“I would like to become either a journalist, an inventor, an astrologer, or an astronomer. I know an astrologer studies stars and their meaning, while an astronomer studies objects in space. What they have in common is wonder. I love learning about things most people don’t know about. It’s fun to imagine galaxies, planets, and stars, and one day I hope to go to America and work with NASA – National Aeronautics and Space Administration. My first inspiration was Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin, the first men to reach the moon. Neil was the first to step on it. Then I learned about Galileo Galilei, who made the first telescope, and Isaac Newton, who improved it. People like that show you that thinking deeply and imagining new things is powerful. When I achieve either of my dreams of becoming an astronomer or astrologer or journalist.
I want to invent things that no one has thought of yet. Even as a child, I liked experimenting with how things work. I imagine getting a periscope and redesigning it with four sides so it can see in all directions instead of just one. That’s how invention begins. I also admire people like Alexander Graham Bell for creating the telephone, Thomas Edison for the light bulb and direct current, and Nikola Tesla for alternating current. It makes me believe that I, too, can create something that helps the world.
I also enjoy writing stories. So far, I’ve written about sixteen novels by hand in my notebooks. They cover everything from school life to superheroes, and some are simply educational. Writing helps me express myself. There are moments when I’m sad or angry, and I just sit down, pick up my pen, and start writing. After a few pages, the sadness is gone. I remember once I was feeling really low after watching the news about someone who had died. That moment inspired me to write about HIV. The story ended up being both educational and a form of healing for me.
I got to know about the Faces Up Uganda community through my mom and one of my teachers at Namugoona Kiggobe Primary school, Mr. Ssekitoleko Peter. My sister was already part of the program before I joined. Once I started, everything began to shift. I learned how to print files from a computer, take photographs, and even started developing my art and access the internet, which enabled me to do research about robotics and mechanics. Photography showed me new ways of seeing the world, and robotics gave me tools to turn my ideas into something real. Art connected me to astronomy and astrology in unexpected ways. It turns out you need to visualize what you study in space, and art helps with that. Even printing will be useful in helping me prepare physical versions of my novels and designs.
Before that, I wasn’t really serious about my studies. I would sit in class without paying much attention. But being part of this creative learning space changed how I thought about things. I became more focused, and my performance improved. In primary four, I used to be in third grade. By primary five, I was in second grade, and by the end of that year, I got six aggregates. I finished primary seven with eight aggregates. The quote “A bad start always has a good ending” means a lot to me because I’ve lived it. One of the biggest challenges I face is the distance from home to Faces up. I also don’t have a personal computer to type up my stories. And I pray that one day, someone can spare a laptop and donate it to me or to Faces Up, so I can access it more often. But I remain hopeful that I’ll finish and publish my work one day.
In the future, I want to be someone who changes life for my family. I dream of us no longer renting a home. I want us to own a house with enough space where we can grow our own food and live peacefully.
If I had one thing to say to other young people like me, it would be this: be active, be serious, and pay attention in class. Education opens up opportunities you never imagined. There are jobs you won’t be able to do without it, and dreams that may never become real unless you stay focused. Keep learning. Keep imagining. That’s how everything begins.”
A story like this reminds us how important it is to create relevant and engaging opportunities for children and young people at the margins. This work isn’t possible without the amazing support for partners like Someone Else’s Child, Inc. and our collaborator, Humans Of Uganda, Nasawali Leslie Emmanuel
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