She tasked us to do right by others

During a heavy storm, a metallic gate of the Arches National Park in Utah, US smashed a car in which Esther Nakajjigo was travelling. Nakajjigo died instantly. Her father,  John Kateregga cannot get over this tragic incident that robbed him of his dear daughter. 
 John Kateregga describes his daughter as a focused and generous young woman who lived a life of service for others. 
“From a very young age, we could tell she was a special child. She had a maturity that was always beyond her years. She had a yearning to do more, to be more; not just for herself but for those around her,” says Kateregga.
 
Raised in a humble home in Kabalagala, Nakajjigo was an average performer in class but an outstanding leader. She sat her Primary Leaving Examinations at Kabalagala Primary School before joining Buloba High School and later Princess Diana High School, Munyonyo for her A-Level. It was at this school that her charisma and leadership competence were recognised more and nurtured. She received training in leadership,  which started her on a journey of activism.
 
Based on her outstanding work in Uganda, she was selected as one of only 16 young leaders worldwide to participate in the 2018 European Development Days (EDD) organised by the European Union institutions in Belgium. At that meeting, she presented on the topic of “Women and Girls on the Move: Towards Safer Work and Migration for Women” , alongside the executive director of UN Women, the deputy director general of International Organisation of Migration and other dignitaries. 

At a tender age, she travelled to many countries, and spoke to authorities beyond her age group, yet she remained steadfast with a clear message. She spoke with passion and conviction and always won admiration from listeners. 
Her aim
Her mission was to make life better for the less privileged - the youth and, especially, young girls in difficult situations.
“She had a passion for young people, especially girls from disadvantaged backgrounds. She had a special connection with them. There are so many girls whose lives would have slipped through the cracks due to teenage motherhood or substance abuse, but with Nakajjigo’s guidance, they got their acts together, went back to school and are now living better lives,” Kateregga shares. 

Nakajjigo did not just provide counselling and guidance but travelled to some of the remotest corners of Uganda, sensitising girls and boys on the risks of teenage pregnancy and creating opportunities for teenage mothers so they could have a second chance at life.  When she could not get donors for her “children” as she lovingly referred to these girls, Nakajjigo used her resources. For instance, when she graduated from Mutesa II Royal University, her friends and family wanted to throw her a big party to celebrate her achievement, but she requested that they donate the money to her project. 

“As a parent, I felt cheated and proud at the same time. I was proud to be a father of someone so selfless. I could see her perception of the world was totally different from most of her peers. But I still wish we had that party now that I know we will never have another chance,” Kateregga regrets. 

The last time
After graduating, Nakajjigo continued her activism and her speaking engagements took her all over the world. But she chose to live in the US where she planned to pursue further studies, as well as continue fundraising for her projects in Uganda. Kateregga says the last time she came home briefly was to announce that she had met someone and was planning to get married. Nakajjigo had come to ask for her parents’ blessing for the marriage. Kateregga says the blessing was granted even if they had not yet met their son-in-law to be. 
“The only information I have of him is that he was French.  We were not bothered about the union since we had confidence in Nakajjigo’s judgement,” he says.
 The couple had planned to come for a visit but the Covid-19 pandemic hit and all countries closed their borders. 

The fateful night
Then one night, the phone rang, heralding tragic news. 
“On June 13, I received a call at night, someone on the other end of the line said Nakajjigo had got a problem. The caller then handed the phone to someone else. I thought I would be talking to Nakajjigo, only to hear a strange voice telling me my daughter had died. I am told I fainted from shock and was rushed to hospital. We are still shocked. My immediate family and Nakajjigo’s beneficiaries are stranded. They do not know what is going to befall them now that their benefactor is no more,” Kateregga laments.
 
Nakajjigo died in a tragic accident at Arches National Park in Utah in the US. Her body was later returned to Uganda with the help of the diplomatic community and a funeral service was held at Princess Diana High School. The ambassador of the EU Delegation in Uganda, praised Nakajjigo for her outstanding service for underprivileged members of the community, even at personal sacrifice. 
Achievements 
Nakajjigo achieved so much for the community in her 24 years. She used her resources to establish the Princess Diana Health Centre III in Makindye, a centre that provides free adolescent health and reproductive health services to young people. The EU pledged to support its rehabilitation and re-equipping.

Another outstanding milestone is the Saving Innocence Challenge, a reality TV show that saw girls from well-off families go on an expedition to experience the reality of their underprivileged peers and seek to transform the lives of these disadvantaged girls. As part of this challenge, Nakajjigo shone a light on the shocking situation of teenage girls in the Kalangala Islands who, out of socio-economic vulnerability, engage in what is dubbed “sex for fish”, an exploitative practice resulting in teenage pregnancies, sexually transmitted infections and abject poverty.

 “Nakajjigo challenged us. She challenged the status quo. She challenged a Ugandan society where far too many people still do not regard girls as equal. She challenged the public administration that was unable to provide the services that need to be offered to young Ugandans. She challenged the better-off not to look the other way and pretend not to have noticed the plight of the underprivileged. She also challenged us development partners. 

At organisations such as  the European Union, we are used to complex bureaucracies, to endless procedures. Nakajjigo did not allow us to be bureaucratic and procedural. She would insist that something should be possible; and indeed we often found a way to somehow assist her in her work. So, we need to continue to be inspired by Nakajjigo, and to pursue her cause,” the ambassador eulogised.