LYL LOCAL KAMPALA MEETUP: PART 1- INTRODUCING THE ATTENDEES

Truly, Environment is Everything. Lives will always be impacted on when people come together to share their passions, aspirations & goals. That is what happened at the First ever Live Your Legend Meetup in Kampala. Eight amazingly brilliant minds came together for this meetup. Let’s get to know these wonderful guys...  

From Left to Right: Kevin Muwonge, Esther Bayiga, Alice Bayiyana, Lorine Nashemeza, Martin Karui, Ernest Jacob Tuape (Host) & Keem Mutebi (Seated). Emmanuel Ogumale is in the pic below. 

ERNEST JACOB TUAPE: Ernest was the host at the Kampala meetup. His aspiration is to make a contribution towards the fight against cancer both in his country and the world at large. He is currently running a part time business in selling cupcakes, sweets & bracelets. From these sales, he makes a weekly donation for patient support at the Uganda Cancer Institute. He is also leading a team of youth in introducing greenhouse farming to Kisaasi primary school with the main aim of impacting on 10,000 lives in and around the school over the next 10 years. In 2014, he wants to go to the University of Bradford to pursue a masters degree in cancer pharmacology. Before the next meetup, Ernest wants to start jogging for 30 minutes everyday day, increase his cupcake sales to an average 20 per day & sell at least 3 bracelets a day. For Ernest, hosting the LYL Local meetup was an honor. It was a dream come true.   

ALICE BAYIYANA: Alice is an immunologist who is very passionate about children. She almost quit her job last year but due to family pressure, she didn’t. She hung in there and is doing pretty well. Alice teaches children in Sunday school because of her love for them. She is learning her third language- German. Her biggest 2014 goal is to travel to Germany to start on her masters in Bioinformatics. Her ultimate life goal is to build a children’s centre that will provide basic needs for vulnerable children. Before our next meet up in February, she wants to i) Process her driving licence, ii) Establish her mushroom growing project & iii) Become a better teacher for the children. She says she was inspired and learned a lot at the meetup.

Emmanuel Ogumale (in cream shirt)

EMMANUEL OGUMALE: Emma is a jack of all trades and a master of all as well. He is a one man band (plays the guitar, key board, drums & a great vocalist too), a microbiologist, a health and safety manager, a salesperson/marketer, a preacher, a farmer and an aspiring agro-forester. He took a positive psychology course when he felt depressed at his job and has now become one of the most resourceful and indispensible assets at his work place. He says attending a P.R.O & C.E.O conference last year was the light bulb moment for him. He gave us some good advice from one of the C.E.O’s he met “Never start a business that you are not fully incharge of”. He expects to see results in 2014. Emma trains children on how to play musical instruments during his free time. Before our next meetup, Emma wants to have made 5 deals for his company. He also expects to undertake some personal development especially where planning for his life is concerned. His final words for us were “Don’t allow being myopic”.

LORINE NANSHEMEZA: At 19 years of age, Lorine was the youngest of our guests but doing amazing things. She wears so many hats and I was challenged. She is a first year student at university pursuing a Bachelors degree in Finance & Accounting. She volunteers with Save the Children as a peer educator. Furthermore, she is the marketing manager of Lovi Events, a family owned events management company. Her main 2014 goal is to raise and pay for her own tuition. Her goals before our next meetup are i) To travel to Kabale district on assignment under Raising Voices & ii) To buy herself a new phone. She thought the meetup was such a mind opener.

MARTIN KAIRU: Martin is a Neuro-linguistics Programmer. This guy had quite an inspirational story. In summary, the company he was working for closed down just 2 months after welcoming a very beautiful baby girl into his family. Worse still, all his money was stolen at the end of 2012. Inspite of those incidents, he says 2013 was his best year in life. Martin bought himself a book that taught him about change management. This is a field he is passionately training people in. He told us “Everything comes with a manual, except human beings”. In 2014, he is focusing on training more people on the concept of change management. Before our next meetup, he wants to have sold out places for his next training taking place in February. He also wants to work on a proper plan for his life for this year. “Amazing” was his comment about the meetup.

KEVIN MUWONGE: He is a Molecular Biologist who aspires to become a professor. He says 2013 was his worst year as he never achieved any of his aspirations. Kevin is a very brilliant guy and has always scored marks that are way above what the average student scores (In fact I should ask him to take an IQ test). He is currently a product specialist with a company that deals in laboratory equipment and supplies. His main 2014 goal is to embark on his masters in Molecular Biology. Before our next meetup, he wants to interact and learn more on “how to make sales” from Martin and Emmanuel. His comment about the meetup- “Best decision I have ever made”.

ESTHER BAYIGA: Esther is an administrative researcher and a writer. She is currently pursuing a masters degree in Health Services Research. Her story is of an ambitious young lady for whom every piece of her puzzle seems to be fitting in so well in perfect timing. After working with an accounting firm before completing her undergraduate course, she joined UNESCO as an intern. Attending a conference in Paris last year was one of her most exciting experiences. Her main 2014 goal is to complete her masters research. Before our next meeting, she wants to i) keep her appointments with some writers, ii) Catch up with friend since her social life seems to be dying iii) Get a job opportunity & iv) Work on her plan to travel to Germany. “Brilliant idea. I have been challenged. It’s been worth my time” is what she said about the meetup.

KEEM MUTEBI: A Mass Communication and Journalism student, Keem is a multitalented talented young man. He is an MC, a dancer, a comedian/actor and a craftsman who makes jewellery. He volunteers with KiBO Foundation (a social enterprise which trains the youth in ICT & Leadership) in the external events department. This guy has got a big heart for making a difference in society. In 2014, he wants to train 150 women on how to make jewellery free of charge. He has offered to partner with Alice Bayiyana such that he can also train the children under her tutelage on how to make jewellery as well. He wants to train 50 women on jewellery making before our next meetup. Secondly, he also wants to regulate on his sleep since he has realized he wastes a lot of time in bed. His comment at the end of the meetup was, “I have been encouraged and inspired”. 

Thanks guys for your time. You were such an inspiring group.

WHEN DEATH BECOMES AN INSPIRATION TO LIVE

“Death is not a threat but the condition that maximizes my life”-Laura Rozo

My intention is not to sound pessimistic or dramatic in any way but reality always strikes. I remember playing as a kid with my friend Aziz, climbing mango trees, running around and doing just about everything that kids do. Hearing the news of his passing on at about 22 years of age saddens me. He was still a young man with a great future ahead. He still had so much to achieve in life. Anyway, who are we to question the law of death? It doesn't discriminate between young and old, rich and poor, elite and non elite. It comes without considering whether you have achieved much or little. It’s truly a thief that steals you from your loved ones. One fact remains; we shall all face the wrath of death.

As I remember my friend who has gone so soon, Laura Rozo’s  TEDx talk “If Not Now, When?” comes to mind. I’ll quote part of Laura’s talk to share her powerful thoughts with those who have not yet watched or listened to it.

“…….I tell you my story because I’m dying. The bad news is that you are dying too. The only difference between you and me is I know what’s killing me. The good news is that you don’t have to be diagnosed with cancer to claim your life. I tell you my story because the minute you realize that you will die, you’ll finally start living. You will take that leap. You will make that jump. You will fly. So, what makes you think that you have eighty or ninety years to live?…Seriously. There is enough time but none spare. If not now, when?”

Laura might be gone but she still lives on. Even to me who only got to know her through watching her TED talk. That talk has transformed my life. I know that one day, I too will be gone. Therefore, I have purposed to be happy, give my absolute best at everything that I do and do something that matters to me and to the world. When I finally leave this earth, I want to be remembered as someone who made a worthy contribution. I want to be remembered as someone whose life inspired at least one person. I want to be remembered as someone who successfully played his part and fulfilled his purpose on earth. How about you my friend? What are you living for? 

A LESSON FROM 7 YEAR OLD TERRY

If we all had the ambition that children have, we would be very successful. Children set their sights on the highest of goals which they believe is achieveable. One such a child is my 7 year old cousin, Terry.

Terry just got his report form and is back for holidays. When I asked to see how he performed in school, he reluctantly handed over his results to me. With such a disappointed look, he said to me, “I should have done better than that”. “I’m capable of so much more and I’m not happy with those marks”, he continued. Just to let you know, out of 14 sets of activities and subjects Terry has to do, he scored nine A’s, four B’s, and one C. His annual average was 87.86% which I thought was really good. To Terry, this was not good enough. His goal is to score straight A’s all through with an average mark of 100%. He is aiming for the highest and has refused to settle for less. His promise to me was to get back to school next term and give it his absolute best. He does not want to be the best in his class. He just wants to score straight A’s regardless of what other people have scored (Talk about being your own competition). He wants to prove to himself that he is better than his previous marks. I see a very successful man in this little boy.

You should have seen the embarrassment I felt. This little boy was teaching me what I thought I should have been teaching him. He got me thinking and made me critically look into myself. I realized how low some of my goals have been. How many times have we settled for less than what we really deserve? How many times have we settled for just average? Terry is essentially challenging us to know our worth and set Big Hairy Audacious Goals. All he is saying is, “Only the best is good enough”.

IT’S YOUR CHOICE

It is amazing how many opportunities life presents us with. What we have is the power to either say YES or NO. About a month and a half ago, I got a job offer. Well, this offer had almost everything that a recent graduate would probably need. At that time, I was leading a team of youth in organizing a blood donation drive. Taking this job would mean leaving what I was already doing and relocating. My heart swayed between going for this job (where I would get paid) and leading my team (where I would incur transport expenses and do work voluntarily). On one occasion, I received two emails urging me to take up this job. My sister was on my case to take up the opportunity. How would my uncle feel if I didn’t take up the job that he worked so hard to get me?

After about a week of thinking, I decided the job wasn’t for me. After all, I was looking for something that I really, really, really wanted to do. I wanted something that would bring me joy and satisfaction. Of course my sister was so disappointed in me. Little did I know that sticking to my leadership role was going to be one of the most fulfilling things. The blood donation drive was such a massive success. We exceeded the expectation of the blood bank by 12 units. The director of the blood bank was very impressed by what we the youth were doing. I was filled with joy at the end of the day for such an achievement. By remaining at the KiBO Foundation, I have been in position to listen to so many successful people speak to us, I have started my own business and I’ve made so many fantastic networks and partnerships. I even got to attend a business breakfast meeting where top entrepreneurs in the country shared insights on business with us. I got the opportunity to meet and speak with my business mentor Mr. Patrick Bitature. It was an honor for me. It was like meeting Richard Branson or Warren Buffet. Of this I'm sure; so many great opportunities are yet to come my way for sticking with my colleagues and being a loyal leader.

I am glad I no longer make decisions based on any financial gain but on what I can contribute towards the growth and development of my society.

THANK YOU SCOTT DINSMORE

Have you ever been in a desperate situation? You are broke and all you can do is take up any job just for the sake of money. No passion, no love, no interest whatsoever.  Well, I’ve been there. I worked for about six months in a job that became quite monotonous and boring. I hung in there because I badly needed the money. Moreover, I was a graduate from the best University in Uganda, Makerere University. How would they see me without a job? I literally was dying of job dissatisfaction. I would drag myself out of bed every morning to get to work. It was a routine that made me ask myself whether I really wanted to be in that boat. So in May this year, I started asking myself questions like Who am I? Why am I on earth today? What do I really want to do? What difference do I want to make?

It was around that same time that I downloaded one of the TEDX Talks that later on influenced certain decisions I have taken. Scott Dinsmore’s talk on “HOW TO FIND AND DO WORK THAT YOU LOVE” was such an inspiration to me. Three weeks after watching Scott’s talk, I quit my job without any Plan B (that was in June this year). I kept asking myself “What is it that I can’t not do?” and I still ask myself this question very often. 

I set out on a journey of self discovery. A journey that should lead me to a destination of doing what I really love. From June to September, I never noticed any changes in my life. Little did I know that I was about to start on a venture that would really excite me. In late October, I started a business of making and selling bracelets. It is an infant steadily growing. I love it. Furthermore, Scott’s influence is the inspiration behind this blog EVERYDAY LESSONS. I surely hope that one day I will be a guest author on LIVE YOUR LEGEND http://liveyourlegend.net/. I must also say that I’m proud to be a member of the CREATOR’S GUILD on Facebook as well and I'm looking forward to being a resource to many of the new bloggers. Slowly but surely, I’m discovering new things about myself. I already know that I want to leave this world a much better place than I found it. I want to Live My Legend and leave a legacy when I’m gone. And one thing for sure is, I’m going to do great things.

Isn’t it so interesting how Scott who lives in San Francisco, California has massively influenced the life a young man Ernest who lives in a small town in Kampala, Uganda? Keep doing the great job Scott. You surely have left a mark on so many people around the world and I appreciate all that you are doing. 

YOU’RE "FHIRED"

I got my very first job in January 2009 at the age of 19. The financial regression was taking its toll on companies and if any one wasn’t productive, they got fired, Right? As a store keeper (I preferred to be called store manager) of one of the growing garments companies in the country, one of my duties was to ensure that there were no shortages whatsoever. Up until May, there was minimum shortage whenever the stock taking report was presented by the accountant. Well, not for the month of May. I have no idea what happened. The accountants report indicated an abnormal rise in shortages. To be specific, the figure rose from a previous maximum of about 200,000 Uganda shillings (80 USD) to about 2 million Uganda shillings (800 USD).

Monday morning, at exactly 8:30 am, my boss calls me to his office, reads out the summary to me and says “Explain”. I had no idea where to start from, I was dumbfounded for a moment and all I could do was look at him in shock. “Sir…., I have no idea why the figure is that high”, I said. “I have been doing my best to record and account for every piece of merchandize that comes in to and leaves the store every day”, I continued. The sight of him sent shock waves into my veins. He talked about how irresponsible of me it was to allow such a shortage to occur. He asked me if I knew the impact of such a loss to the company. He even asked me whether I was conniving with some of his employees to sell his products to make an extra buck behind his back. I was having a bad morning. He kept grilling me and making it seem like it was entirely my fault. My mind went racing straight to Donald Trump’s famous words “You’re Fired”.

On the contrary, after about 45mins of being grilled, he calmed down and explained to me how he wants me to be a person of great responsibility, that guy who will stand for what he believes in. He continued by telling me how much he believes in me and thanked me for the good job I was doing. Finally, he gave me a firm hand shake and with a smile, he told me to get back to work. You can only imagine how much relief I felt after his fatherly talk.

How many employers today take off time to mentor their young employees? How many care to appreciate the work these guys do? How many even pick the interest to have a chat with their employees? 

A FIGHT TO REMEMBER

It is said that in the African setting, the entire village is responsible for bringing up a child. I am not sure that statement holds water today. The day had begun so well. The excitement of the holiday was just fresh. Thankfully, I had no homework and all day was planned for play, play and play. I got into an argument with Ayikobua. From exchanging simple words like “bad and silly” to words like “stupid and useless”, a fight ensued. Ayikobua threw a punch at me like he was Mohammad Ali. I responded with a flying kick like I was Bruce Lee. The fight got so nasty and I kicked Ayikobua right into the middle of the road. An old man riding his bike knocked him down. I celebrated my victory for a moment just before this guy jumped off his bike, picked up a stick, lay us down in the middle of the road and gave each of us three strokes of the cane each. That was really painful I must admit. “Now pick yourselves up and keep your friendship going”, he said to us in such a rough tone, “and I never want to find you fighting again”, he continued. Ayikobua and I have since been great friends. In fact, we never really fought again and for me, fighting has never been an option in solving a disagreement again. Well, may be just once when my friend Ian and I were about to beat up some guy called Phillip for being such a bully. But I feared because violence was not my thing anymore. 

Is it not amazing how kids never keep grudges. Fight, forgive and forget is what drives a child. This world would have so much peace if everyone had a childlike character; a strong spirit of forgiveness and reconciliation.