Dear readers,
Welcome back. Today I would like to introduce you to Immaculate, a student from the Agriculture group at our SDA, Skills Development Academy. Her story is filled with passion, determination and strength, her dreams are ambitious but realistic and her willingness to reach them is admirable.
Immaculate is 24 years old, she has beautiful short hair, all knotted in small braids and she always has a big smile on her face. She is really talkative and outgoing: few times she has joined me and other volunteers on the way back home, keeping chatting and telling us advices and tips to be a perfect Nebbi local.
At school, she is the one who always replies to questions, who takes notes and who tries to challenge herself.
The day I met her, I remember she was sitting on the first line of chairs at the Skill Development lesson; very close to the board, she was totally concentrated in Virag’s explanations. But although her seriousness she was still smiling.
She didn’t even notice I was listening to the lesson, while other students, as soon as I approached them, turned towards me, maybe curious to see another “mundu’s" new face.
She was totally immersed in the class which that day was about “job interview”; when I looked at her, constantly raising her hands to answer or asking questions, I found her to be similar to Hermione. You know Harry Potter’s character, the girl who always studies and knows by hearth every books of Hogwarts’ library?
Well, she gave me that impression, in a positive way of course; she was prepared, curious and also very smart in her replies.
You could perfectly perceive her logical way of thinking, her mind focused and addressed to one specific and realistic plan.
Her attitude and personality sincerely attracted me, getting really eager to know her more; I wanted to discover what was leading her to be so committed to learn, what she was planning and what her motivations were.
So one morning, few days ago, when I arrived at the office, I found her already there, under the patio where the lessons are usually held; she was waiting for the other students and since alone, I decided to take advantage of the moment of calm to introduce myself.
She immediately smiled at me, rubbing off on me her energy and optimism, brightening my day. We started talking about the day, the rain and the sun, and I asked her something more about the practical lessons with the Agriculture group, about the garden at the school and what they have recently planted and collected. I was just trying to make her feel confident to converse with me, but probably she didn’t even need it; her self-assurance and outwardness naturally lead the conversation to what I was hoping for.
Immaculate had to stop her studies as the majority of the students here, but this hasn’t stopped her to be curious and eager to learn. Before coming here, at EMOTER’s Academy, she was planning to become a nurse, maybe a mid-wife, since they are really needed here in Uganda.
Although things happened and her life changed, she has never lost her strength and determination; she has just moved her energy and dedication towards another goal.
When she got to know our SDA, she suddenly decided to channel her energy and to invest her time in the “Agriculture” course. She now has a new specific and precise plan for her future career; everything in her mind is set and arranged both in the short and long term.
“I want to open my own farm here in Nebbi, I want it to be big and to keep enlarging. I want to give job to many people, so they can earn money and improve their life as well, and I want to be sure they have access to safe food and to a nutritious balanced diet. That’s why I will provide them with food and meals; healthy employees means higher quality work.
My idea is to plant and to produce different types of legumes together with maize, that can be distributed to the schools for the students’ meal, which are usually beans with posho or rice.
I want also to plant lots of trees, both for the fruits and for the wood that can be sold to the local supermarkets, widening the variety of costumers. Through them, my farm could also be known from new people, improving my possibility of growing and networking.
Here it is all about networking, you know? If you expand your connections and acquaintances you have enhanced chances to build a stable and loyal clientele.
But to reach it, I need a start-up capital, some money, to buy a land and to hire some workers. That’s why I am planning to work some years for a local big farm here in order to save money and at the same time to gain more practical experience.
You know, EMOTER has given me an alternative, the possibility to study and to have at the end a certificate, a diploma. Here having a piece of paper is fundamental if you aim to do something bigger, if your ambitions are farther from being a mere dependant.
But, even if necessary, is not sufficient; you need to make an effort, to challenge yourself and to really look for a job, contacting employers and different stakeholders. You can’t just come here, follow the course, obtain your diploma and go back home, sit on the couch and wait for opportunities to jump on you. You really have to struggle for it and you have also to be prepared to face and to deal with low salaries, unfair job-contracts and economic difficulties.
But you have to go through all of it if you really want to achieve you dream. And I want to and I am ready for it.”
I am totally amazed and fascinated and impressed and inspired all together from this girl. She is really convinced when she explains me her plan, she is aware of the challenges but also of her capacities. And I can see she studied hard during the past few months; she can perfectly explain the best way of planting and collecting, when it is better to harvest or what animal is more productive or financially convenient.
Personally, the sparkle I can see in her eyes is the proof that she will achieve her dream.
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