Wednesday, 29 August 2018

The hustles of self-discovery…

       

Our generation is facing a major crisis in deciding what to do with the lemons that life throws at them. We grew up being told to aim high, study hard, graduate (irrespective of the course you do, just make sure you graduate).

We were raised to believe that lawyers, doctors, engineers and many other professionals are the only people that make it big in life. Becoming a teacher, a carpenter, a mechanic or a farmer was for the underprivileged children who probably didn’t make it through school.

We were mentored to believe that education is everything. Passing exams and moving to the next level was the determinant of success. It didn’t matter what we studied or how it fed into who we really are as individuals.

However, as much as the education we were given put us in better places, it wasn’t everything. Despite our hard work at school and our hard-earned degrees, we still feel like there is more to life than good grades and fancy professions.  

Present times have seen doctors give up on their jobs to go pursue farming or become runway models. Bank managers have given up their 7-figure salary to start a bakery shop. And these are just a few of the individuals who have discovered their true calling in life and taken the next step to live the life that makes them happy.

Majority of us are not happy with sitting behind that desk every day. We are not content with waking up to send emails on behalf of a multinational organisation. It does not drive us to wait for instructions from our managers on how to execute the next task. We are not comfortable with the places life has put us in, but we don’t know what to do about it.

We are still hustling with self-discovery. It is easy for us to identify what we don’t want and what is not working for us, but we continuously fail to find a way out. We don’t know who we really are or what they can do to bring the best out of what God intended us to be.

We want to be artists, chefs, fashion icons and much more but we are too afraid to step out of the circle and be different. Our decisions are based on a “what will other people say?” mindset. We cannot stand being judged and mocked by the society that bore and grew us. The same society that has given birth to success stories of individuals who stood out and did something they are passionate about, something different.

We want to be teachers but it’s a low-profile job so we shun from it. We want to be mechanics and it’s for those who didn’t finish school. We want to be deejays, but our relatives won’t be proud. The hustles of self-discovery… Knowing what we need to be happy healthy individuals but unable to pursue them because of what could go wrong or what society would say.

My opinion;

Empower your children to be who they really want to be when they grow up despite how “low profile” a job may be. Our education system still focuses on structures that do not allow our minds to explore beyond what is being offered in the classroom.

We grew up with the belief that white-collar jobs are the only means of survival in life. But not everyone is born to be an employee or spend 8 hours in an office working for a month’s pay check.

We need to teach our children that they can grow up to be instrumentalists and make more money than the CEO of X Bank. That you can bake cakes and be happier than a lawyer. That you can become a football player and have a stronger sense of fulfilment than an engineer.

We need to help them discover their God given talents and support them to build their passions and ideas. Expose them to all the options life has to offer and let them discover who they are meant to be.

We need to observe who we are, listen to life, define ourselves outside our professional assignments and ask ourselves the serious questions; who are you when you’re not buried under work papers in an office?

Arnold Schwarzenegger once said, “Ask yourself, who do you want to be? Figure out for yourself what makes you happy, no matter how crazy it may sound to other people.”

*Catch the second series of this article in our next issue*

Mildred Nanteza

Assistant Treasurer 2018/19 – Rotaract Bukoto

Industrial Psychologist

Tax Consultant - KPMG

Wednesday, 22 August 2018

REHEMA

 

Today at the Rotaract Club of Bukoto
 
Rehema; A love story about a Muslim young woman in Uganda who fights for her right to choose her own lover over a forced marriage.
Rehema is Ugandan film directed by Allan Manzi based upon a screenplay by Usama Mukway starring Juliet Zansaanze, Raymond Rushabiro and Ismael Ssesanga. 

The film premiered at the 38th Durban International Film Festival in South Africa. The film held a special screening at the 4th Edition of the Euro-Uganda Film Festival on 17 June, 2018 courtesy of the British Council.

About Allan Manzi

Allan is a New York City based Ugandan film director, with over 20 film productions to his name. Some, like Meet Mario and Broken Change, made the official selection at various film festivals like the Hoboken International Film Festival at which Meet Mario won the best short film award. He has worked for NBC Universal New York, and on Netflix's Emmy winning show 'Master of None', and now runs his own production company, ManziMedia.

Friday, 27 October 2017

Events as they were


 
Dear reader,

Allow me to start by congratulating the #Kabutemba17 team for a job well done over the weekend. This was by far a very successful project. What is the measure of success you may ask? And I will say, the radiant smiles and gratitude expressed by the young and old alike was more than delightful.
If you are reading this and for one reason or another were not able to make it to Kabutemba, worry not as I will labour to give the blow by blow account of events.
On the evening of Friday the 20th day of October 2017, the clouds started to darken at approximately 4pm which is expected (It’s never Kabutemba without the rain). The plan was that the team assembles by 5.30pm and sets off at 6 O’clock. Given that President Paul and the iron lady (Nvannugi) were at the forefront of organizing the project logistics, you either had to keep up with the timelines or chase after the bus on a bike. The clouds finally gave way at about 4.45pm and this usually translates into heavy traffic. However, I must say I was quite impressed at the fact that despite the setback, the bus arrived for the pick up on time and there were no major delays (Probably it was because the usual late comers were not scheduled for the night trip, you can take a wild guess).
The team set off at exactly 7.33pm and shortly after, we were stuck in heavy traffic. This definitely worked for few individuals like Past President Sherry and our very own Treasurer, Rtr Ruth who did not have to sit on that bike ride for long chasing after the bus. And now that I think about it, how were we going to survive without the Treasurer? Indeed Paul and Joanne, you guys are quite the daring team. I must also mention, if you are reading this and at about 8pm you were on call with Rtr Andrew (Bugoolobi), you are a woman of power (I would like to believe it was a lady on the other end of the line because if it was a guy, then we are finished!). The young man literally excused himself and ensured he was far enough from the bus to have that conversation (Just in case everything went silent suddenly) that was before he comfortably sat by the walkway like an experienced street hustler to finish his conversation. And interestingly IPP Solomon thought that would be a nice way to express undying commitment (I can’t say I am surprised).
I have always found the trip to Kabutemba quite strange because while it should ordinarily be a 2 hour drive, we somehow always spend eternity on the road. Of course it was a long and fun 6 hour trip. Just to clarify, we lost 90 minutes in traffic and I honestly cannot account for the extra 150 minutes but I can attest to the energy levels exuded on the bus the entire trip; that is a story for another day. It was a safe trip and by 1.30 am, we were pitching camp at the Lutaaya residence. Despite the fact that we were unfashionably late, we were attended to and dinner was served at 2 am. I must say a big thank you to our hosts, these little details may often be taken for granted but Mr and Mrs Lutaaya are definitely heroes in the Kabutemba story.
While I promised to give a blow by blow account of events, allow me skip the events that transpired the first night. I will however thank the Kyambogo gentlemen who successfully locked themselves out of the room where they were to spend the night and were left with no option but to try and ensure we all stayed up with them. You guys were almost successful.
Fast forward to the “Kabutemba Breakfast”; the cassava in Kabutemba is like no other that I have tasted. It literally brings life; there is no better meal for anyone that is getting ready to serve above self! And while cassava is still the topic of discussion, has anyone noticed that the cassava in Kabutemba is the only kind that does not have drowsiness as a side effect? (If you felt sleepy at anyone point, don’t blame the cassava). Shortly after the mouth-watering meal, Rtn Robinah calls out for us to board the bus just like the sweet mother that she is, (God bless her soul!). We all make our way to the bus of course after making sure our tents and belongings are secured in anticipation of a heavy down pour.






 
 
 
 
 
 
This particular trip was a quiet one as people were not only battling the inadequate rest from the previous night but also the discomfort from not knowing their cassava limits. After driving for a while, we finally arrived at the school and were received by an excited group of children who were singing, dancing and welcoming us “on” their school. A huge number of people from near and far had already arrived and anxiously waiting to be attended to. Some of these people were in excruciating pain but their faces clearly lit up when we arrived.
 
It was in this very moment that I released that what we do every time we reach out to a community is far more than the medicine we deliver to these communities but hope is also reignited which is a much greater and more rewarding gift. We quickly distributed roles and set up for the day. There was clearly a lot of work ahead of us and the satisfaction derived from serving each one of these people and watching them smile and light up with hope at the end of the day was something I was looking forward to.

 
 
 
 
People kept streaming in, the numbers kept growing bigger but no one backed out. There was a lot of activity going on, the dental clinic, the treatment and consultation area, the pharmacy where drugs were dispensed after consultation, the menstrual hygiene and awareness workshop where young girls and mothers were equipped with skills on how to make reusable sanitary towels and also sensitized on how to stay clean and avoid infection. Indeed Rotaractors may not have deep pockets, but we definitely have very deep hearts.

At about 12 noon, we received the news that DG Ken was on his way and about to arrive. We set out to meet him and the first stop was at Kantongole and his siblings’ home (Our Bukoto babies and little heroes). We first met these 4 children in 2013 when they hardly had shelter or any basic need of life. By the grace of God, we have been able to build a house they now call home and pay their school fees. Even after all this time, I have never been able to hold back my tears every time we visit these little ones. And no, they are not tears of sorrow or some sort of pity but it’s always a humbling experience to see how far these babies have come.

Katongole at just 14 years is running a home and caring for his siblings. He went on to narrate how he sold his pig during the year and bought another. DG Ken inspired by the young man’s relentless spirit, offered to buy two  pigs for him and AG Eric also offered another pig. I couldn’t help my emotions when Kantogole smiled so hard and knelt to say thank you. DG Ken also offered to have their house plastered and to set up a solar system for them. God bless your soul DG Ken and God bless those little children, I pray they grow up to be great leaders and serve above self. We then handed over the foodstuffs we had brought for the children and returned to the school where the medical camp was ongoing. The DG was taken round to the different work stations and thereafter joined the team for fellowship.

You might be wondering why there was fellowship during a project, right? We all know Rotary is about service above self. For the Rotary Club of Bukoto, the best time for the DG’s official visit is during the project; this not only tells a story of what the club is doing but the DG gets to be part of the project.

The fellowship chaired by IPP Opira started with the Rotary norms before being constituted to a club assembly after which the president informed those in attendance of the purpose of the meeting. This was later followed by the introduction of the DG by AG Eric (this man has quite the CV). The DG in his submission thanked the Rotarians for the good job well done and he thanked them for the continued teamwork with the Rotaractors. He had many praises for the team and good ideas that he shared. He later urged the Rotaractors to start transitioning to Rotary; notably the likes of Solomon (in his absence) were requested to stop hiding in Rotaract and move on to join their age-mates. Fellowship ended at about 4.30pm at which point, he proceeded to plant a tree as an act under his Mission Green campaign. The CC, AG and DRR planted trees too. DG ken addressed the crowd that had gathered and officially closed the medical camp shortly after his speech. People were then invited to lunch and departure thereafter.

After the sumptuous lunch and a long day’s work, we were all looking forward to getting on that bus and heading back to the Lutaaya residence when we noticed the long line of patients waiting in queue at the dental clinic. I was moved by the selflessness of the Rotaractors and dentists who despite their fatigue and the fact that time was fast spent opted to stay back and ensure that each and every one of the patients had been attended to even at nightfall, these guys used car lights and torches to get the job done. I am sure by now you agree that indeed this was by far a successful project. For the first time in the history of the Kabutemba community project, that anticipated heavy down pour never arrived, I also believe it was the first time we had no tents for shelter in the history of this project and no I don’t believe in coincidences or luck, I believe there is a God that watches out for us as we reach out to His people.

Before I joined Rotaract, I always heard that Rotaract is about service and fun and this day I realise the perspective from which that fun is derived; it’s more of a celebration! When we returned to the Lutaaya residence, despite the fatigue and long day’ work, people still gathered around to dance, chat and have fun. It was not because we are young and energetic (no doubt, we are!) but for me it was that joy from making a difference in the Kabutemba community. I will not go into the blow by blow account of that night’s events but will wrap this up by once again thanking each and every one that made time to be with Bukoto in Kabutemba, you are a good soldier!

Daphne & Paul.

 

Sunday, 30 July 2017

WHO ARE YOU? Foot prints in the sand.


Have you ever wondered why the question ‘WHO ARE YOU?’ makes many of us lose our composure and start to deeply think through our responses albeit its simplicity? Depending on the context in which this question is asked, usually the chain reaction is that of discomfort, uncertainty, memory lapse and the list goes on and on.
One may ask, why would a question so simple and straight forward give way to that kind of reaction? Is it that we are not comfortable with our persona? Are we scared of how people perceive us? Is it that deep-seated longing for acceptance that then gives way to fear of rejection? Or is it that we just don’t know who we are?
For some people, it is not about the perception or acceptance by society that springs up the fear but the hard realization that we all need to leave a legacy and not just any legacy, but one that we would be proud to pass on to many generations to come.
Last Wednesday, It was intriguing when the guest speaker requested that each one of us anonymously write about someone in the room during fellowship. It was excitement for people like Tush, who had just been surprised by the unexpected presence of his ‘French Mentee’ Priscilla Ajiji (thank you for a pleasant surprise Jiji). For people like IPP Solomon, it was mixed feelings with the fear of being described by his best physical feature; “the dreadlocks” being the most dominant. While for people like Mildred, no amount of persuasion by the guest speaker could convince her to participate in such an exercise.
The guest speaker then went on to call out individuals randomly and asked each one to let the audience know who they think they are and later he read out what had been written about that particular individual. I must say, this made me realize how we often sell ourselves short. Kind, loving, caring, committed were not the words any one around the room used to describe themselves. Many went for the more serious descriptions while carefully avoiding the negative boundary.
Does anyone remember the priceless blush on Edgar’s face when someone literally poured out their heart and described him as kind, committed, generous… and good looking? At this point, the young man could not bear the agony of not knowing who this might be and requested that the speaker make an exception and reveal the identity of the individual to which the speaker declined. I must say, I am not certain whether Edgar was curious about the person’s identity because he wanted to reward the individual or because he wanted to rule out the fact that the individual could be either sex. I’ll let Edgar worry about that!
I believe we all learnt a thing or two from the speaker’s captivating and engaging discussion. Personally, I was challenged to be that person that not only makes an impact but also creates change. Think about it, Rotaract is about service above self, about making better the lives and communities of people who are less privileged than we are. But what good is a one day medical camp if one week down the road, the community will still have no access to basic medical care? What good is a onetime donation of sanitary towels or scholastic materials if one month down the road these supplies will have run out? There is absolutely nothing wrong in carrying out a medical camp/donating scholastic materials, sanitary towels etc. However, this will only create impact for a while that may be forgotten along the way. So my challenge to all of us is to get more creative and innovative with our service ideas. I challenge us to carry out more inclusive projects, projects that will equip communities with skills that will transform a generation. Because while impact is ephemeral, change is perennial.
In addition, I would like to challenge each one of us as individuals. The Rotary platform has given each Interactor, Rotaractor and Rotarian such a unique opportunity to make a difference in our society and the world over. How have you taken advantage of this? We have just lost an incredible Rotarian who used this platform the best way he knew how to; we will definitely miss his selfless service and leadership (Rest in Peace RIPE Sam Owori, you fought the good fight and run the race!). This should bring us to deeply ponder on what our individual contribution to our clubs and the entire fraternity has been thus far and what kind of legacy we shall leave. If you were not part of the Rotary family tomorrow, what would your club miss? What would the fraternity miss? Change starts with you and me, when we step up to the challenge and bring our unique contribution to the table.
Join us at Bukoto every Wednesday at 6pm, Nommo gallery for more insightful and impactful discussions.

Sunday, 23 July 2017

Tales of the DRR’s club Part 1


You all know that feeling of pride that comes from watching your very own become all that you have hoped for and even more. The fulfilment and burst of joy that comes with it. Well for Bukoto, this feeling was rebirthed in our spirits when our very own Amina Nassazi got voted as District Rotaract Representative Nominee. We then waited with a lot of anxiety during the 2015/16 District Conference Assembly which by the way many of us attended on social media. I mean, you understand the hustle, right? A dollar is hard to come by in this “7,000 shilling sugar economy”, so a week long DCA in Entebbe left many of us thinking “#Lifegoals”. Anyhow that is beside the point; it was a Friday evening when we got the news, Amina was finally DRRE. It was excitement and jubilation for the club, let me send my regards to the “Club X5 team” well done!!!


Fast forward, DCA 2016/17, we officially receive our DRR and we are now the DRR's club. (I will not reiterate the fact that many of us were not there to officially witness this, you guys get it). Just like all life cycles, the pressure then kicks in; it’s only natural, right? We are now the DRR's club. I don't need to emphasize the fact that it is one thing to be the DRR's club and it’s another to be “Amina Nassazi, the DRR's club”. Of course we don't want to let her down (we don’t want to imagine the consequences), we are passionate about service and fun which is what Rotaract is about but now we have something else on our plate, we need to impress, it is only natural!

So the questions kick in; is every Bukoto fellowship that Amina attends going to be an official DRR’s visit or can she still collect Polio plus when her buddy group is in-charge? Do we have to show up a certain way to events because it’s now the DRR's club? Well, we all know Tushabe Joseph will have a challenge here, how will his presence get noticed? I honestly don't want to try and imagine what being MGP Paul Nasasira is like (this MGP thing though, that is a story for another day), can't wait to see if his English utterance remains the same under all the pressure.

Fast forward, President Paul informs us of the DRR's official visit and hey, the “butterflies” stage is here. We all know that ambivalence of excitement and anxiety. The club needs to be ready, we need to tick off that “checklist” in order to be deserving of the DRR’s visit (or should I say “Amina, the DRR’s visit”), and we need to make her proud! And at the president’s request, we all agreed that we should dance for her, given this is one of the items to be checked of the list; talk of happiness!!! Allow me say hello from the other side to the Tissa group!

There is nothing as exciting as dance practice, we get elated every time the Rotary North Singing and Dance competitions come round because let us face it, Bukoto has gifted dancers. As luck may have it, this rotary year, Christmas came early and we had to show case our skills at the official DRR’s visit. A one minute shuffle dubbed “the DRR’s visit” was exciting I must say. It was time to put all our special dance moves together and smile for the camera and yes, once again, Bukoto ladies love cameras, so you now understand when I say we were ecstatic about this.

Ladies and gentlemen, the fellowship that was on Wednesday redefined interesting. First and foremost, I have no idea why the memo of the black dress code was shared with everyone that was at the high table but ADDR Noah (poor guy). We also got to learn that our DRR has got an official photographer (times really change). Hello Garvin, thank you for a job well done, you did better that Tushabe Joseph at the ADRR’s visit, not that Tush is Noah’s official photographer but hey, we could not help but notice that country Facebook post. Back to fellowship, am I the only one who noticed a group of individuals who randomly walked up towards the high table and did something that looked like a sway, side to side, front and back and just like that they randomly walked off again. This must have been that “DRR shuffle” and I must say, despite the randomness, I will applaud Past President Zahara Mpaata. If everyone had the enthusiasm that she exuded while dancing, maybe the story would have been different. I will leave it at that, I am sure, y’all now know where to hang out on a Wednesday evening!

Monday, 11 July 2016

                                       Vocational Month with Rotaract Club of Bukoto

           “The test of a vocation is the love of the drudgery it involves” - Logan Pearsall Smith

For the first time in history, the vocational service month was celebrated this January as opposed to October. The month focused on the second avenue of service in Rotary; Vocational Service. The vocational month reminded us of a few aspects in service; first and foremost the  adherence to, and promotion of ethical standards in all occupations; including fair treatment of employers, employees, associates, competitors and the public is very important. Secondly the recognition of the worthiness of all useful occupations, not just those that are pursued by Rotarians and thirdly the contribution of your vocational talents to solving the problems of society and meeting the needs of the community. The icing to the cake was the awarding of several individuals by Rotarians and Rotaractors for their exceptional contributions to the community.

The Vocational Month saw Ann Katuregye receive the prestigious Vocational Service Award from the Rotaract Club of Bukoto. Ladies and gentlemen, a round of applause to this lady who has transformed children from different walks of life.
One evening as Ann watched news on UBC TV she learnt of the plight of a young defiled mother from Buwenge in Jinja seeking support to treat her deformed little child. She was compelled to contact them and canvass for funds to get the child treated. A step that changed her life to this very day. This young girl was born deformed with a nasal bridge swelling childhood. With the help of Uganda Network for empowerment of the marginalized children and youth MEMACY-UGANDA, Essezza was picked from her home and admitted at Mulago Hospital and craniotomy surgery was done successfully.

After this successful story, many children started coming in for help with many different deformities. It is from this that Anne started a foundation after Esezza to help children and people with such challenges all over the country. Many children living in poverty stricken areas are victims of such deformities and cannot afford to go for surgery to correct these deformities yet in some cases they are cancerous.

To see this, Ann started Esezza Foundation (yet to be registered) a Foundation through which she has been able to reach out to children across the country. Esezza foundation gets its name from one of the children, Esezza orphaned at a tender age by her parents and left in the hands of her grandmother. It is from the grandmother that Esezza was picked, and although other children have gone back to their homes after their operations, Esezza has become part of Ann’s home. Through this foundation, she has a goal of offering children suffering from life threatening health condition and devotions hope.
Ann is a 56 year old woman born in Rukungiri, widowed with three biological children. She is an HIV activist and has worked with Joint Clinical Research Center where she worked closely with defiled girls and mothers. Four years down the road, she has taken care of and overseen successful treatment and surgeries on approximately 30 children. Her home has been opened to children with all conditions; tumors, cancer, hydrocephalus, extreme skin disorders, fistula, mention it.
Ann is passionate about children and dreams to see all children have a future despite differences in health and livelihoods. And moving on, Ann plans to register her foundation, construct a Foundation home and seek partnerships with foreign or local NGOs and hospitals.

Ann’s extraordinary and exceptional contribution touched the hearts of very many people and in addition to the award, shs. 240, 000 was donated by Rotaractors, Rotarians and Guests present during that fellowship and handed over to Ann to assist her foundation. The Rotaract club of Bukoto also looks forward to paying a visit to Esseza Foundation Home to extend more support in that regard.

As Rotaractors and Rotarians, we do things voluntarily because we have a motive to do so. When that motivation is depleted, no amount of force, productivity techniques and apps, can make any of us perform, at least not at your highest levels. Inspiration is one of the best motivators. And while you can certainly draw inspiration from a variety of sources around you such as people, nature, books and magazines, it is not that easy to get your daily dose when you work in a traditional setting such as an office, or even from your home. If you are surrounded by nature and you can take long walks and admire the beauty around you every day, that would be great, but few people live in such a setting, or have the time. So what can you do to get inspired on a consistent basis? It is such inspirational stories and people like Ann Katuregye that keep us motivated and fulfilling our obligation of service above self.

Message from Sharifa,

Ladies and gentlemen, it’s with immense gratitude to God Almighty that I have come this far as President of the Rotaractclub of Bukoto. As you are aware, my tenure as President comes to a close on 30th June, 2016 and in compliance with the provisions of the Rotary leadership, I am required by law to handover the power of President to another person who will occupy the seat.
For me it’s been a very interesting time working with all members of the Rotaract club of Bukoto and I have learnt that,the difference between success and failure is a great team. No matter how smart, talented, driven or passionate, as a leader, your success depends on your ability to build and inspire a team.Each club member’s commitment to a group effort strengthened our team work and the ability to work together.

Since 1st July, 2015 when I assumed office, it has been a learningexperience about the capacities, talents and dispositions of my club members. In the course of offering the leadership we enjoyed the good times and also experienced challenges and frustrations as a team, we have worked closely to achieve the set objectives throughout this Rotary year. We have successfully held weekly developmental and professionally building fellowship meetings, improved the quality of our membership, held a successful swimming gala fundraiser, contributed $400 towards the Rotary Foundation and acquired a Paul Harris Fellow.
In pursuit of fulfilling the third goal of Rotaractthat emphasizes the requirement to address the needs and concerns of the community and our world, the Rotaract club of Bukoto carried out a number of projects. The most popular of all annual Kabutemba literacy project which entailed donation of 30 desks, 6 blackboards, provision of scholastic materials to the students of Kabutemba Infant school,  provision of food stuffs, basic needs and payment of school fees for 3 orphans, a medical camp that treated over 700 people.  This project was successful with great appreciation and gratitude going to Lamudi Uganda that sponsored the swimming gala from which we raised money towards the project and other contributions from PDG Tusubira, his Ann Vice Country Chair Dorcas Tusubira and AG Mike Sebalu.

Second in line was the visit to Essezza Foundation home based in MagereGayaza which takes care of marginalized children and youth with physical and facial deformities. The club not only recognized the founder of this home Ms Anne Katuregyefor her humanitarian contribution by awarding her the Vocational award 2015/2016, but also went ahead to support the home through provision of food stuffs, basic needs and purchaseof two sawing machines to develop their tailoring skills for future income generation.
Thirdly the Rotaract club of Bukoto alongside the Rotary club of Bukoto carried out a joint Rotary Family Health Day in October in Mulimira zone in Bukoto suburbs where services on HIV/AID testing, Cancer screening and sensitization, de-worming, immunization, hand washing sensitization, malaria treatment were offered.

Additionally during this Rotary year, other than only having a Mwekuume joint Installation the three Presidents of the Mwekuume Fraternity embarked on carrying out more engaging Mwekuume joint activities. These include; Mwekuume Joint In-house Training, 3 Mwekuume Joint fellowships hosted by each of the clubs, first Mwekuume Vocational Tour at NWSC GgabaPlant and  above all the Mwekuume Joint On-line Hand washing campaign.

Me and my board are handing over the office of President of the Rotaract club of Bukoto with a great sense of fulfillment based on our modest accomplishments at the recently concluded D9211 District Conference & Assembly and Rotaract Country Awards as Most Outstanding club in 9211, Most Outstanding Rotaract- Rotary activity in D9211, Most Outstanding Professional and Leadership Development club in D9211Rotaract Award for Best Performing club in D9211 and  Professional and Leadership Enhancement Award respectively . Surely we did not take Rotaract club of Bukoto to the enviable and lofty heights as we desired and worked rigorously to attain. But certainly we have laid a solid foundation for growth of our club which I believe the succeeding administration will leverage on.

Lastly I congratulate all World Class Presidents that have served this Rotary year with the main goal of being a gift to the world and wish my President Elect Solomon Baguma a great year of  Rotary serving Humanity.

Yours truly 
Sharifa Nanziri
President 2015/2016
Rotaract club of Bukoto