What it was like fellowshipping with President Barack Obama

“When I saw the call for applications for Yali last year, I knew it was a perfect opportunity for me because I love programmes that focus on empowering young people. I have a bachelors degree in Social Work and Social Administration and masters in Public Administration and Management. I have a passion to succeed, and to make an impact in my community and country.

Earning my place at the fellowship
I work with Marie Stopes, an international organisation that provides reproductive health and family planning services in the country. That is where I set up and manage two telephone lines and SMS-based communication platforms that provide reproductive health services to over 4,000 young people every month. This is what qualified me for Yali. The screening process was “tight” but luckily I made it, and there I was in New York City for the first time.

In New York for the first time
New York is an exciting city. There are so many attractions, my favourite being the Statue of Liberty, Central Park, Times Square, fifth Avenue and Ground Zero, which is the 9/11 memorial monument. Most of these places, such as the Times Square, I had only seen in movies, so, it was exciting to actually be there.

The other Fellows and I received warm reception wherever we went. Americans love ambitious young people. It is a society that recognises, promotes and rewards hard work. Qualifying for this Fellowship was proof that I had a successful project back home, therefore, many Americans wanted to hear my story.

I was based at Wagner College in New York City. I participated in sessions on education, healthcare, economic development, and environment. I also had an opportunity to visit organisations like Women Deliver, United Nations, Clinton Foundation, and Planned Parenthood Federation of America.

The programme was packed. It included interactive seminars, community visits and cultural exchanges between community leaders and College members, and a three-day summit hosted by President Obama in Washington, D.C.

In the presence of the Obamas
A sense of limitless possibilities filled the room the first morning of the summit. There was so much excitement because each one of us was looking forward to a legendary Obama speech and he did not disappoint. He delivered it with charm, honesty, enthusiasm and passion.

It was an electrifying moment that I will remember for the rest of my life. Obama was so down-to-earth, humble and approachable; very different from the “big man” syndrome you find with government officials in Uganda.

He was with his wife, Michelle Obama. Michelle’s presence was a combination of charisma, high fashion, strength and determination. Her passion for education for girls was contagious, to the point that I am now absolutely convinced that education for girls is the single highest return on investment available in the developing world. It doesn’t only stimulate economic growth, but also improves the wellbeing of women and their families. The Fellowship was a great learning experience. The fact that we need to start with what we already have and wherever we are was inculcated deep inside me. God has already given us what we need to create our future. We need to utilise the resources that we have in our communities and strive to leave a mark of excellence at every level we are at, by being the best we can be.

In her speech, Michelle said it always seems impossible until it is done, adding that her ancestors came to America in chains, her parents and grandparents knew the sting of segregation and discrimination, yet she attended some of the best universities in America (Harvard University, for example). She has also had a career beyond her wildest dreams.

Lessons from Michelle
From her speech, I understood that whatever one deeply believes in and actually sets out to achieve, they will achieve and that you are where you are because of your beliefs. Therefore, we should not set limits on what we can do. What we can do is limitless.
I learnt that making a positive impact should always be the thing we all wake up craving to do every day. It is what should drive us towards achieving our goals. My goal is a healthy, just and productive society with a special bias to women.

I strongly believe that given the right opportunities, young women can make a significant contribution to the social and economic development of the communities they live in. We can only support them by creating platforms for them to share experiences, ideas and access resources such as books and training.

I can say that everything about the Fellowship fit the feel and experience that I craved for in my career development plans. I plan to involve young people in all my projects to identify the skills and resources they have in their communities and use those very skills and resources to find solutions to problems in their communities. I intend to get solutions to problems affecting youths from the very youths that are affected.

I’m focusing on expanding use of mobile health applications to deliver health solutions for example use of online counseling since a large number of young people today access the internet.”