Tag: #BeverleyNambozoNsengiyunva

BEVERLEY SHARES HER POETRY STORY IN THE FULL WOMAN MAGAZINE

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Poetry is an unparalleled form of communication.

You may say, ‘It’s a nice day today.’ Or you may say,

‘Today, the sky smiled at me, and my heart escaped into the sun’s warm embrace.’

Both sentences describe the day; but the second is more memorable.

 

I’ve always been fascinated by the musicality of words. Music in itself, is my happy place. I listen to rap, love songs from the eighties and gospel music, while I’m in the bathroom. And I often follow leading poets and speakers on YouTube. I’m restless, when it comes to immersing myself in poetry. I take risks when it comes to speaking and creating. From working on radio, where I felt at home, from 6:00am to 10:00am every weekday, I woke up Kampala City.

The term, ‘Morning Person,’ suited me, and I have since then relished waking up from 3am to 5am, starting the day with verve and prayer. There are countless reasons I could complain; aren’t there always. Truthfully though, the lockdown has placed my mind into a space where I am only able to receive abundance. Starting with videos posted on my growing YouTube channel (35 subscribers, as of 15 August 2020), then growing clientele for my public speaking training sessions, and above all, a heightened sense of purpose. By purpose, I don’t mean that short-lived superficial fuzzy feeling when you’re walking in a daze. I mean the grounded and consistent meaningful purpose, which despite what life may throw, I keep going. I could never have learned this on my own. Gratitude goes to individual advisors; those living across the ocean, and those nearby. There are a handful, but the calls, messages, and emails, are a constant motivation and blessing.

I pray too; not as often as I used to, because I want to do more receiving of the things I’ve been praying for, over the decades. I do pray, though and read the bible, at least three times a week. Listening to audio-visual sermons are important, too.

The lockdown has been my ultimate happy place, over the past few months. Saying that with the knowledge of the devastation it has caused businesses, I’d be frugal not to share how I’ve been blessed. I don’t mean the kind of blessing that undermines others’ challenges, or undermines others’ struggles and honest hard work. I mean the blessing that keeps on appearing, as a reminder that God is actually in my life.

It’s been a life of hills and valleys, the past 44 years; but during the lockdown, I had to kick the consistent roller-coaster of highs and endless lows, in the groin. I had had enough. Just as one challenge was closed, another fifteen would reappear, and some so subtle, like a dormant volcano, erupting in the most unusual of places, disrupting my short-lived bliss.

I’ve been blessed towards a sharp sense of realization. I had been missing it all along. There have been warning signs blaring red; for so long, but can’t be ignored.

Amongst them are:-

I need to follow my gut; always. This could be the prompting of the Holy Spirit, God’s leading, but ALWAYS. Whenever I haven’t, it’s been disastrous.

God, first thing when I wake up; no matter the deadlines.

Small things like someone arriving late for a meeting continuously; I should never ever work with them, since they have no respect for time, or work ethic.

If someone constantly talks about themselves and never acknowledges my own story, or voice, that is a clear sign that they have no interest in me.

If someone shares my ideas on social media; with no explanation from where it originated, it reflects a level of narcissism and lack of originality that should be avoided like a plague.

If someone keeps complaining about others; both online and offline, then they’ll complain, whine and gossip about me too.

If someone uses friendship or sisterhood, to get out of payment for my professional services, then that sisterhood may as well turn into nothinghood.

If someone uses Christianity to perpetuate misogyny and sexual abuse, then I need to flee, and warn all the people within a 1,000 mile radius.

Don’t chase people. Don’t put them on a pedestal Challenge them. If you place someone on a pedestal and show them you’re in constant awe, they will hardly respect you and only see you as a fan.

These are just a few.

Being in lockdown has given me significant time to reflect, and introspection is something I never shy from. I have diaries full of my thoughts and lessons learned, in quiet moments.

The spread in The Full Monitor, Saturday 15 August 2020, is part of the story, and part of the promise from God. He and I spent copious amounts of time talking, or maybe I did more of the talking. He knows I need this, and more. I know it’s time for change. I’m enjoying the process.

YO-WASTE APP!, POETRY AND ELECTRIC CARS, AT SCIENCE STORIES AFRICA

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Beverley Nambozo describes her remarkable experience, offering creative storytelling training, with five laudable scientists , from Uganda. Photo from Science Stories Africa.

It drives me to indescribably awesome heights, when I’m invited to speak, perform poetry, and train. When firebrand and mastermind behind Science Stories Africa, Patricia Nanteza, extended a request for me to train some of Uganda’s most ingenious scientists on how to creatively share their discoveries to the world, I accepted the invitation in a heartbeat.

At the start of a much-needed two-month holiday, in June 2019, I plunged into the training. Science Stories Africa is a platform intended to create connections between leading Ugandan scientists and their discoveries, to the rest of the world. The intention is to make science more palatable, relatable and creative. My job was to articulate that and train the scientists into managing their discoveries, difficult laboratory terms and impossible to believe experiments, into stories, so that entire audiences could hear and learn from them.

Allan Muhumuza, Engineer at Kiira Motors EV. Photo Courtesy of Science Stories Africa

In 2008, Vehicle Design Summit (VDS) Teams from 35 Pre-eminent Research Universities built a 5 seater Plug in Hybrid Electric Vehicle, The Vision 200 Led by Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). 

Makerere University, the only African team, developed the Power Train and in-Vehicle Communication Network for the Vision 200. The electric car made by the Makerere University Vehicle Design Project, was finished and was taken for its first test-drive on Tuesday 1st November 2011. The test-drive was successful and attracted a lot of local and international attention. Allan Muhumuza, who was amongst the senior team members of the project, a passionate and inspired new father, used his daughter, Atara, as an inspiration to model green cars that are environmentally friendly and offer more socially compatable options for other commuters and pedestrians.

 Let’s embrace ourselves, too, for the first electric powered environment friendly public bus. We can’t wait!

With Dr. Priver Namanya Bwesigye, Photo courtesy of Science Stories Africa.

Priver genetically engineered entirely new plants, from a process known as cell suspension. Targeting a specific type of matooke highland breed, Priver, in four arduous years, challenged by walking away from the project, depression and fatigue, soldiered through with fortitude. Being able to re-generate plants from cells empowered Namanya and other scientists to try to enhance the plants’ defence mechanism through genetic engineering. This came at a crucial time when the particular matooke breed had begun significantly reducing in quantity. Now, it’s possible to reproduce this breed, through genetic engineering.

Martin Tumusiime,  of Yo-Waste App! 

Yo-Waste, is a mobile app that explores ways of reducing the heaps of garbage in your community, Their mission is simple:

 To create sustainable and waste free communities. We do all this through developing innovative technology solutions that allow people to recycle more and haulers to divert more collected trash to recycling industries. As a young entrepreneur with knowledge of advanced technology Martin set to work with a group of youthful smarts and developed this timely, convenient and resourceful application.


Above is the entire group of five laudable Ugandan scientists, at the launch of Science Stories Africa in June 2019.

Prof. Wilberforce Tushemereirwe, Director of The National Agricultural Research Organisation (NARO), as a child, experienced the morbid reality of attending burials of other children. As an adult, his observation led him to realize that the large deficiency of Vitamin A in foods, could possibly be a leading factor of those early deaths. 

 Using Genetically Modified processes, he , with other scientists, have increased Vitamin A content in matooke. He stands by the word that the foods are safe for consumption.

Engineer Alphonse Candia, another formidable scientist, on growing up in Arua, where smoked fish was a delicacy, realised that with tragic deaths from liver cancer, there could be a link to the local ways fish was smoked. Through the invention of a smoking kiln, a prototype that was tested and found to be effective in preserving fish without the dark-smoke, Engineer Candia is heralded for his magnanimous work in science and in improving livelihoods.

Above are the mesmerized crowd, filling the National Theatre auditorium, listening to the heartfelt, endearing and empowering stories of the five scientists.

Photos are from Science Stories Africa.

For me, being part of the enchanting thread where dreams and nightmares turned into possibilities, to hear firsthand how lives are actually changed, thanks to scientists who sharpened their grit to make a difference. It’s nothing short of wow!

By Beverley Nambozo Nsengiyunva

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