It was on a Thursday afternoon , the 24th of April 2015, when Mr. Baganzi Stephen, the patron of World Starts With Me (WSWM) club at our school, Kigulu College gave me an invitation letter to take to my parents which was requesting two students from our school to go at Gayaza High School for the e&mLearning workshop for student peer educators. When I received the invitation letter, I was not immediately excited as I still had to get permission from my parents. It is never good to count your chicks before they hatch.
My parents’ reaction was positive because they told me that it was an opportunity to attend and learn more of what is going to take place.
“My daughter it is an opportunity but do not take it for granted, be a disciplined girl and concentrate” my mother advised me.
I washed and cleaned my beddings and clothes. I packed everything that was required as per the invitation letter and got ready.
On Saturday 25th April 2015, at 9.00 am, I set off from Bulaga Namungalwe Sub-county, Iganga district to Kampala city. The journey was good with no accidents. I arrived at Gayaza High School at 3:00 pm. I was surprised because it was the required time to arrive because I knew that the early bird catches the warm. On that day, we had a chance to know the facilitators, welcomed one another and introduced ourselves.
On Sunday we woke up very early in the morning so that we could prepare for the day’s warm up exercise and ice- breaker which were to be done regularly each and every day.
We were told about workshop logistics, objectives, and programme The work shop programme was correctly stipulated in order to have a quality time management. There was ample time to have lunch, dinner, breakfast and health break.
The workshop was opened by the Commissioner private secondary schools and institutions, Ministry of Education, Technology and Sports.
We had different sessions that were facilitated using different methods like video, writing and communication.
To bring about cooperation we also participated other activities than listening to facilitators only. We had practical workings like learning how to make the home- made liquid soap which we did and at the end we had our soap. This practical activity involved working in groups.
One of the activities that really inspired me was the inspirational talks from different people who were invited to come and share with the participants their life experiences and how they managed to be where they are .This activity really changed me. Their struggles, hardships and success taught me more skills of understanding and setting of my life. They instilled in me very many new characters of which I will teach my club members at school.
The Internet research activity has inspired me to have ICT subject as one of my favourite because I now know I can good at ICT subject. Through this activity, I learn’t to help those who do not have experiences since I was helped by fellow participants on the internet programme like sending an email, making out presentations using PowerPoint in my understanding the proverb which says that a friend in need is a friend indeed”.
I am hoping to learn more so as to continue improving so that I can go back as a transformed person. I will be able to sensitize my fellow club members, community, my family and the world at large to join me in making this world a better place for each and every one other than a world of moral decay . My attitude will determine my altitude.