it ‘should’ look like, and how we want to experience life.

In this regard, the process of planning and critical thinking is perhaps the most important element to develop effective and innovative strategies. John Bell offers a perspective on the skills and tools that communication professionals must poses to support this process.

Bruce MacGregor offers some key principles that make design thinking work. These among others include:

Insight driven. In a world where social business is defining new rules for companies to compete, it is critical to be open to ideas that are not your own and be comfortable enough to apply them to what you do to generate competitive advantage. Embrace employees, customers, partners, industry thought leaders and influencers to gather insights.

Synthesis. The ability to identify patterns and potential opportunities through analytical reasoning and assessment is critical to identify new and complete ways to address existing problems that create future opportunities.

Optimism. To create anything new requires a passionate belief that there is a better way.

It is from these principles that we get seven steps of design thinking. Within these seven steps problems can be framed, the right questions can be asked, more ideas can be created, and the best answers can be chosen. These steps include;

Define
This involves making decisions on what issue you are trying to resolve or opportunity you are trying to create. At this point members should agree on the kind of audiences they are targeting, be able to determine the projects strength as well as establishing a glossary of terms.

Research
Review the history of the issue; remember any existing obstacles, collect examples of other attempts to solve the same issue, note the project supporters, investors, and critics, looking at the different challenges of the audience. It is also important to talk to the end-users, as this will bring you the most fruitful ideas for later design

Ideate
Identify the needs, motivations and decision process of your end-users, generate as many ideas as possible to serve these identified needs, log your brainstorming session, Do not judge or debate ideas and have one conversation at a time during brain storming.

Prototype/Design
Combine, expand, and refine ideas, create multiple drafts, seek feedback from a diverse group of people, include your end users, present a selection of ideas, reserve judgment and maintain neutrality

Choose
Review the objective, set aside emotion and ownership of ideas, avoid consensus thinking and select the powerful ideas.

Implement
Make task and role descriptions, plan tasks, determine resources, assign tasks and then execute.

Learn
Gather feedback from the consumer, determine if the solution met its goals, discuss what could be improved measure success; collect data, understand motivations and create incentives to help adjust design and influence behaviors

Remember: the most practical solution isn’t always the best

Just 7 to achieve your dream world

A human being has 7 habits to follow in order to live a complete and unregretable life. By living the 7 habits, we will profoundly become more effective in the things that matter most during work and our person life.

Franklin Covey says in life we need to be responsible, have choice, be accountable, have self initiative as well as having a resourceful mind and this is what we call HABIT 1: Being Proactive.

About HABIT 2 that is Beginning with the End in Mind, he says we need to have a vision, have to commit ourselves and always have a purpose. We should always think of the result. What we want to achieve before going in for planing and execution.

HABIT 3: we need to have focus, integrity, discipline and always Prioritise. That is what we call Putting First Things First.

We need to also think of the mutual benefits of our actions, be fair and focus on abundance that is HABIT 4 Think Win-Win. We should have positive balanced life.

We have to have respect to one another, mutual understanding, empathy and courage in whatever we do. It is good to always first understand something if you want the third party to get you well. This is the 5 HABIT: First to Understand, Then To Be Understood.

Being creative and innovative is key in our life. In addition corporation, diversity and humility can secure you that big grant and funds for your project and this is HABIT 6: Synergize

And the last HABIT 7: Sharpen the Saw. Always make sure you revise and improve your actions to have the best in you. Consider self renewal, continuous improvement and balancing your work.

In every life, there are opportunities to transformation. If We take chances, we can change when we find ourselves. If we are not divided we can listen, share and be as one. We can find our unexpected opportunities. We can find new things that bring us together.

Your life is a result of your own decision not conditions. Between what happens to us is space and this means that each of us has to make his or her own weather and determine the color of the sky in which we in-habit.

By Nabatte Proscovia.

Despite his blindness, I am still much in love with him-Purity

It has been a great evening to meet Mr and Mrs Eric Purity Ngondi during an inspirational talk at YALI Regional Leadership Center East Africa.

Despite Eric’s unsuspected tragedy that swapped his eyes in 2013, I am amazed to know that Purity stood still and defended the sparkling love she had towards her mpenzi . Purity narrates that the calamity that befell her husband left her with a hard task of proving to the world that there was something unique that bounded the two couples together however much Eric was visually impaired.

Eric and Purity met at Jomo Kenyatta University as students in 2010. According to Purity, by then Eric was a normal person like others. However, tragedy befall on him in 2013 when he lost his sight during a serious operation.

“At first, the operation was carried out on one eye. Few months later doctors discovered that the second eye was also infected and needed a serious operation. So there he was, poor Eric with two eyes plucked out.” she said.

Eric’s situation rose a strong resistance from Purity’s friends and family. they never imagined how their daughter’s future will bright with a visually impaired man.

” They always advised me to focus on my future and stay away from someone who was going to be a burden for my entire life. But I could not leave a person whom I had shared great moments for such long time. Eric was really in love with me, social understanding and caring and my heart was contented with what he gave me,” said Purity.

I highly appreciate my Bibi that with her advice I was able to stand and make a strong decision of marrying the dream of my life in 2014.

Eric and Purity Ngondi is a happily married couple, blessed with a baby girl. Eric Ngondi is an engineer in water and environment, and also a YALI Mandela Washington Fellow. Purity Mukami-Ngondi is the founder of Kikapu Freshie, an online groceries platform and a statistician by profession.

“My internship was a big eye-opener to the world I always admired”

It’s hard to sum up an experience that was so intense and different. However, I feel it is my obligation to at least share this wonderful and interesting internship experience that I describe as “a very big eye opener in my life”. My internship was amazing and a bit challenging, I went through a rigorous training process, and if any chance comes I would have no problem of doing it again.

As a student of Journalism and Communication at Makerere University, my desire is to become one of the professional Public Relations Officers in the country. Therefore in the due course of chasing for an internship, I was looking for a place that would give me a golden opportunity of being exposed to various public relations activities and programmes. My priority was Makerere University Public Relations Office and I wish to state that joining the Mak Public Relations Office for internship training was the wisest decision I have ever made!

Carrying out my internship at Mak Public Relations Office and being mentored by Ms Ritah Namisango – Mak Senior Public Relations Officer, was the greatest opportunity I had in 2014. My internship was really rewarding. I was assessed and I emerged the best intern 2014 in the College of Humanities and Social Sciences. I am pleased to share my conviction that the field of Public Relations and Communications is the ultimate one for me. I will remain eternally grateful to Ms Ritah Namisango for the mentorship that I received.

Prior to getting this opportunity, my hands-on experience in the field of public relations and communication was very limited in scope. I admired the field of public relations and communication, was equipped with theoretical knowledge, but I needed to get a hands-on experience.

The internship training enabled me put to test what I had studied and what I could do if I were the Public Relations Officer. At first, it was a bit challenging because Public relations as a field involves a great component of multi-tasking, for example having deadlines to meet at the same time attending to people coming for queries with a smile, maintaining the constant flow of information and also providing current information to the public is so crucial. However, I thank God that I had the best supervisors, both the Host, Ms. Ritah Namisango and the Academic, Mrs. Harriet Ssebaana. They guided me and taught me how to handle such situations.

The experience I went through helped me to realize that a university student undergoes three stages of development in his process of education in order to attain his or her goal of being at campus. These three stages include; the preparation stage, the pretesting stage and the take action stage.

The preparation stage occurs in class with students being provided with notes about a certain topic; the preparation stage is basically theoretical compared to the second stage which is the pretesting stage. The pretesting stage is the internship period. It exposes students to the physical outlook of their dream career, at this stage you experience every single doze of the job you always admired. This helps students put the theory acquired into practice as they prepare for the third stage that is the take action. At this level, I consider a student to have attained her goal that is the dream career and is able to show to the world how professional she or he is in a specified field. During my internship (the pretesting stage), I tasted the interesting field of Public Relations and Communication. I was exposed to writing for communication, issues management, photography, media relations and online management. This was followed by sessions aimed at imparting in me professional communication skills to respond to different standards and requirements. I also acquired skills in public speaking, organization skills and events management.

My exposure to the aforementioned areas enabled me to improve my writing skills, verbal communication, analytical and creative skills.
I enjoyed the written contributions to the Makerere University Website (www.mak.ac.ug), which entailed shifting from all angles of news; science, technology, education, sports, social and political life. I packaged information which entailed honing in on and expanding the institutions core functions. Observing the Makerere Public Relations Office’s approach to work, I learnt and I will always remember that many complicated tasks become easier when you work together as a team.

My experience at the Makerere University Public Relations Office has prepared me for a bright future. The internship experience taught me to have a passion in whatever I do. I now understand the importance of company’s culture and making sure that my values align with the company’s is important. This internship experience also increased my understanding, professionalism and excitement for work after graduation. I advise fellow students ready for internship, to go for the challenging new experience that will help them grow. However, it should be in their line of interest. I appeal to you to give it your best because internship greatly contributes to your future. While on internship training, always remember that the reputation you leave behind markets your image and identity.

Mak Anthem-A driving force behind Makerere’s progress and prosperity

BY PROSCOVIA NABATTE