By Agatha Christie Akello
In a conversation with Trevor Noah about his memoir A Promised Land, former US president Barack Obama said, “Not everybody will be president, but if you decide that you want to have an impact, you will have extraordinary experiences.”
It’s not that I wanted to have an impact after leaving Makerere University, but my journey had multiple unforeseen plot twists that left me no choice but to learn the required courage, resilience and humility for success. Walk with me as I take you through what my journey has been like.
When I sat the Law pre-entry exams, I did so poorly! As my Lango people say, “Aporo kede tyena maalu!” This directly translated means - I fell with my legs up. Ever so loving, my father insisted I pursue a Bachelor of Social Work & Social Administration (SWASA) and become the Chief Administrative Officer (CAO) of Lira District in lieu of my desire for journalism. I agreed to his wishes on the condition that I study at Makerere University and go to a hostel.
And so my journey of missing shuttles and skipping classes began in August 2016. Contrary to popular opinion, SWASA is a busy programme that requires your utmost attention in order to excel. Course modules range from anthropology, psychology and economics, to social development, project management, internships and research among others, to ensure that students are well-rounded, enough to upgrade community standards of living. With the kind of life I led, it was no surprise that I did not graduate after procrastinating my dissertation.
I had always thought procrastination is the secret ingredient for excellence. Everything I create at the last minute comes out perfectly – except a thesis! Worse if your supervisor is the meticulous Dr. Narathius Asingwire who looked at my bogus draft and said, “I have never met you! How can you submit a full dissertation in October yet graduation lists are coming out in a few weeks? If you want me to guide you, start afresh!”
The author works as a Master of Ceremonies at an event organised by the Media Challenge Initiative
A graduation postponed
Tears streaming down my cheeks, I knew it was time to clean up my act, first by telling my parents the truth and second by finding a source of income. You see, I learnt earlier on that if you have a semblance of financial stability, you can get away with a lot of things like not scrubbing the Christmas lunch saucepans and missing graduation.
Fortunately, I had garnered a few valuable skills and networks from previous internship placements that enabled me land an entry level job in no time. However, the working conditions and measly pay made me forget my dilemma. Since I do not seem to learn from my mistakes fast enough, I decided to start my own thing.
The entire ordeal of celebrating my peers’ graduations while relentlessly explaining why my name was not on the list took a toll on my already dwindling mental health. I scoured the internet in search of a solution and discovered that no one was speaking about mental health from an honest Ugandan perspective. Consequently, with encouragement from my aunt and experience as a communications volunteer for a community based organization, I used my amateur writing skills to start a blog. Titled Keep on Living, I shared stories with inferences from my life to demystify mental health and encourage help-seeking behavior among youthful Ugandans. The more I wrote, the more passionate I became about the topic and subsequently rewrote my dissertation on “Community Perceptions and Beliefs about mental illness” with unwavering support from Dr. Asingwire.
Back in the corporate world
Regardless of my efforts to finish the degree and make something of myself, I had to survive in Kampala. My parents were certainly not going to cater for my luxuries after I fumbled the degree. As a result, I decided to go back to the corporate world when a private hospital near home needed receptionists and continued blogging on the side. Working at a hospital brought me to the realization that customer service was not my thing and once again, I quit in pursuit of whatever I imagined a fulfilling life to be.
At this point, my ancestors, family, friends and acquaintances had washed their hands off anything regarding my education and career prospects. But I did not give up on myself! There is an inexplicable freedom that comes from being doubted. I knew that one day, I would find the thing as long as I stood up and tried again.
All things considered, I am a great cook and everybody loves good food, particularly chicken! That’s how I started making mouthwatering Honey BBQ wings and selling them to my friends. What is a hustling graduate’s journey without an entrepreneurship experience? Mhmm, to season the plot, I started Kella’s Kitchen after my idealistic plan of quitting and thriving like the protagonist of a rom-com movie went south. I was pumped by a financial fitness podcast – Money Moves by Toni Tone, where guests shared their journeys of getting rich from nothing. The stories emphasized capitalizing on anything you are good at and monetizing it.
That is how I learnt that a business needs more than the desire to have your own “thing” to succeed. It requires discipline, dedication and hard work. The stress from trying to make ends meet from a poorly planned business drove me right back to the corporate world.
This time round, I had specific goals of saving up, enough to reopen the business while writing on the side. It has been 2 years and my account balance is absolutely empty, but I have a wealth of experience that gives me peace and the ability to make decisions, something necessary for a bountiful life. I have since graduated, grown as a mental health activist, freelance writer and corporate emcee – all of which earn me enough to lead a relatively decent life.
One of the things that helped me immensely was asking and correctly answering two questions:
- What kind of life do I want to lead?
- What does success look like for me?
To wrap this up Pepe Minambo style, there is an infinite number of beautiful lives. You may have imagined being wildly successful a few months after school but sadly, that’s not how the world works. The advantage of failure is you get a chance to explore different versions of yourself and open your mind to possibilities.
So, do not give up, something good will come.
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