(gentle music) Everyone can find
commonalities in these stories. (gentle music) [Robens] There is much meaning in stories, meaning which is very impactful. [Neema] Storytelling being
part of African life, I think this is the best way to bring out what these people can share. [Barbara] Your story has value
and it will impact somebody. So you want to encourage them to speak. People connect through stories. [Robens] Okay, so you
are welcome everyone. Yeah, I'm very happy to see you. First of all, H
ealthy Child Uganda under MUST, we work with communities to
identify their health challenges and work with them to
identify those resources that they have so that
they can deploy them and address those challenges. And to do that one, we use
a number of methodologies to engage communities and one of them happens to
be Digital Storytelling. The next item on our
agenda is introductions. Good morning, ladies and gentleman. I'm called Namanya Sarah. Continuing student in my third year, pursuing a bac
helor's degree in agriculture and livelihoods. Doing bachelor of science in gender and applied women health. Hi everyone, my name is Makooma Nelson. I'm doing Bachelor of Science in Gender and applied women health. Pursuing bachelor of science in planning and community development. My name is Ayebare Julian, doing bachelor's of Science in Planning and Community Development, thank you. (applauding) [Robens] Okay, thank you very much. So at this time I'll welcome Barbara to lead us in the next ses
sion. Thank you very much. [Barbara] Thank you very much Robens. Did you say you're called Mackin? [Macklin] Yes. Macklin, do you have a dream? Yes, of course. [Barbara] You have a dream, okay. Leticia, Letitia, do
you also have a dream? [Leticia] Yes I do. [Barbara] Okay, I hope all
of us in the room have dreams and because we all have dreams, there are journeys we go through as we pursue those dreams. Okay, so this morning we
are going to watch a story that is shared by
somebody who has a drea
m. [Robens] Oh, Nancy? [Nancy] Yes. [Robens] You're welcome. [Nancy] Thank you. [Robens] Good morning. [Nancy] How are you, morning. I'm fine.
Yes. How was the journey? It was okay. Okay. [Nancy] I enjoyed it. [Robens] Dr. Neema is
going to be helping us, actually she's going to be working with you to do the finding and telling your story. You know, your story, like
how you are telling it to me, it is very long, spread
through years and months. So she's an expert. She's going to help you
trim do
wn that story. At a later stage I come to help you with
crafting, recording, and putting the images, the soundtracks. Then Barbara Naggayi,
she's going to join us and she will mainly be helping
us with sharing your story. [Neema] I'm really eager
to work with you today. I head the department of gender, issues of culture and the current gender
relations in families. The position of a lady, girl child and how we are pushing on
for career development. Think we are now good to go. [Robens] Okay. I'l
l leave you to have a girl talk, okay. (laughing) [Neema] So Nancy, firstly,
briefly tell me your story so that I conceptualize it
and see how I can guide you before we start writing it on the paper. [Nancy] And I had applied for nursing. [Neema] And they admitted you?
[Nancy] And they admitted me. [Neema] So start from
there, how did it go? [Nancy] So whatever they
could tell me in school I wanted to do it. [Neema] You were ready for anything. [Nancy] Everything,
because I wanted to become, I h
ad seen that I'm heading
to where I wanted to be. If you really, really, really interested. Then for me in a relationship
I start is the relationship which will take us to marriage,
are you ready for that? [Neema] You are the one now suggest this. [Nancy] Yes, he said yes. Then I said to be sure that you are, you are saying yes, which is a yes. You will take me to your home. [Neema] They see me,
[Nancy] They see me. They know that you have someone. And two, I be sure that you
don't have a wife a
t home because I never wanted a man who was married. It was part of me. You know, in our culture
here it is not so easy for a woman to make those suggestions. First take me to your
home, don't have sex. We are shy, but this, I feel
this boldness was a strong point in your life. I want us to pick which,
which I was capturing here. Only sections that were concerning you. You can use any expression
that you feel can bring out the real word of how you were feeling. [Nancy] There, for home, I sat
six
months, then at my aunt. [Neema] No, but here
you want your feeling, your expression when you were at home. [Nancy] I sat home. [Neema] How were you feeling? [Nancy] Months. Of course frustrated. I could wake up [Neema] I was, I was very frustrated? So when we type this, we are going to re-edit
it and get better verbs. The hardest part was this one. [Nancy] This one. The composition, where we
now have a story to share. Yeah, so I can see lunch is being prepared and, we first have lunch. Then th
e typing will come. [Robens] Good. I'm happy to join you again.
[Nancy] You're welcome. [Robens] Very good. (ladies speaking in foreign language) I'm happy to see much. [Nancy] I'm okay. Nice seeing you. [Barbara] Happy to be seeing you Nancy. [Barbara] How did you feel
when you you're studying? Of course at the beginning
I felt a little bit nervous, but she kept reassuring me it is my story. I just give it the way I have it. I said, okay. [Barbara] So it was easy
to to say it that way, that way
you did? [Nancy] The way it's, yes, that's true. - [Barbara] How was Neema? From your end, how was
she as a facilitator? Feedback. (laughter) [Neema] Sometimes we
fear to speak the truth, thinking that it would block us. But now in this case. - [Nancy] But it can become opportunity. Where I was encouraged by one influential friend. [Robens] Were I was encouraged... [Neema] Okay, if you are
satisfied, I can say we are done. Let's go to the studio, then We record the voice. (gentle music) [Nancy]
From a very humble
background of five siblings, that is two girls and three boys, I was born a fourth born and being a second to last child, I had very many big
challenges in my education with my parents taking frequent loans and selling little properties,
including the animals and the land we had. Despite those hardships, I
managed to complete my primary and secondary education. However, after senior four,
there was nothing more left to be sold. It seemed we had reached a dead end and I sat ho
me for six months. I was very frustrated, I hated myself. I even hated my parents. I even regretted why I
was born in such a family. When my mom saw all this,
she suggested that I go to my uncle's place in Nairobi, where I spent two years
working as a house help. While in my uncle's place
I developed a strategy to win my aunt's heart, which
helped me to win her favors. I loved and cared for her children. I consulted her on every
activity I could do. I washed clothes, I
ironed, cleaned the house,
and cooked food, which eventually
placed me in a position to be considered and helped. While staying with them, I was convinced to join other professions. They suggested I join police because this is where they
had connections and networks, but this was not my calling
and so I declined the offer. Fortunately, Kampala
International University of Uganda advertised my dream courses, which I applied for and excitingly I was admitted for nursing. While there at KIU, we were required to first do a br
idging
course for six months, which became a basis for my later studies. That is clinical medicine
and community health. [Robens] I really thank you. This is a very good, powerful story. [Nancy] Thank you. [Robens] I think it is
going to open the eyes of very many people, young and old. [Robens] Today we are going
to continue with the crafting. So we are going to be
adding in your story, photos and the videos and the music. So, which is going to be so good. [Nancy] Yes. OK. So growing up in a hu
mble background and facing challenges
attending your education, well which image comes into your mind? [Nancy] Maybe homestead,
a local homestead. [Robens] A local homestead. [Nancy] Or we can get
a picture of the gate and it's, and the darkness. [Robens] That would be so
artistic, a picture of the gate. (laughing) [Robens] So should we bring
in the excitement here to like transition from village setting to? [Nancy] Yes, to another urban setting. What is, can we get a bridge? [Robens] We get a b
ridge
[Nancy] Because a bridge can use, make you cross to the other side. But maybe by the end we can
bring back the other tunnel showing the light now. What we think is
impossible can be possible. [Robens] Then we introducing the light. [Nancy] Yes, when KIU advertises? [Robens] Let's do that one. You can make a very good movie director. (laughing) Tomorrow, we are going to have an opportunity of sharing your story. How do you feel about it? [Nancy] I have no problem with that. [Robens] You hav
e no problem? [Nancy] Because that was
the main reason why I had to come up and talk about my story. It might help one or two persons to also
achieve in their life. I know so many young people
undergoing those tough moments. Yeah, and I want to bring it clear that the way has never been easy. (students murmuring and shuffling) [Barbara] So this morning
we are going to watch a story that is shared by somebody who had a dream and she's sharing her
experience of how she navigated through the differ
ent valleys and mountains to be able
to achieve her dream. So, Determined to Succeed. (piano music) [Nancy] I worked extremely very hard and I was determined to pass and finish my course because I
knew where I was coming from. I joined serious group
discussions where I was encouraged by one influential friend who
later became my boyfriend. And currently my husband. I was very bold to tell my boyfriend that we delay having sex, thus avoid unwanted pregnancy
in the course of our studies. To be sur
e he was a serious person I requested him to
introduce me to his parents. He was a bit surprised,
but later he did it. I was lucky to get a job
with a mission hospital through the support of my fiance. It is from their payment that supported me to clear the outstanding school
fees back at the university, but also it contributed to
the process of our wedding. I am now working as an In-Chagre in one of the health center three's. At the same time, I'm a nutrition focal person in Bushenyi District I
must say that I am happily married to this influential gentleman and we are blessed with five
children, both girls and boys. Brothers and sisters. Be bold, be courageous,
be determined, be focused, and above all be good fearing people. Remember what we think is
impossible can be possible. [Barbara] Before we move into
the discussion, I want us to to give ourselves an opportunity to share with a neighbor next to you. (students talking) [Leticia] One thing that I
have learned from this story is t
hat this lady was God
fearing, she was committed. She was determined... She was determined for everything, like... Thinking for going to join the police the army and whatever. She didn't want anything
to put her off track. Yeah, she didn't really want anything to put an obstacle on where she was going. She was really determined to reach where she was going. [Barbara] So at this point
I'd like to ask you, how did watching that story make you feel? Yes. Okay, thank you. From this story, I felt so
touched. They sold everything. So that this lady can get to senior four. It's like, I'm one of them because I've been in such an incident. But the other thing I learned is that if you're given a chance, you maximize it. Good, so when you're given
an opportunity, maximize. There are two lessons
I've got from this story. One is as ladies, okay, me as a lady, I should be principled. [Barbara] You should be principled. [student] Yeah, like that
comes from what you want and what you want to achieve.
Then the other, the other lesson I've got is social capital. [Barbara] Social capital,
[Student] The way they support you. It is very, very important. [Barbara] Important, yeah Many of girls, I think there are a few, who can stand up and say you are my boyfriend
according to my background. Please, I'm kindly requesting, we shouldn't have sex in our relationship, so that I can achieve my dream. There are very few can do that. And to us boys, we are very few who can. [Barbara] I like that. (laughi
ng and applauding) we are very few who can recognize that request. [Barbara] So what are you
telling the young men now? So you get a boyfriend or girlfriend, your always
in the room, cleaning, doing what, of which it
may not take you anywhere. You find getting retakes. [Barbara] So when you have
a dream, stick to a dream and young men please, honor the request. (laughing) Yes, please. I may say I'm going through the same situation and I thank her. She didn't fall for other traps. Girls, we are h
ere. I'm part of the girls, I cannot say girls. We the girls, we fall into traps
and you end up missing out. Stand in and be firm, before
it's hard and it's difficult and there are many temptations, but there's light at
the end of the tunnel. [Barbara] There's always light
at the end of the tunnel. As a man, and I think a lesson worth
sharing to the other men, we should be very understanding. [Barbara] Okay. Have you
heard Robens and Manasah? [student] We should be very understanding. I loved it
when the man. The husband to the lady in the video, when he was able to
understand the lady's nature, the background and the goals,
the dream of the woman. I felt so emotional and
inspired by this lady because she was so hardworking. She didn't disguise any work. She was so confident and
above all she knew God. And nothing is impossible with God. [Barbara] Nothing is impossible with good. Thank you very much, Leticia. Yes. I've learned that any situation, I am in I'm not always alone. Every oth
er person is facing
it and I've gained hope and courage that at a certain moment I will also achieve my dreams. [Barbara] Good, thank
you very much, thank you. This morning we are glad
that Nancy's here with us. I don't know whether she has
something to share with us. [Nancy] You know, as you were discussing, I became a little more emotional,
but I want to be strong because I've always been strong. I am this strong woman. I'm very proud that my story has touched many. We think that the path is s
mooth. It has never been smooth. Even those who come from rich families, they have their stories. Please go out and inspire. Go out and share a lot of these stories. It can help someone somewhere. Thank you so much. [Nancy] I didn't know how it
was going to be, but today, after sharing my story
with the many people, the participants, after their discussion, I feel I'm a changed person. I even feel that, yes, I went through that, but I overcame. (laughing) Many times it's the
ladies who are more
vocal about their feelings and, you know, connecting
with the stories. But seeing gentlemen in the
room, the male students speak and speak from a genuine
part of their lives. That was also a good thing. So whoever is in a position
of adopting this methodology, they should not wait
because it is very helpful. Now, hopefully that she
has shared it might bring a difference in their lives. Those moments of joy I have succeeded. I have achieved my mission
for sharing this story. They remain focused,
they will achieve their dream. They need to keep praying,
they need to keep pressing. It's never too late. Keep on keeping on until you achieve your goal. So today I feel a different person.
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