Uganda: 2019 Mandela Washington Fellowship participants

This year, I was privileged to be among the only 24 Ugandans selected to take part in the prestigious Mandela Washington Fellowship for Young African Leaders. After arriving here in the U.S, we realised that some countries were given more slots than others. South Africa, for example had about 43, while Djibouti had only 7. From Uganda, I also realised that only 2 people were selected from northern Uganda.  The rest were from central and western regions – resonating with views of some people that most opportunities today in Uganda today are “ring-fenced” leaving northern and eastern parts of the country with little. At least, in my experience, this fellowship was open. Only that, some of our people in the north also give up so early, which helps propagate this false notion. Yes, Kampala is far, but if there are opportunities there then you have to reach there. You have to be inside the “fence”. The best thing is that the whole fellowship thing is online. Purely online.

This week I managed to get some time and compiled a list of all the 2019 Mandela Washington Fellows from Uganda. When we were in Uganda, we never got the time & opportunity to socialise and get to know each other. I am sure this list will help the fellows themselves know one another, and also help those who want to apply for the fellowship next year. I must say the profiles of these young leaders is very impressive.

 

INSTITUTE TRACKS
Public Management Civic Engagement Business Total
07 06 11 24

 

Duncan Abigaba

Africa, Uganda, Public Management, 2019

 

Duncan Abigaba has over four years of experience in public administration at the managerial level. He is a manager at Government Citizen Interaction Centre. The center serves as the primary contact point for citizens in government. He was the acting head of the center between April 2017 and September 2018, where he relentlessly drove open government initiatives and pushed for increased citizen participation in government planning. He previously served in the Office of the President, as deputy presidential assistant in charge of research and information. He closely monitored the performance of government agencies and regularly prepared briefs for the president on the same. He holds a bachelor’s degree in Commerce from Makerere University and a post graduate diploma in Project Planning and Management from Uganda Management Institute. He is currently pursuing a master’s degree in Management from the Uganda Management Institute. He also holds several post-graduate certificates in management from both Makerere University and Uganda Management Institute. He is very passionate about public administration, management, corporate affairs, communication, open government, and public accountability. Upon completion of the Mandela Washington Fellowship, Duncan plans on lobbying the government of Uganda to adopt an open government policy among other public accountability initiatives.

 

Emmanuel Angoda

Africa, Uganda, Civic Engagement, 2019

Emmanuel Angoda is a teacher at Lira Town College, in northern Uganda. He is a technology innovator, STEM activist, and mentor with seven years of experience in the education and ICT sectors. He involves his students in ICT activities such as Robotics, the Technovation Challenge, Africa Code Week, and essay writing competitions, from which he has won several national awards. From 2013 to 2017 Emmanuel served as the Regional Ambassador for Technovation Challenge, a global technology entrepreneurship program for girls and young women. Emmanuel is the founder of Walktrack Edu Platform, an educational website that provides free online open educational resources for teachers and students. He also runs the Career Assistance Program (CAP), an initiative that helps young people obtain vital career information and support after high school. In 2017, Emmanuel was the recipient of the Teachers Making a Difference award and was rewarded with an educational trip to Dublin, Ireland. Upon completion of the Mandela Washington Fellowship, he plans to continue his work in development education with a focus on girls’ education and eLearning resources.

 

Catherine Asiimwe

Africa, Uganda, Public Management, 2019

Catherine Asiimwe has over seven years of experience in the public sector, specifically in finance, tax, and audit. Currently, Catherine is a manager of financial audits at the Uganda National Roads Authority where she focuses on providing value-adding assurance on the efficiency and effectiveness of an entity’s risk management, internal controls, and governance processes. She assesses compliance with relevant laws, regulations, and best practices, including accountability and value for money in doing business. Catherine volunteers as a member of the internal audit panel and conducts mentorships for trainee accountants and other young people. Catherine is a Certified Public Accountant (CPA) and received the “2017 Young Accountant of the Year Award” for her contribution to the accountancy profession in Uganda. She has completed her Master of Business Administration in Finance and is soon attaining a Certification in Project Management (PMP). She is inspired by good governance and accountability in public entities. Upon completion of the Mandela Washington Fellowship, Catherine plans to continue her work at the Uganda National Roads Authority and expand her mentorship programs for young people.

 

Jimmy Awany

Africa, Uganda, Civic Engagement, 2019

Jimmy Awany has seven years of experience managing governance, peacebuilding, and developmental programs in South Sudan, Uganda, and Kenya. Currently, he is the program coordinator for Justice Africa, an organization based in South Sudan, where he manages a peacebuilding program aimed at stabilizing and transforming South Sudan. Jimmy holds a Master of Science in Development Studies from the School of Oriental and African Studies. Upon completion of the Mandela Washington Fellowship, Jimmy plans to continue to promote the participation of civil society in peace and governance processes across the continent.

 

Gerard Iga

Africa, Uganda, Business, 2019

Gerard Iga for the last six years has promoted tourism in the West Nile region of Uganda. He obtained a bachelor’s degree in Education but has shifted industries to work as a freelance tour guide before joining Oasis 24 Seven Ltd in 2014 as a tour manager. In this job, Gerard plans, markets, and executes both group and custom tours for the company’s clients. He has also managed events for the company and been a valuable local contact for researchers and volunteers from other countries. Gerard believes tourism is a critical driver for rural economic development and can facilitate the conservation of natural resources. Upon completion of the Mandela Washington Fellowship, Gerard plans to grow his newly founded company, Lado Tours and Travel LTD, to help bolster communities beyond Uganda in South Sudan, the DRC, and across the continent.

 

Razaki Omia Iganachi

Africa, Uganda, Business, 2019

Razaki Omia Iganachi has over two years of experience in agribusiness development, connecting small farmers to reliable and profitable opportunities to help improve their livelihoods. Omia currently works as the managing director for the Omia Agribusiness Development Group LTD where he plans, implements and evaluates all business operations for the firm. He holds a bachelor’s degree in Agricultural Sciences from Makerere University and a diploma in Agriculture from Agrostudies in Israel. Omia’s mission is to. Upon completion of the Mandela Washington Fellowship, Omia will continue to promote the use of advanced technology so that farmers can access quality, genuine, and affordable agricultural inputs, services, and links to profitable markets.

 

 

Ambrose Kamya

Africa, Uganda, Business, 2019

Ambrose Kamya has over four years of experience in agriculture innovation and social entrepreneurship programs that combat violence against women and girls. Currently, Ambrose is the team leader at SafeBangle, where he focuses on developing technologies that will help protect women and girls from violence. He is also the CEO of Wolfarm Technologies, a startup that focuses on developing technologies to connect small scale organic farmers to the marketplace. Ambrose holds a bachelor’s degree in Agricultural Sciences with a specialization in Animal Science from Makerere University in Kampala. He is passionate about creating resilient communities using innovative, evidence-based methods. Upon completion of the Mandela Washington Fellowship, Ambrose plans to utilize the skills, knowledge, and network gained to end violence against women and girls and to empower women engaged in sustainable agriculture to promote inclusive development in Uganda.

 

Brenda Allen Kawala

Africa, Uganda, Public Management, 2019

Brenda Kawala is a medical doctor at Kakira Sugar Limited hospital in Jinja, Uganda where she serves a community of over 30,000 people. Brenda completed her medical training at Mbarara University, and currently works as the Deputy Secretary General of the Uganda Medical Association (U.M.A.). U.M.A brings together over 7,000 medical doctors from Uganda and the Diaspora communities to advocate for a better Ugandan healthcare system. Brenda is also the secretary of public affairs for the Association of Uganda Women Medical Doctors, which advances maternal, child, adolescent, and elderly healthcare initiatives. Upon completion of the Mandela Washington Fellowship, Brenda hopes to continue to advance her career and hold positions of leadership within the Ugandan healthcare system.

 

 

 

Isma Kayiza

Africa, Uganda, Business, 2019

Isma Kayiza is a conservationist and co-inventor of Sparky Dryer, a machine that uses biofuel to dry food. He won the Resolution Social Venture Challenge in 2017 in South Africa and is currently the CPO of Sparky Social Enterprise Limited, a company he co-founded that addresses hunger and malnutrition through the preservation of food. He obtained his bachelor’s degree in Wildlife and Management at Makerere University and specialized in community-based conservation. During his time at Makerere, he served as president of the university’s wildlife student association and has since remained committed to utilizing natural resources sustainably, to ensure the preservation of the remaining wild flora and fauna in his country. Upon completion of the Mandela Washington Fellowship, Isma hopes to leverage the skills and connections gained through the program to continue to create simple, accessible, and effective methods for growing and preserving food, and help tackle hunger among poor communities in Uganda.

 

Phyllis Nek Kyomuhendo

Africa, Uganda, Business, 2019

Phyllis Kyomuhendo is a passionate social entrepreneur and innovator with two years of experience in the social-innovations sector. Phyllis is a master´s degree in Public Health candidate, a medical radiographer by profession, and the director and co-founder at the startup, M-SCAN Uganda. Through M-SCAN Uganda, she and her team develop low-cost mobile ultrasound devices to combat maternal and neonatal mortality in low resource settings. Phyllis hopes to return to Uganda after the Mandela Washington Fellowship to empower her peers in the entrepreneurship space to take their businesses to the next level through strong leadership; she also hopes to pass on the entrepreneurship and leadership skills she learns to the young girls she mentors under the STEM Queens program.

 

 

James Kiganda Lutaaya

Africa, Uganda, Business, 2019

Lutaaya James Kiganda has over ten years of experience in clinical microbiology, immunology, and genetics. James is the founder of Medicalshed, a Digital Health company that incorporates the latest technology and best human practices to improve service delivery, and accessible healthcare for all. He is also the co-founder and CEO of MAYA Group Limited, a Ugandan firm that leverages technology to promote the participation of women and young people in the business, education, health care, and advocacy sectors. In his spare time, James serves as a volunteer, youth/peer counselor, and trainer with the Uganda Youth Development Link, an organization that promotes sexual reproductive health and rights. James holds a bachelor’s degree in Medical Laboratory Science from Clarke International University and is a fellow at the University of Leeds, where he studied global challenges in bacterial resistance and food security. He believes that women and young people deserve equal opportunities to harness their full potential to thrive, compete, and create relevant and innovative solutions to the most pressing problems facing Africa. Upon completion of the Mandela Washington Fellowship, James plans to continue working on digital healthcare solutions, empower youth, women, and help build more inclusive businesses that help his country reach the sustainable development goals.

 

 

Rachel Precious Lwantale

Africa, Uganda, Business, 2019

Rachel Lwantale has nine years of experience as an entrepreneur and has a firm insight in working within the complex markets in emerging economies and identifying future gaps and investment opportunities. Rachel specializes in agribusiness as the CEO and co-founder of Imali Limited, a social enterprise that financially empowers people through sustainable partnerships and market access. She has a bachelor’s degree in guidance counseling from Kyambogo University and is certified in agribusiness from the Open Impact Institute. Upon completion of the Mandela Washington Fellowship, Rachel plans to continue her work by using agriculture to empower women in rural communities while training women and youth on personal empowerment.

 

Joshua Musasizi

Africa, Uganda, Business, 2019

Joshua Musasizi is a social entrepreneur with over six years’ experience in agribusiness, technology innovation, community rehabilitation and info-graphics development. He is a professional researcher and holds a bachelor’s degree in Commerce from Makerere University. He has also extensively trained with world leaders in the areas of leadership, documentation, social entrepreneurship and team building. Joshua is the co-founder of TIFAT Uganda Ltd, a social enterprise that harnesses the use of technology to uplift and improve livelihoods of small and medium scale farmers, especially in rural Uganda. He is also the country director of Matendo International, an organization that works with rural communities in Uganda to help people solve the challenges they face daily with a focus on child education, poverty alleviation and community health campaigns. Upon completion of the Mandela Washington Fellowship, Joshua plans to continue his work in agribusiness and post-harvest loss reduction with a focus on connecting farmers to buyers with real time market information.

Elizabeth Nabakooza

Africa, Uganda, Public Management, 2019

Elizabeth Nabakooza is a passionate communications professional with over eight years working for different public and private sector organizations ranging from energy to financial services. She has a bachelor’s degree in Communications and currently works with National Water and Sewerage Corporation as a public relations and engagement lead. The corporation is a government agency whose mandate is to provide safe water and sewerage services while ensuring environmental sustainability. Elizabeth is passionate about mental health and is a champion in the mental health space. Elizabeth aspires to create sustainable change on the African continent and believes in empowering people on the continent to develop their own transformative change by creating African solutions to African problems. For this reason, she chose to join public service. Elizabeth is highly skilled in brand communications, network creation, and creation of strategic partnerships across the continent. Upon completion of the Mandela Washington Fellowship, Elizabeth intends to use her experience and knowledge to spark dialogue and change around the effective implementation of public policy within her different areas of interest such as climate change, mental health, and water, sanitation, and hygiene.

 

Rhoda Nakungu

Africa, Uganda, Civic Engagement, 2019

Rhoda Nakungu has two years of experience in public interest litigation, human rights advocacy, and alternative dispute resolution. Currently, she is an externship lawyer in the Public Interest Law Clinic of the School of Law at Makerere University. In this role, Rhoda works in the post-conflict district of Bundibugyo, where she offers legal aid to vulnerable and indigent people and promotes legal literacy among indigenous tribes and immigrants from the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Rhoda also uses her position to advocate for women´s and girl´s rights, mainly focusing on those from minority and marginalized groups. Rhoda holds a law degree from Makerere University and a post graduate diploma in Legal Practice from the Law Development Center Uganda. Upon completion of the Mandela Washington Fellowship, she plans to continue offering legal aid to vulnerable and indigent people in post-conflict areas and to sensitize local communities about harmful cultural practices, mainly against women and children.

Victo Nalule

Africa, Uganda, Civic Engagement, 2019

Victo Nalule is a differently-abled woman who embraces a positive “can do” attitude, and a human resource professional with strong leadership and managerial experience. Victo is the executive director and founder of the Tunaweza Foundation, a non-governmental organization that works towards creating an inclusive world where disadvantaged people achieve their maximum potential and contribute to society. Additionally, she works as a health and safety environmental administrator in an electricity distribution company. Victo is a member of Lions Clubs International and is the third vice president for Kampala Host Lions Club, which assists with global and large-scale local humanitarian projects. Upon completion of the Mandela Washington Fellowship, Victo plans to continue her work advocating for inclusivity for all, with a focus on women and girls with disabilities.

 

 

Zahaarah Namanda

Africa, Uganda, Civic Engagement, 2019

Zaharah Namanda has over four years of experience in community development, focusing on women and girls’ education. She is a Country co-director for the Africa Education and Leadership Initiative (Africa ELI), a non-governmental organization that provides educational opportunities for young female refugees from South Sudan. At Africa ELI, Zaharah provides leadership and strategic direction while working closely with her fellow co-director to implement programs, coordinate logistics, and monitor and evaluate student performance. Zaharah holds a Bachelor of Arts in Economics from Makerere University in Kampala, and previously she assisted the National Planning Authority on the review of the universal primary education policy. Zaharah is driven by her commitment to empowering young women and girls through education and aspires to belong to a community where young girls and boys have equal access to education. Upon completion of the Mandela Washington Fellowship, Zaharah will integrate learned skills to strengthen her education advocacy work and empower young women and girls in Uganda.

 

Pauline Namutebi

Africa, Uganda, Business, 2019

Pauline Namutebi is a social entrepreneur focused on clean energy generation and environmental protection. She has over three years of experience in business development, marketing, and sales. Currently, Pauline is the CEO and founder of Fireball Energy (U) Ltd; a company focused on producing eco-friendly bioenergy solutions in the form of briquettes and biogas from organic agricultural waste. Pauline holds a bachelor’s degree in Petroleum Geoscience and Production from Makerere University and is driven by her passion for environmental conservation. Upon completion of the Mandela Washington Fellowship, Pauline plans to continue her work in clean energy generation by focusing on scaling and product quality improvement to serve both the local and global markets.

 

 

Brendah Nantongo

Africa, Uganda, Business, 2019

Brendah Nantongo has over six years of experience in agribusiness and developing impact focused initiatives. She is currently the founder of Water Access Farms Ltd. (WAFL), a company that embarks on empowering rural women in Uganda with skills, training, and farming support. Brendah is also an ambassador for Thought for Food, a global platform that embarks on ensuring food security. At WAFL, Brendah concentrates on developing organization strategies and designing farm skills training curriculums. She also runs an agricultural value addition business. Brendah holds a Bachelor of Science Technology in Physics from Kyambogo University and a postgraduate diploma in Project Planning and Management from the Uganda Management Institute. Brendah believes that when you empower women in farming with better skills and resources, yields are improved, and therefore, there are increased incomes and improved livelihoods. Upon completion of the Mandela Washington Fellowship, she plans to pass on the knowledge acquired to train the rural women in Uganda in financial management and better farming methods by encouraging them to create cooperative saving groups.

 

Adam Nyende

Africa, Uganda, Public Management, 2019

Adam Nyende has five years of experience in community development in Uganda. Currently, Adam works with the Ministry of Gender, Labour, and Social Development as a culture officer. At the Ministry, he is working to support several community-based programs aimed at eradicating gender-based violence through the reversal of harmful cultural practices. Upon completion of the Mandela Washington Fellowship, Adam plans to continue his work on personal and community development, human rights, and policymaking in Uganda.

 

 

 

Christopher Okidi

Africa, Uganda, Public Management, 2019

Christopher Okidi is an environmental health specialist with eight years of experience in the public health and community development sector. Christopher works at the Ministry of Water and Environment as an environmental health officer tasked with ensuring communities maintain water and sanitation health standards. Christopher also supports local farmers in his village, through market linkage programming for their produce. Upon completion of the Mandela Washington Fellowship, Christopher will continue working for the Ministry of Water and Environment and focus on preventing water-borne diseases safeguarding clean drinking water for rural areas in Uganda.

 

Drake Ssempijja

Africa, Uganda, Civic Engagement, 2019

Drake Ssempijja has ten years of experience in the aquaculture industry, spanning across academia, research, consultancy, and civil service sectors. Drake works directly with organizations that focus on aquaculture development for food security and economic development with an emphasis on vulnerable youth groups. His passion is driven by the rampant youth unemployment in Uganda, which he believes can be solved by active involvement in the aquaculture sector. Currently, he is a lecturer of fisheries and aquaculture at Makerere University, College of Natural Sciences, Department of Zoology, Entomology and Fisheries Sciences. In addition to his teaching responsibilities, Drake also mentors youth groups interested in aquaculture value chain. He holds a Bachelor of Science in Fisheries and Aquaculture from Makerere University, a Master of Science in Aquaculture from Ghent University, and postgraduate certificates in Aquaculture from Iceland and South Africa. Upon completion of the Mandela Washington Fellowship, he plans to use the skills and knowledge gained to enhance the efficiency of his community outreach programs, and to bridge the gap between academia and society for sustainable aquaculture development.

 

 

Rosette Twizerimana

Africa, Uganda, Business, 2019

Rosette Twizerimana holds a diploma in Accounting from Mukono YMCA College of Commercial Studies and has three years of experience in open footwear design and production. Rosette is a founder of Tandika Uganda, focusing on training women and girls on how to make open-toe shoes as an income generating activity. Since 2016, Rosette has trained over 223 women in manufacturing leather sandals, slip-on, and lace-up shoes that are hand-crafted from recycled tires and an assortment of locally sourced materials. As a trainer, Rosette is equipping young people with the knowledge to start their shoemaking cottage industries and start making money to reduce dependence and unemployment. Her goal is to make shoemaking skills easy to learn and accessible without the use of complicated heavy machinery. Upon completion of the Mandela Washington Fellowship, Rosette plans to continue her plans of empowering women and girls to be financially independent.

 

Annie Margaret Ihoreere Wagana

Africa, Uganda, Public Management, 2019

Annie Margaret Ihoreere Wagana has 12 years of legal experience in humanitarian and human rights, corporate governance, criminal, and civil law. She has served as a judicial officer for the last seven years and is currently a Ph.D. Fellow at Antwerp University IOB, Belgium where she studies Refugee Law and Policy. She is also a co-founder of Uganda Pixels Ltd, a graphics design and advertising company. Upon completion of the Mandela Washington Fellowship, she intends to continue growing Uganda Pixels, and open a legal aid clinic catering to low-income clients.

 

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