Girls can click away to bigger things

Amidst the ongoing struggle for women empowerment, Bakesha’s research has contributed to the awareness of ICT opportunities for women in Uganda. In addition to being a researcher, Bakesha is the head of the GRACE Africa Secretariat.

As a young girl, Bakesha hoped to become a school inspector. Today, she wants every girl and woman to use ICT to achieve the best they can be.

When I first heard about the launch of the GRACE (Gender Research in Africa into ICT for Empowerment) book, African Women and ICTs: Investigating Technology, Gender and Empowerment, I had mixed feelings about what it had to offer. For some time I thought, “What have women got to do with information and communication technology (ICT) empowerment?”

On attending the launch though, and understanding what the book was about, I realised that it is a must-read for all the ladies out there. I was able to understand the struggles that women all over Africa are going through to become empowered through the unending ICT opportunities.

I first met Susan Bakesha at the Faculty of Food Science and Technology in Makerere. I was expectant of what she had to tell me. During her opening remarks earlier at the book launch, she had introduced herself as one of the researchers that contributed to the book.

I figured that that in itself should inspire the rest of the women out there to come out and explore the ICT opportunities because the world is now a global village. Without ICT knowledge, one may not be able to sail through life’s challenges smoothly.

Amidst the ongoing struggle for women empowerment, Bakesha’s research has contributed to the awareness of ICT opportunities for women in Uganda. In addition to being a researcher, Bakesha is the head of the GRACE Africa Secretariat.

“Being appointed to head the GRACE Africa Secretariat is an achievement I will eternally cherish,” Bakesha says. For a woman who has come a long way, there is indeed reason to be happy.

Born and raised in Jinja in Walukuba Estate, Bakesha has achieved one of her childhood dreams of becoming an important citizen in society. In a family of nine, she is the only girl who has attained university education.

Despite the hardships of growing up in a polygamous family, she has fought on courageously. She emphasises the phrase scarcity in abundance as what she grew up with. She says that such challenges trained her to face whatever came her way.

“I found it very difficult to handle this contradiction. It was by God’s grace and the intervention of my elder sister, Esther and her husband, the late Kayonjo Magala, that I managed to complete school. Such challenges taught me to work hard, be resilient and focused,” Bakesha says.

She also talks about other people in her life who inspired her.
“During my primary school, the district schools inspector was a lady. I admired her because every time she was to visit our school, we spent the previous day cleaning and beautifying the place.
“We had to appear very smart in our uniforms, ready to answer any question that she asked.

“I asked one of my teachers why we had to treat her that way. She told me that as a schools’ inspector, this lady was an important woman. Her report about our school would determine whether our school would continued operating or not. Above all, she told me that this lady was highly educated, with a degree from Makerere University. This stuck in my mind and I always asked God to help me study up to university and become important,” she reveals.

Aspiring for greatness
As a young girl, Bakesha hoped to become like the lady inspector and to achieve higher education.

“I have since discovered that challenges come with lessons to learn. One has to choose to concentrate more on turning them into opportunities than keeping a record of them,” Bakesha adds.
Bakesha also speaks highly of her grandmother, Susan Tayala for the impact she had on her life.

“She was my first teacher; she taught me the vernacular alphabet, which enabled me to learn how to read and write in vernacular without any formal training. She also owned property and a bank account in her names. I think, I first got exposure to the concept of women empowerment through her, although I could not interpret it that way then,” Bakesha narrates.