Its been long since i took one of the crazy SolarNow trips, but now the traveller has got his back pack. Toay i am heading to the furthest of Norther Uganda, specifically Arua where i will be training on how to start sales agents for the solar retailers and then on thursday will head to Lira and be back on Saturday.
I feel abit low since i had gotten used to staaying in kampal, but i have to go anyone. I woke up early ready to go and only to miss the first bus that left at 5 am. Now i am waiting for the 12.30 pm bus so that we hit the road.I have no clue how long its going to take me but roughly not less than 10 hours.
well i am looking forward to it, the fact that is been two months ago since i left kampala.
The Alladins team is up and running, they are in the middle of working magic, we have 60th anniversary celebratios on 25th october and preparations for the Africn regional conference (AFROXLDS).
Arua here i come! Updates in the next posting.
Tuesday, October 14, 2008
Monday, October 6, 2008
17 principles of Personal Achievement,Keys to success by Napoleon Hill
Book: The 17 principles of personal Achievement
Author: Napoleon Hill
1. What is the main idea that the author is trying to convey in the book?
The Author is presenting ideas or principles that can help me live a successful life if I consistenly apply them in my life. All the 17 principles point towards an individual, which literally means that I am or we are responsible for our success.
2. What were the seven ideas which were personally most important to you and why? List these seven ideas followed by an explanation after each one as to why it was important to you. Use personal examples from your own life.
a- establishing a master mind alliance
I have two friends with whom we formed a group to help each other with finding solutions to our challenges, evaluating each other’s goals and discussing topics of common interest like business. Through this team I feel like I am in a family, we share ideas and resources. I have managed to make right decisions; approach situations differenetly and most importantly tap into their personal learnings through sharing experiences. We meet every Friday and the topics to be discussed are set in the previous meeting.
b- Overcoming disbelief and fear.
Disbelief and Fear are some of the reasons why we donot reach our goals or live our dream life. When I believe in something, chances that it will be achieved are high. Everytime I do something that I fear , I find out that in the end there is no reason for fear. Through reading this book I have been reminded that whatever my mind can concieve and believe, it will achieve. So if I fear illness, then its most likely that I am attracting it to my life and eventually I will be sick which I donot want.
c- Go the extra mile.
From this chapter I appreciate the benefits of doing more than what you are paid for. At our work places we are given a job description that clearly outlines what we are supposed to do and this is based on previous work experience and academic background. The only way to showcase other skills and ccompetencies that you have is through going the extra mile.This makes promotion easy because you have been able to show that you are skilled in other areas. On a personla note, i have found out the things that I am passionate and good at through doing something more. Extra work creates more opportunities and many times opportunity is missed by many because it is dressed in overall and looks like work.
d- Personal initiative creates work.
Besides my Job at the Foundation, I have been helping a start up solar company with creating market for its products in Uganda. After 2 months of working with them, I took the initiative of starting up, a small solar business for my cousin who has been jobless. From this experience of taking initiative I created a job for him and he is also employing 2 other people.
e- Learning from adversity and defeat.
Life is a combination of successes and defeats. Failure or defeat is success turn inside out. In 2006 I applied to be a president of AIESEC Uganda, which I ended up being defeated miserably. I spent the next 2 days condemning other people for my defeat other than myself. Later on after a discussion with my friend he told me to look at how I have contributed to my defeat and also focus on the lessons learnt. This helped me so much that I learnt to take 100% responsibility for the outcomes in life and not making the same mistakes again. Every one in life faces defeat. It is through learning from defeats that people become wiser and this is the reason why learning from adversity and defeat is very important to me.
f- Maintaining sound Health
This is the most important of all the principles that I have read, because if I am not health I won’t be able to do anything. ill health leads high health bills, low concentration on work and time wastage in hospital queues to get treatment. What and how much I eat does affect the thinking capacity of my brain.
g- Budget your time and money.
There is a famous saying that time is money, there fore time wasted is money wasted hence the need to budget your time and money. I invested in a diary so that I can keep track of the major appointments that I have. Every morning I make a to do list which helps in making sure that i do the most important things for that day.
At the start of 2008, I started budgeting and accounting for personal finances. I learnt the hard way when at the end of 2007, I had spent the foundation money to a tune of 500 Euros and I did not know where that money went. Ever since then I know where my money goes in terms of expenditures.
3. How will these ideas or lessons help you in a practical way, both in your daily personal life and in helping you to create a better world? If so, how?
The group that we formed is a daily tool that I use for critical decision making, problem solving and personal development. Everytime I am faced with a challenge or decision and I donot know what to do,I ask for ideas from my friends. This has helped me make right choices. Through sharing my learnings I have also helped them be better by offering a different perspective.
Disbelief and fear are manifestations of lack of confidence in your self and what you are going to do. I used to FEAR meeting people in superior positions and one day I was a part of a team, which was responsible for sales. I had to set up a meeting with a managing Director of the biggest insurance company world wide, I got an appointment for the following day. As I prepared for the meeting I asked myself what a second year university student is going to tell the managing director. Even though I knew what to tell, I felt that it was insufficient and he would not buy it. The day came and everything went smoothly, I was amazed by his sense of humour. From that day I face my fears and I try to do things that make me uncomfortable but most important is the change in attitude and thinking of possible instead of impossible.Doing this has helped me achieve many of my goals because I am not afraid to act.
Extra work will always be rewarded; either today or after months. I now view extra work as working for future benefits. To do more than what I am paid for, I have to manage time effectively otherwise I won’t have time for extra work.
To put personal initiative to work I have to develop some facets like more self discipline, generating enthusiasm,concentrating attentio to others etc. I feel I have to further develop the above characteristics so that I can gain full benefits of personal initiatitve.
I have learnt that adversity and defeat has benefits. My task regarding this will be to focus on lessons from defeat and to look at defeat as a road to success that every successful individual has to go through. Taking 100% responsibilty during defeat will help me get back on my knees after failure. The difference between successful people and non successful ones is the ability to try again many times after defeat.
I am going to increase on the time for exercising, personal reflection. I am very conscious of what I eat these days. I have days for myself and these days I will do the things that I like or enjoy doing.
Prioritising tasks will help me be more efficient at work hence doing more than I am paid for. I plan to budget my spare time and use it for things that will improve on my personal and professional development and health. Reading the books that I get from the institute has prooved to be a valuable way of utilising spare time.
4. Quotes: Are there any statements which the author made that particularly got your attention? If so, please quote them and comment as to why they were important to you.
“Solutions can be found for all your problems, but accept that the solutions may not always be the one you want”.
Solutions that we want are the ones that we are used to, but they we won’t get what we want all the time. The challenge for us is to be flexible enough inorder to adopt to the changing solutions even if they make us uncomfortable.
“…Success is something that you create for yourself, not something others steal from you”.
I am responsible for my success! I should not blame others for not achieivng my goals and objectives.
“When defeat overtakes you, don’t spend your time counting your losses, save I to count your gains and assets, and you will realise that they are greater than any loss you have suffered.”Most of the times we tend to focus more on our failures forgetting that we have had more successes than defeat. Spending time counting and thinking about success during times of defeat helps to turn defeat into success.
5. Is there anything in the book that you do not understand or are unclear about, or are there ideas which you disagree with and, if so, why?
Doing more than you are paid for will only be beneficial if its done after you have done what is required of you. We have to make sure that we donot fall victims of doing what we are not expected to.
I disagree with the statement that, learn to like people just as they are instead of demanding that they be just as you want them to be. What if who they are contradicts with your personal values, what if they are poor time keepers, not result oriented yet you are working with them in the same team? I believe that you can only like the people the way they are as long they donot compromise your values or not negatively affecting your professional perfromance at work.
6. Did the book contain exercises for the reader to complete? If so, did you complete all of the exercises and did you find them helpful?
Yes I did the exercises at the end of the book that were about my commitments to applying the principles.7. Was there anything you read in the book that you would like to comment on that was not covered in the previous questions? If so, please comment.
The story of the eleven year old shoe shinner. When Chalmers asked the boy if he can make a living at a nickel a shine. He replied “oh yes sir.i give my mother ten dollars on Friday, and I put five dollars in the bank, and I have two dollars left for spending money”. This shows that the boy had financial literacy, he saved five dollars per month.The other lesson for me is that I donot have to be earning a lot of money inorder to save.
One way of building a positive mental attitude is to discern that personal power doesnot come from posession of material things alone. This statement is an encouragement that any one can make a difference with what they have. We donot have to wait to be presidents, kings or celebrities to make a positive impact in our communities.
Please rate the following questions on a scale from 1 to 10. Ten is good and one is poor.A.
How interesting was it to read? 9B.
How helpful were the contents? 9C.
How easy was it to understand? 9D.
Would you recommend it to others? 10E.
What is the overall rating you would give it? 9
Author: Napoleon Hill
1. What is the main idea that the author is trying to convey in the book?
The Author is presenting ideas or principles that can help me live a successful life if I consistenly apply them in my life. All the 17 principles point towards an individual, which literally means that I am or we are responsible for our success.
2. What were the seven ideas which were personally most important to you and why? List these seven ideas followed by an explanation after each one as to why it was important to you. Use personal examples from your own life.
a- establishing a master mind alliance
I have two friends with whom we formed a group to help each other with finding solutions to our challenges, evaluating each other’s goals and discussing topics of common interest like business. Through this team I feel like I am in a family, we share ideas and resources. I have managed to make right decisions; approach situations differenetly and most importantly tap into their personal learnings through sharing experiences. We meet every Friday and the topics to be discussed are set in the previous meeting.
b- Overcoming disbelief and fear.
Disbelief and Fear are some of the reasons why we donot reach our goals or live our dream life. When I believe in something, chances that it will be achieved are high. Everytime I do something that I fear , I find out that in the end there is no reason for fear. Through reading this book I have been reminded that whatever my mind can concieve and believe, it will achieve. So if I fear illness, then its most likely that I am attracting it to my life and eventually I will be sick which I donot want.
c- Go the extra mile.
From this chapter I appreciate the benefits of doing more than what you are paid for. At our work places we are given a job description that clearly outlines what we are supposed to do and this is based on previous work experience and academic background. The only way to showcase other skills and ccompetencies that you have is through going the extra mile.This makes promotion easy because you have been able to show that you are skilled in other areas. On a personla note, i have found out the things that I am passionate and good at through doing something more. Extra work creates more opportunities and many times opportunity is missed by many because it is dressed in overall and looks like work.
d- Personal initiative creates work.
Besides my Job at the Foundation, I have been helping a start up solar company with creating market for its products in Uganda. After 2 months of working with them, I took the initiative of starting up, a small solar business for my cousin who has been jobless. From this experience of taking initiative I created a job for him and he is also employing 2 other people.
e- Learning from adversity and defeat.
Life is a combination of successes and defeats. Failure or defeat is success turn inside out. In 2006 I applied to be a president of AIESEC Uganda, which I ended up being defeated miserably. I spent the next 2 days condemning other people for my defeat other than myself. Later on after a discussion with my friend he told me to look at how I have contributed to my defeat and also focus on the lessons learnt. This helped me so much that I learnt to take 100% responsibility for the outcomes in life and not making the same mistakes again. Every one in life faces defeat. It is through learning from defeats that people become wiser and this is the reason why learning from adversity and defeat is very important to me.
f- Maintaining sound Health
This is the most important of all the principles that I have read, because if I am not health I won’t be able to do anything. ill health leads high health bills, low concentration on work and time wastage in hospital queues to get treatment. What and how much I eat does affect the thinking capacity of my brain.
g- Budget your time and money.
There is a famous saying that time is money, there fore time wasted is money wasted hence the need to budget your time and money. I invested in a diary so that I can keep track of the major appointments that I have. Every morning I make a to do list which helps in making sure that i do the most important things for that day.
At the start of 2008, I started budgeting and accounting for personal finances. I learnt the hard way when at the end of 2007, I had spent the foundation money to a tune of 500 Euros and I did not know where that money went. Ever since then I know where my money goes in terms of expenditures.
3. How will these ideas or lessons help you in a practical way, both in your daily personal life and in helping you to create a better world? If so, how?
The group that we formed is a daily tool that I use for critical decision making, problem solving and personal development. Everytime I am faced with a challenge or decision and I donot know what to do,I ask for ideas from my friends. This has helped me make right choices. Through sharing my learnings I have also helped them be better by offering a different perspective.
Disbelief and fear are manifestations of lack of confidence in your self and what you are going to do. I used to FEAR meeting people in superior positions and one day I was a part of a team, which was responsible for sales. I had to set up a meeting with a managing Director of the biggest insurance company world wide, I got an appointment for the following day. As I prepared for the meeting I asked myself what a second year university student is going to tell the managing director. Even though I knew what to tell, I felt that it was insufficient and he would not buy it. The day came and everything went smoothly, I was amazed by his sense of humour. From that day I face my fears and I try to do things that make me uncomfortable but most important is the change in attitude and thinking of possible instead of impossible.Doing this has helped me achieve many of my goals because I am not afraid to act.
Extra work will always be rewarded; either today or after months. I now view extra work as working for future benefits. To do more than what I am paid for, I have to manage time effectively otherwise I won’t have time for extra work.
To put personal initiative to work I have to develop some facets like more self discipline, generating enthusiasm,concentrating attentio to others etc. I feel I have to further develop the above characteristics so that I can gain full benefits of personal initiatitve.
I have learnt that adversity and defeat has benefits. My task regarding this will be to focus on lessons from defeat and to look at defeat as a road to success that every successful individual has to go through. Taking 100% responsibilty during defeat will help me get back on my knees after failure. The difference between successful people and non successful ones is the ability to try again many times after defeat.
I am going to increase on the time for exercising, personal reflection. I am very conscious of what I eat these days. I have days for myself and these days I will do the things that I like or enjoy doing.
Prioritising tasks will help me be more efficient at work hence doing more than I am paid for. I plan to budget my spare time and use it for things that will improve on my personal and professional development and health. Reading the books that I get from the institute has prooved to be a valuable way of utilising spare time.
4. Quotes: Are there any statements which the author made that particularly got your attention? If so, please quote them and comment as to why they were important to you.
“Solutions can be found for all your problems, but accept that the solutions may not always be the one you want”.
Solutions that we want are the ones that we are used to, but they we won’t get what we want all the time. The challenge for us is to be flexible enough inorder to adopt to the changing solutions even if they make us uncomfortable.
“…Success is something that you create for yourself, not something others steal from you”.
I am responsible for my success! I should not blame others for not achieivng my goals and objectives.
“When defeat overtakes you, don’t spend your time counting your losses, save I to count your gains and assets, and you will realise that they are greater than any loss you have suffered.”Most of the times we tend to focus more on our failures forgetting that we have had more successes than defeat. Spending time counting and thinking about success during times of defeat helps to turn defeat into success.
5. Is there anything in the book that you do not understand or are unclear about, or are there ideas which you disagree with and, if so, why?
Doing more than you are paid for will only be beneficial if its done after you have done what is required of you. We have to make sure that we donot fall victims of doing what we are not expected to.
I disagree with the statement that, learn to like people just as they are instead of demanding that they be just as you want them to be. What if who they are contradicts with your personal values, what if they are poor time keepers, not result oriented yet you are working with them in the same team? I believe that you can only like the people the way they are as long they donot compromise your values or not negatively affecting your professional perfromance at work.
6. Did the book contain exercises for the reader to complete? If so, did you complete all of the exercises and did you find them helpful?
Yes I did the exercises at the end of the book that were about my commitments to applying the principles.7. Was there anything you read in the book that you would like to comment on that was not covered in the previous questions? If so, please comment.
The story of the eleven year old shoe shinner. When Chalmers asked the boy if he can make a living at a nickel a shine. He replied “oh yes sir.i give my mother ten dollars on Friday, and I put five dollars in the bank, and I have two dollars left for spending money”. This shows that the boy had financial literacy, he saved five dollars per month.The other lesson for me is that I donot have to be earning a lot of money inorder to save.
One way of building a positive mental attitude is to discern that personal power doesnot come from posession of material things alone. This statement is an encouragement that any one can make a difference with what they have. We donot have to wait to be presidents, kings or celebrities to make a positive impact in our communities.
Please rate the following questions on a scale from 1 to 10. Ten is good and one is poor.A.
How interesting was it to read? 9B.
How helpful were the contents? 9C.
How easy was it to understand? 9D.
Would you recommend it to others? 10E.
What is the overall rating you would give it? 9
International Congress - Brazil
In late August i got the opportunity to attend an AIESEC International Congress in Brazil.
It was a great experience full of learning, unlearning, networking and loads of fun.
I had three days after the congress. I spent these three days in Hotel Delverde, where we had the Afrcan GN Post meeting. THE organising committee also stayed in the same hotel. Through out the three days i noticed how hard the OC worked and also saw them celebrate their success. Time came for all of us to part ways and head to our various countries, it was an emotional moment, people cried, huged and promised to keep in touch.
Before i left the hotel, a colourful flipcharts with a lot of words caught my eyes and i though i should share these words with those who read my blog; these were the words
It was a great experience full of learning, unlearning, networking and loads of fun.
I had three days after the congress. I spent these three days in Hotel Delverde, where we had the Afrcan GN Post meeting. THE organising committee also stayed in the same hotel. Through out the three days i noticed how hard the OC worked and also saw them celebrate their success. Time came for all of us to part ways and head to our various countries, it was an emotional moment, people cried, huged and promised to keep in touch.
Before i left the hotel, a colourful flipcharts with a lot of words caught my eyes and i though i should share these words with those who read my blog; these were the words
.Each year its just another round of the earth around the
sun.
Each day it’s a new day opportunity to start again.
Each day you are
close to your death
Each day its your first day in something the rest of your
days starts today.
HAPPY NEW YEAR
HAPPY NEW EXPERIENCES
HAPPY REST OF
YOUR LIFE
HAPPY START OF A NEW JOURNEY
Saturday, August 2, 2008
As A Man Thinketh- James Allen
Who was James Allen?
1. What is the main idea that the author is trying to convey in the book?
The main idea is making the best of your thoughts and thought process.I learnt from the book that some of the things that happen to me are a manifestation of my inner thoughts. Good thoughts will yield good results and bad thoughts yield bad results.
2. What were the seven ideas which were personally most important to you and why? List these seven ideas followed by an explanation after each one as to why it was important to you. Use personal examples from your own life.
My character is the complete sum of my thoughts- one of my greatest fears was public speaking.Throughout my education life I always made sure that I was not the one to make a speech, debate or read a poem in class. I feared public speaking because I thought that everyone would not understand what I was going to say and in the end I will be a laughing stock. Because of my thoughts I was a quiet student. This is important because when I change my thoughts I can change my character which should be good news to every one who is struggling with some thing in their lives.
Another idea I learnt is to always keep positive thoughts- When I think positively I will have positive results and the reverse is true for negative thoughts.I failed an exam in my final year because, from the time I started revising for that exam I had these thoughts that I wont pass this exam.And this was true, for the last two times I did this exam i failed. I already thought that I failed before the results came and when they did, it just confirmed my thoughts of failure. Realising that I am a creative power is key, because I need to focus on growing good thoughts and getting rid of the bad ones.
Thoughts should be in harmony with your actions- You cannot have good thoughts and bad actions and expect good results.Its just like a poor man who wants to be rich but misses work occassionally or a person who knows and is afraid of cancer but continues to smoke, this person doesnot deserve being rich or healthy because he doesnot know what he/she wants.If you want to excel at school you should not encourage negative thoughts like I hate school, my teacher doesnot know how to teach or I cannot afford to buy text books for my classes.This is how we (Man) cause our circumstances unconsciously.
Donot blame others and circumstances for things not going on well- when I was working with a team on implementing a project on HIV/AIDS, we faced challenges regarding organising,implementation,hence not meeting some of the participants expecatations.When a meeting was held and asked what went wrong most of the answers that we gave were about others…….we blamed other people and factors but no one talked about himself or gave a comment like I did not follow up on the pendings that I had and that’s why we donot have money for the project. So we spent most of the time blaming others instead of searching for solutions and looking at how we could have caused the mishaps.
Let a purpose drive your thoughts- My friends and I set a goal of starting a business by the end of 2009. Ever since we set this goal every one has been looking for a challenge, opportunity that we could take advantage of to start a business. We have studied business books inorder to learn more about business and more than ever we have managed to connect with what we are doing and came up with brilliant business ideas that will be implemented.So our purpose or goal was to start a business and this stimulated our thoughts into thinking about studying exisiting businesses and looking for a business idea.its been an easy and rewarding experience because we have learnt and got some results.
Think about what you want first and not how to get it- I like computers and when I was at the university I admired fellow students who had laptops. Since then I could always think of myself with a laptop and sometimes I would borrow a friends’ laptop just to have that feeling of working on it. I badly wanted a laptop but I had no clue how to get one, because it was very expensive and I couldnot even afford a desktop. After some time I got a job and I was given a laptop.This was a very exciting day, I could not believe I had a laptop all to myself. The point is I focused on wanting a laptop and even without knowing how to get it I got one.
Having self control-I have to be calm in bad or good situations.Calmness means I take control of my thoughts which if not controlled will be manifetsed in terms of how I react to other people. We need to understand and adapt to each other if we are to have self control. Lack of self control leads to hot or explosive tempers which ruin your relationship with others. My dad has a high level of self control, even when he believes you are wrong, he wil give you an opportunity to explain yourself so that he can understand you before he comments or says whats on his mind.This has helped him create and retain many friends. Taking control of my thoughts will help control the results I would like to have im my life.
3. How will these ideas or lessons help you in a practical way, both in your daily personal life and in helping you to create a better world? If so, how?
The lesson of character being a sum of my thoughts will push me to face my fears because they will become my character. I will do the things that I fear doing like public speaking which will improve greatly my personal life. I learnt that FEAR means False Evidence Appearing Real, I want to comfirm everything before I fear and you can only confirm by acting on the FEARS.
To keep positive thoughts I will avoid statements like I cannot, I will not because they will negatively influence the results I want to achieve. So I will get the negative statements out of my vocabulary.
When faced with challenges or get variant results from what I expect, I should ask how I contributed to what happened and focus on finding solutions and changing so that I donot repeat the same mistakes. I will seek for both positive and negative feedback from my colleagues and then use it to evaluate my thoughts and actions hence taking 100% personal responsibility.
4. Quotes: Are there any statements which the author made that particularly got your attention? If so, please quote them and comment as to why they were important to you.
“Man is made and unmade by himself”-This is important because it tells me of how responsible I should be in whatever I do. What I think will affect who I want to be and the results I want to get.
“The will to do springs from the knowledge that we can do”- knowing that you can do something is a good start to doing something.You cannot do something if you don’t know that you can do it.Most times I have accomplished tasks and roles by by knowing and believing that I can do them.I donot have to know to do a task so that I can do it, all I need is to know and believe that I can do it.
“There can be nor progress or achievement without sacrifice”- if you want to be given then you have to give; it’s a two way traffic. Receiving after you have given is the only way you can be paid back.So I have to give inorder to receive.
“To desire is to obtain; to aspire is to achieve”-You cannot find what you are not looking for,hence you need to desire something and then go and get what you desire.When you desire something you attract it in your life.Its also important to act on your desires by aspiring to achieve what you desire.
“The universe does not favor the greedy, the dishonest, the vicious although on the mere surface it sometimes may appear to do so”-In this world you can be unfair, unjust and sometimes get away with it.But it’s always short lived and at one point you will have to pay back for all the injustices. This is a reminder to me that I have to strive to be good and do good at all times.
5. Is there anything in the book that you do not understand or are unclear about, or are there ideas which you disagree with and, if so, why?
I disagree with the statement that people who live in fear of disease are the ones who get it. I think that when you donot fear to get the disease you will be irresponsible.People who fear to get diseases are more cautious about their lives. If people did not fear HIV/AIDS, then they would have unprotected sex or multiple sexual partners hence contract the virus.
6. Did the book contain exercises for the reader to complete? If so, did you complete all of the exercises and did you find them helpful? There were no exercises.
7. Was there anything you read in the book that you would like to comment on that was not covered in the previous questions? If so, please comment.
Monday, July 7, 2008
Leaving a Mark
On Thursday i changed my Profile picture on face book and i put a foot mark. The foot mark to me is a symbol of leaving a mark or legacy in what i have been doing or its that i want to leave a mark in the things that i am or almost doing.
On 3rd July it was My birth day but also it was three days after the end of my AIESEC term in Rwanda. While in Rwanda i worked with a group of amazing individuals, Kevo, Lolu, crissy,Gwasam, Freddie and Yvette. This team was commonly known as the Usual Suspects.
The few months that i worked with them i learnt alot about myself and most important was that they made believe that i had something to give to AIESEC Rwanda which i had not noticed. I believe in 1+1=3 and i hope the little contributions that i made were worthy it.
Right now this amazing team has moved on, Sam is in the country with the largest number of universities (India), and peace will also be following him. Both will be doing internship in Tata Consultancy services. Crissy opted to first work and then do an internship, freddie is still studying. Yvette has moved on to step into the big shoes of Kevin as MCP for AIESEC Rwanda.
Kevin is also in the search for an internship ( I wish you the best bro).
And then you should be wondering how about me........what am i up to? Well its hard to believe but i am going to be in AIESEC for another one year. Several people have convinced me to take on the position of MCVP TM because the candidate who was selected to do it got another leadership role.
I have been thinking about it for a long time and the more i thought about it, the more i am convinced that i can do it. Every one says it will be the best thing i will ever do for AIESEC Uganda.
So i have rolled up my sleeves, fine tunning my brain to contain the pressure from being talemt management, working as a solar consultant, studying at the International Institute for Global leadership among other tasks.
Hopefully this time around i will be able to leave a bigger mark (compared to the foot of an elephant). Wish me Luck!
Friday, July 4, 2008
Am older and wiser now.
Yesterday was my birth day... Happy birth to me. I am now 24 years of age... Ahaa quite old now.
Thanks to God that i am still alive, Its been 24 years of learning, unlearning and discovering who i m truelly are. Looking back in time i should say my life has been good,exciting,happy, sad and adventurous. I have managed to achieve quite many things but most importantly are the people's lives that have changed through being with or sharing my experiences with them and learning from them.
Every single day of these 24 years has presented me with opportunities to learn and be a change agent. Though i still have a long way to go but i am confident that i have taken the first step. Before my 24th birth day i have been able to finalize my research project which has been one big hindrance to my graduation. Through the experience of researching i have come to believe that everything happens for a reason because contrary to what every student's comments on research i have learnt more than ever and had fun because i researched on a topic that i liked and i believe i did a unique research.
I have had ups and downs but these are every where and there are just wake up calls, but i have taken them to be warning signals on what could happen if i do not take action. More than ever i trust my gut feelings and try to follow them. I have learnt to appreciate nature and people and most importantly believe in myself.
To the people who have seen me grow to this level i thank you very much (My dad and Mum), to those who have been guides in my life,keep it up and to those who have walked thin lines side by side with me, words will never describe how grateful i am for being there for me. I cannot write your names here but just to let you know you have a special place in my heart.
So i dedicate this post to you the special ones in my life!
Thanks to God that i am still alive, Its been 24 years of learning, unlearning and discovering who i m truelly are. Looking back in time i should say my life has been good,exciting,happy, sad and adventurous. I have managed to achieve quite many things but most importantly are the people's lives that have changed through being with or sharing my experiences with them and learning from them.
Every single day of these 24 years has presented me with opportunities to learn and be a change agent. Though i still have a long way to go but i am confident that i have taken the first step. Before my 24th birth day i have been able to finalize my research project which has been one big hindrance to my graduation. Through the experience of researching i have come to believe that everything happens for a reason because contrary to what every student's comments on research i have learnt more than ever and had fun because i researched on a topic that i liked and i believe i did a unique research.
I have had ups and downs but these are every where and there are just wake up calls, but i have taken them to be warning signals on what could happen if i do not take action. More than ever i trust my gut feelings and try to follow them. I have learnt to appreciate nature and people and most importantly believe in myself.
To the people who have seen me grow to this level i thank you very much (My dad and Mum), to those who have been guides in my life,keep it up and to those who have walked thin lines side by side with me, words will never describe how grateful i am for being there for me. I cannot write your names here but just to let you know you have a special place in my heart.
So i dedicate this post to you the special ones in my life!
Tuesday, June 24, 2008
Quiz nite
Well two weeks back i attended a quiz night at Irish pub in Kampala.It was a great night but in the start i felt so out of place because i was almost the only black person in the house.
After downing a cold bell lager i go in the mood and it was the same time when the quiz started.Our group is called TEHENDE which is close to swahili word meaning lets go!I did not have much to contribute in the quiz coz all the questions where from planet Mars (they had never crossed my mind).We had a range of questions in various categories from geography, movies, musicals among others. My team mates answered all the questions until they asked which countries in Africa start with the letter M,this was my time to shine, i asked every one to leave this questions which i crushed maliciously showing them the African in me!
As the night went by we emerged winners and got a carton of castle lagers and T-shirts. Please dont stop reading thinking that i have just emptied 6 beers because we will be taking the beers today.So to put it straight i am not under the influence of castle lagers while writing this post.
Today at 6 pm, the whole TEHENDE team will be meeting in bugolobi to finalize the questions that will be asked on Thursday.Usually the winning team comes up with the questions.I have got the best team which has creative and diverse minds. Contrary to lat time's quiz,this time we have interesting categories like Africa,so that Ugandans are not left out and the other category i am looking forward to is Sex and World leaders among others.......
Do you feel the creativity and diversity in this quiz night...just in case you are in Kampala,join us this Thursday at Irish pub as we give participants a run for their beers and brain work!
Will give you updates on my findings on whether there is a corelation between world leaders,sex and beers.......
Tuhende!
After downing a cold bell lager i go in the mood and it was the same time when the quiz started.Our group is called TEHENDE which is close to swahili word meaning lets go!I did not have much to contribute in the quiz coz all the questions where from planet Mars (they had never crossed my mind).We had a range of questions in various categories from geography, movies, musicals among others. My team mates answered all the questions until they asked which countries in Africa start with the letter M,this was my time to shine, i asked every one to leave this questions which i crushed maliciously showing them the African in me!
As the night went by we emerged winners and got a carton of castle lagers and T-shirts. Please dont stop reading thinking that i have just emptied 6 beers because we will be taking the beers today.So to put it straight i am not under the influence of castle lagers while writing this post.
Today at 6 pm, the whole TEHENDE team will be meeting in bugolobi to finalize the questions that will be asked on Thursday.Usually the winning team comes up with the questions.I have got the best team which has creative and diverse minds. Contrary to lat time's quiz,this time we have interesting categories like Africa,so that Ugandans are not left out and the other category i am looking forward to is Sex and World leaders among others.......
Do you feel the creativity and diversity in this quiz night...just in case you are in Kampala,join us this Thursday at Irish pub as we give participants a run for their beers and brain work!
Will give you updates on my findings on whether there is a corelation between world leaders,sex and beers.......
Tuhende!
Saturday, June 21, 2008
Highlights
Fire fighting, beating deadlines, persistence and going home late have been the highlights of this week.
It's half year now and i have to submit my report by Monday next week and i still have pendings.
The people who are supposed to give me information for my report have been very slow or its me who has been slow.I have learnt that i have to take 100% personal responsibility for whatever happens so i wont blame any one apart from me.
AIESEC has become my middle name.Just when i thought i can peacefully head for the future,these days i have been involved in almost all the AIESEC UG activities from Planning conference preparation to AFrican YEs launch among others......Why does AIESEC keep following me? I ask myself this question but i know the answer its because i am AIESEC!.
Aha now i told you that i was still a student,my supervisor is no where to be seen.i have sent him emails, sms and called him but all in vain.Deadline for handing in research is 30 th June.What should i do...........keep sending him more Sms', emails and endless calling.Its called persistence!
It's half year now and i have to submit my report by Monday next week and i still have pendings.
The people who are supposed to give me information for my report have been very slow or its me who has been slow.I have learnt that i have to take 100% personal responsibility for whatever happens so i wont blame any one apart from me.
AIESEC has become my middle name.Just when i thought i can peacefully head for the future,these days i have been involved in almost all the AIESEC UG activities from Planning conference preparation to AFrican YEs launch among others......Why does AIESEC keep following me? I ask myself this question but i know the answer its because i am AIESEC!.
Aha now i told you that i was still a student,my supervisor is no where to be seen.i have sent him emails, sms and called him but all in vain.Deadline for handing in research is 30 th June.What should i do...........keep sending him more Sms', emails and endless calling.Its called persistence!
Thursday, May 29, 2008
its been long!
Hello to all who visit my blog...
I am back after a long time. SO many things have happened ever since i got back from Dare-e salaam. First i went mountain climbing on Mt Rwenzori. I had a lot of fun with my 'boss'.We passed thru the equator, went to Queen Elizabeth national Park.
I also had a surprise visit to Kigali for the AIESEC rwanda conference it felt like home when i got there.Though getting there became tricky at the katuna border after we couldnot get temporary passes for some delegates but thank God some one heard a border official speak their mother tongue and that got them into Rwanda.
Tuesday, February 26, 2008
Time is up....
I am going to miss chips mayayae,Tuk tuks and my swahili lessons.We its that time when you have say good bye to your friends.
i have quiet many friends in dar who have helped me in one way or the other and i would like to thank them for being there for me and making dar feel like home.
To you all lovely people Karibu sana Uganda.
Kwaheri
i have quiet many friends in dar who have helped me in one way or the other and i would like to thank them for being there for me and making dar feel like home.
To you all lovely people Karibu sana Uganda.
Kwaheri
Thursday, February 21, 2008
Is it tommorrow or today?
Hey People,
Its been another very interesting day here in dares-salaam.Right now i am abit tipsy coz i just had a few shots of barcadi and kilmanjaro.So the things written in this blog spot doesnot belong to me but to the beers that i have taken.Our Neighbour is marrying tommorrow (i think its now today) and he invited us for the Barbeque.
Any way i have had enough as usual so it looks like i am wriiting in arabic or chinese but whatever it is i have to sleep.
Its been another very interesting day here in dares-salaam.Right now i am abit tipsy coz i just had a few shots of barcadi and kilmanjaro.So the things written in this blog spot doesnot belong to me but to the beers that i have taken.Our Neighbour is marrying tommorrow (i think its now today) and he invited us for the Barbeque.
Any way i have had enough as usual so it looks like i am wriiting in arabic or chinese but whatever it is i have to sleep.
Back Home in the car trunk!
19th Feb 2008.
The cool breeze,numerous beaches,breath taking sceneries,chips mayayai and the long distances connecting towns.Oh yeah i am in Dare-salaam now!
Its been an exceptional day, I have had a wonderful time with the team.We had discussions about SolarNow,updates,changes and next steps.New exciting projects have been introduced will fill you in when implementation starts.
Very interesting have been the extra curricular activities that we did.Lunch with the team was awesome from knowing different colleagues’ tastes to the amount of food they eat.It is always evident that I eat more than the rest because of my size and also the fact that its one of the talents that makes me proud.
Then the team took it to the kitchen to prepare dinner.Me and Alex took lessons from Miep on kitchen hygiene, how to slice onions,tomatoes,egg plants and opening tuna tins.I noticed that mzungu cooking is more structured than African cooking and more spices are used.
We had dinner and headed to the slip way to get some drinks and un wind.It was a great evening.We had a range of drinks from Kilimanjaro,Serengeti to water and wine.
At midnight,being the only ones in the bar,it was time to leave.We were 7 and the car that we have is a 5 seater so I ended up in a trunk with another Canadian friend who is also in dar doing a project on bio fuel.Seating in the trunk is funny but we enjoyed.It was accompanied with an intellectual discussion on how culture affects work and what would be the state of african countries if they did not get aid from donors.
Tuesday, February 19, 2008
Trip to Nairobi.
Its Friday 15 th February at 11:45 pm.I am in Nairobi seated at the scandinavia office waiting for the next day to jump onto the next bus to my final destination which is Dares Salaam.
My other three colleagues that I have travelled with have checked into marble hotel and I have opted not spend a night at the bus offices.Not that I donot have money like it used to be on my earlier trips but its because of the images that keep flashing in my mind of burnt houses and hundreds of people who were left homeless due to the political unrest in kenya.
From Eldoret,Burnt forest and molo hundreds of people are treking to find a place to sleep,others are stranded on the road side waiting for a good samaritan to give them a lift to where?No one knows.
Burnt forest and molo are dry places with a sparse population.I did not see many shops or trade centres,places to dram water so I kept wondering how the people around those places survive.But just like any one who doesnot have many options they alwayts find their way out.
For those of us who think that we are suffering because we donot have school fees,cant afford to buy meat for their family,stop complaining because there are people who have no place to stay,food,money and donot even know what to do and where to start from.
It’s now Midnight,I have more six hours to embark on the journry to do.What will I do in these six hours ,read the richest man in babylon,take some power naps or even strike a conversation with my neighbour!
12:15 am I look for the Richest Man In Babylon,a book I had just bought and couldnot find it.I searched all my luggage and it was no where to find.Ok this now reduces on my to do list for tonight.
12:35 am, the power short circuits and every one rushes out of the scandinavia booking office/bedroom/Lodge where people are sleeping.The Mum’s were looking for their kids and the kids looking for their mums all screaming Mummy………..,mummy,mummy,son,daughter………….. Son, looking very traumatised.
Great!i exclaimed ,I have just lost my book,power has gone off and have not gone to sleep in the hotel with My friends.How bad will it get?Will find out tommorrow.
NEXT DAY.16/02/2008.
Its 4:30 am and every one cannot pretend to be sleeping any one.The seats/beds are very hard,its freaking cold and my closest neighbour is snoring just like a lion trapped in a cage.We are looked in the place and cannot get out.All the people are so bored,pissed off and sleepy with nothing to do.Ok,I have an idea of what we can do.How about watching Prison Break I ask My neighbour ,”what have you been waiting for”?, he replies. Pulled out my laptop and started watching.
6:00 am, laptop battery runs low in the middle of a very interesting scene when scoffield is mid way his recent escape attempt from sona.
My other three colleagues that I have travelled with have checked into marble hotel and I have opted not spend a night at the bus offices.Not that I donot have money like it used to be on my earlier trips but its because of the images that keep flashing in my mind of burnt houses and hundreds of people who were left homeless due to the political unrest in kenya.
From Eldoret,Burnt forest and molo hundreds of people are treking to find a place to sleep,others are stranded on the road side waiting for a good samaritan to give them a lift to where?No one knows.
Burnt forest and molo are dry places with a sparse population.I did not see many shops or trade centres,places to dram water so I kept wondering how the people around those places survive.But just like any one who doesnot have many options they alwayts find their way out.
For those of us who think that we are suffering because we donot have school fees,cant afford to buy meat for their family,stop complaining because there are people who have no place to stay,food,money and donot even know what to do and where to start from.
It’s now Midnight,I have more six hours to embark on the journry to do.What will I do in these six hours ,read the richest man in babylon,take some power naps or even strike a conversation with my neighbour!
12:15 am I look for the Richest Man In Babylon,a book I had just bought and couldnot find it.I searched all my luggage and it was no where to find.Ok this now reduces on my to do list for tonight.
12:35 am, the power short circuits and every one rushes out of the scandinavia booking office/bedroom/Lodge where people are sleeping.The Mum’s were looking for their kids and the kids looking for their mums all screaming Mummy………..,mummy,mummy,son,daughter………….. Son, looking very traumatised.
Great!i exclaimed ,I have just lost my book,power has gone off and have not gone to sleep in the hotel with My friends.How bad will it get?Will find out tommorrow.
NEXT DAY.16/02/2008.
Its 4:30 am and every one cannot pretend to be sleeping any one.The seats/beds are very hard,its freaking cold and my closest neighbour is snoring just like a lion trapped in a cage.We are looked in the place and cannot get out.All the people are so bored,pissed off and sleepy with nothing to do.Ok,I have an idea of what we can do.How about watching Prison Break I ask My neighbour ,”what have you been waiting for”?, he replies. Pulled out my laptop and started watching.
6:00 am, laptop battery runs low in the middle of a very interesting scene when scoffield is mid way his recent escape attempt from sona.
Tuesday, January 22, 2008
Happy Day
Today i have every reason to smile all the way.
One because my boss was very impressed with the project materials that i developed.It took me alot of thinking to come up with them and in the end i felt i deserved a thumbs up and here i am just recieved an email saying "Julius you did a wonderfull job with Business development tools,I am very impressed"!
Two,the second last born recieved his results for Primary Leaving Examinations and he got 13 points which is a second upper grade!He is called Joel a very smart boy,i truelly believe he is a star in the making.Watch out for him.
These 2 things are all i needed to make my day.I am thnking of where to go and celebrate,catch a smirnoff or Bell with My friends but i am really tired after those wild trips of mine in Lira,Arua and Masindi.
I think i need to sleep,may be i will party in My dreams!
One because my boss was very impressed with the project materials that i developed.It took me alot of thinking to come up with them and in the end i felt i deserved a thumbs up and here i am just recieved an email saying "Julius you did a wonderfull job with Business development tools,I am very impressed"!
Two,the second last born recieved his results for Primary Leaving Examinations and he got 13 points which is a second upper grade!He is called Joel a very smart boy,i truelly believe he is a star in the making.Watch out for him.
These 2 things are all i needed to make my day.I am thnking of where to go and celebrate,catch a smirnoff or Bell with My friends but i am really tired after those wild trips of mine in Lira,Arua and Masindi.
I think i need to sleep,may be i will party in My dreams!
Monday, January 21, 2008
Adventour Gets tough!
For the last one week i have been travelling like crazy,doing more than 200 Kms in a day.It started on Tuesday morning when i jumped on to the bus to Lira.This has been my second time in Lira,i wasnot so anxious about getting there like the first trip.Lira was good,i met very enthusiatic solar dealer who made me feel that i am actually a messiah to his business.
Friday 18 Jan 2008,at 6 am i hit the road to get the next bus to Arua,Just like any unfamiliar destination i couldnot wait to get there.First i boarded a very small car (Corona) coz i wanted to get there fast only to notce that it can actually take the number of people that fit in a matatu!Oh my we were already 5 on the back seat but the driver was saying push up,Mwesikemu or Mwegyelane in Kinyarwanda so that he can fix more people.THat was it for me i had to go for the bus.
The bus dropped me in Karuma at 7:30 am and i had to wait for another one to Arua.The bus took long to come but finally it arrived.Believe me ladies jumped into the bus before it stopped,mean while the gentle me was waiting for it to stop only to realise that it doesnot stop.I ran after it thanks to my long legs i got in.
It took us 5 hours to Arua,by that time it felt like i have been racing with Inzikuru.Every part of my body was aching(not every part sorry!) and i was starving,you know what i did next.
AFter i checked in at california Hotel,its a very nice rooms,spacious and clean,the only issue was that the cooks are only good at cooking chips and chicken.
Arua is a very busy town due to its proximity to southern sudan.It has so many sudanese people and the natives(Lugbara's).Sudanese are tall and dark and if you know me tall and dark can best suit my appearance.The ironical part is that i am actually more brown than them,which led to the people refering to me as Brown sudanese which i got used to and the power rationing!
5:00 am monday morning,actually today am in abus heading to Masindi.I had to be dropped off at Kagitumba and then proceed to Masindi.
Now i am in Masindi,i have finished official business and now hanging out on the internet.Oooh i forgot to tell you this i got into an argument with the boss of the hotel where i am staying.Imagine he tells me i cant use my laptop coz power is very expensive.But i thought i had paid him.He insists that i only paid for accomodation nothing more,nothing less.I cant even shower twice in a day.
But dont you worry i have alread showered and wont need to shower till i get back to Kampala.No need to hold your breath for my neighbours in the bus!
Friday 18 Jan 2008,at 6 am i hit the road to get the next bus to Arua,Just like any unfamiliar destination i couldnot wait to get there.First i boarded a very small car (Corona) coz i wanted to get there fast only to notce that it can actually take the number of people that fit in a matatu!Oh my we were already 5 on the back seat but the driver was saying push up,Mwesikemu or Mwegyelane in Kinyarwanda so that he can fix more people.THat was it for me i had to go for the bus.
The bus dropped me in Karuma at 7:30 am and i had to wait for another one to Arua.The bus took long to come but finally it arrived.Believe me ladies jumped into the bus before it stopped,mean while the gentle me was waiting for it to stop only to realise that it doesnot stop.I ran after it thanks to my long legs i got in.
It took us 5 hours to Arua,by that time it felt like i have been racing with Inzikuru.Every part of my body was aching(not every part sorry!) and i was starving,you know what i did next.
AFter i checked in at california Hotel,its a very nice rooms,spacious and clean,the only issue was that the cooks are only good at cooking chips and chicken.
Arua is a very busy town due to its proximity to southern sudan.It has so many sudanese people and the natives(Lugbara's).Sudanese are tall and dark and if you know me tall and dark can best suit my appearance.The ironical part is that i am actually more brown than them,which led to the people refering to me as Brown sudanese which i got used to and the power rationing!
5:00 am monday morning,actually today am in abus heading to Masindi.I had to be dropped off at Kagitumba and then proceed to Masindi.
Now i am in Masindi,i have finished official business and now hanging out on the internet.Oooh i forgot to tell you this i got into an argument with the boss of the hotel where i am staying.Imagine he tells me i cant use my laptop coz power is very expensive.But i thought i had paid him.He insists that i only paid for accomodation nothing more,nothing less.I cant even shower twice in a day.
But dont you worry i have alread showered and wont need to shower till i get back to Kampala.No need to hold your breath for my neighbours in the bus!
Saturday, January 19, 2008
A stone throw in to southern sudan
Believe it or not i am in Arua,its in west nile region in Uganda.its a very busy city contrary to what i thought.
I had to seat in abus for close to 5 hours to get here.On my way i noticed that people are reconstructing the war torn areas,my eyes could not miss the small towns that had 10 people in one area with a church,school and clinic surroundung them.The houses are so distant.
The people are very friendly and smilig despite their past history.Business is booming given the fact that its close to Juba which is every Business Man's dream.
Sudanese cross over to lira easily to get foods and other essentials and this makes the prices soar high.
The language is amazing,they speak very fast with alot of emphasis.I am tempted to think that they are quarelling even if they are having a cordial freindly conversation.
Power cuts here are part of the days schedule and theyu are blaming it on the crisis in Kenya,i donot know how?.Its making life hard for me because i have nothing to do apart from working 0n my laptop and listening to a collection of music i have ranging from
Rwandese,UTAKE,slows,RnB,Old skool and all the other genres.
I am so fatique coz of the long distances that i have been travelling since tuesday.For me its fun seeing new faces and culture but rquires adaptability and adventure!Its fun being here and now that i have an appointment in the next 1 hr i need to go eat some kalo,rush back to my hotel (california Hotel) and hit the road.So catch you then,probably i will be in Masindi.
I had to seat in abus for close to 5 hours to get here.On my way i noticed that people are reconstructing the war torn areas,my eyes could not miss the small towns that had 10 people in one area with a church,school and clinic surroundung them.The houses are so distant.
The people are very friendly and smilig despite their past history.Business is booming given the fact that its close to Juba which is every Business Man's dream.
Sudanese cross over to lira easily to get foods and other essentials and this makes the prices soar high.
The language is amazing,they speak very fast with alot of emphasis.I am tempted to think that they are quarelling even if they are having a cordial freindly conversation.
Power cuts here are part of the days schedule and theyu are blaming it on the crisis in Kenya,i donot know how?.Its making life hard for me because i have nothing to do apart from working 0n my laptop and listening to a collection of music i have ranging from
Rwandese,UTAKE,slows,RnB,Old skool and all the other genres.
I am so fatique coz of the long distances that i have been travelling since tuesday.For me its fun seeing new faces and culture but rquires adaptability and adventure!Its fun being here and now that i have an appointment in the next 1 hr i need to go eat some kalo,rush back to my hotel (california Hotel) and hit the road.So catch you then,probably i will be in Masindi.
Thursday, January 17, 2008
Happy 2008.
My first blog post in 2008.First happy New year to you all.
I am in the capital city of Northern uganda doing a project on business consultancy.
Lira is great besides the frequent power cuts that are making my life hard here but i am a survivor.
No more 2007,cant believe its gone but there are things that still linger in my mind and most of them are turning points or have some how influenced who Julius is now;
-Missed being MCP of AIESEC Uganda.
-The trip to national conference in Tanzania.It was a masculine trip especially coming back to uganda.
-The year of the 3 dudes!Together we did things we never though we would.
-Missed graduation for the third time in a row!Its never too late,this year i will be graduating with a degree in Accounting plus a certificate in solar installation and design.
-Experiencing Rwanda, the culture and of course the good times,memories and the AIESEC Rwanda.
-Christmas with my family was a magical day.When i think about it,it still feels like its yesterday.
In 2008,i promise to have a much more impact in my life and the lives of the people around me!
I am in the capital city of Northern uganda doing a project on business consultancy.
Lira is great besides the frequent power cuts that are making my life hard here but i am a survivor.
No more 2007,cant believe its gone but there are things that still linger in my mind and most of them are turning points or have some how influenced who Julius is now;
-Missed being MCP of AIESEC Uganda.
-The trip to national conference in Tanzania.It was a masculine trip especially coming back to uganda.
-The year of the 3 dudes!Together we did things we never though we would.
-Missed graduation for the third time in a row!Its never too late,this year i will be graduating with a degree in Accounting plus a certificate in solar installation and design.
-Experiencing Rwanda, the culture and of course the good times,memories and the AIESEC Rwanda.
-Christmas with my family was a magical day.When i think about it,it still feels like its yesterday.
In 2008,i promise to have a much more impact in my life and the lives of the people around me!
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