Empowering Young Leaders

Since my dream is to become a counselor, I see myself in a position of supporting young people like me emotionally by listening to their problems and helping them find a solution.

students nowadays need emotional support to stay focused, and I am always glad to offer it to them whenever they approach me.

Ssentamu Rahuman joined high school this year at Mbazzi Secondary School on the Action in Africa (AIA) secondary scholarship program. His remarkable self-confidence and public speaking skills have propelled him into school leadership as the Sanitary Prefect of his school. We have known Ssentamu for a while now because he was one of the students in Step by Step Primary School, one of the schools that are part of the AIA primary partnership program (PPP). Ssentamu shared his experience being part of the Primary Partnership Program as well as his industrious dreams for the future.

What are your fondest AIA moments while participating in AIA programs?

I enjoyed hip-hop dance very much because the music always calmed my mind and enabled me to express myself. The dance trainers were all very talented and I aspired to dance like them. They always encouraged me and made me love what I was doing. To date, I have not quit dancing because it is now my hobby. I still have the moves, once my favourite song is played. A Lot of the young people at The Center liked hip-hop dance and many of us usually voted for it as our favourite program during the holiday program too.

I can’t forget the nutritious snacks they used to give us after the creative learning lesson at AIA when we came from school. I used to enjoy them and I can’t forget that wonderful experience that I was lucky to have. Generally, the programs we always had with Uncle Colline and Uncle Kimera as part of the PPP built my self-confidence.

What contribution do you think those programs had on your education?

We were given remedial classes in preparation for the Primary Leaving Examinations (PLE) preparation, in which we were introduced to more experienced teachers who used to teach us creatively by singing the words and the science theories. This helped me grasp the spellings of staff and made my learning experience interesting and unique. I can confidently testify that some of the questions we discussed came in mathematics and science. For example, the song we had learnt about the different types of rabbits was useful and everyone was talking about it after the exams. I got 13 points and am thankful for the PLE preparation at Action in Africa because our year was registered as the best in all years and we passed very well.

Did the AIA programs prepare you for your secondary school education?

Yes, we were taught public speaking which built my confidence to speak in public. With those skills, I was able to contest and campaign for leadership in my new secondary school. I was successful in my campaign and am now the Sanitary Prefect. I am hailed for being a leader in my senior one by my friends but I know that it is because of my belief and confidence in myself. I also preach in the church; I preach about unity mostly because they taught me about the goodness of teamwork at AIA. 

What would you like to be in the future?

I want to become a lawyer or a counsellor, but I am still undecided. The dream of becoming a counselor was inspired by Aunt Robinah, the counselor at Action in Africa. She became my role model when I was in Primary Six, and in one of her guidance and counseling sessions, she spoke about self-esteem and how to control passive anger. I learned how to control my anger and I also see myself in her shoes teaching others how to be confident about themselves.

I think of myself as a good example to my friends because I can inspire them to be confident. Since my dream is to become a counselor, I see myself in a position of supporting young people like me emotionally by listening to their problems and helping them find a solution. I am currently doing the same in school because students nowadays need emotional support to stay focused, and I am always glad to offer it to them whenever they approach me.