WSWM Personal Testimonies

I am Kivumbi John in S1 at Bukomero Secondary School and a member of the WSWM club. From the WSWM, I have learnt how to protect myself from HIV/AIDS by abstaining until marriage and not sharing sharp objects with other people.

I have learnt how to protect myself against sugar mummies by having self-control, self-awareness and by being assertive when saying NO.

I have learnt some new topics like emotional ups and downs, friendships and relationships etc and I have also learnt that pregnancy is for both girls and boys because both the girl and the boy are responsible for the pregnancy so both should take on the responsibility which comes with it. Teachers who dismiss the pregnant girls from school should also dismiss the impregnators.

I have also learnt the meaning of WSWM and sexuality. WSWM is a club for young people aged between 12 to 19 years equipping them with life skills while sexuality is one’s feeling towards the opposite sex.

Furthermore, from the WSWM I have learnt how to care for the HIV positive people and not discriminating them by eating and playing with them.

Lastly I have also become aware of some of the sexual activities that I should avoid like kissing and hugging because feelings develop when you are locked in the girl’s breasts.

I am Esther Joy Namuyaga in S2 at Bukomero Secondary School and a member of the WSWM club..

From the WSWM club, I have learnt about the different ways of how I can handle my emotional ups and downs. Emotional ups are things that bring new happiness in life and the WSWM has helped me to behave well and not to boast over others when I have an emotional up. I have learnt to deal with emotional downs which are things that I don’t feel comfortable about e.g. when I know that I am HIV positive, I should not kill myself but instead live positively.

I have learnt how to acquire new friends and how to live safely with them. Ever since I joined the WSWM, I have acquired many friends of the opposite sex and I share with them different ideas which I never used to do before.

Lesson 7: “Sexuality and Love” has taught me a lot. Before I joined the WSWM, I had a feeling that if a boy gives you a gift; it means he wants to have sex with you which is not true. I have learnt that before accepting a gift from a boy, you must make an agreement. If the agreement is negative, you refuse the gift but if the agreement is positive, you accept the gift. I have also understood that sexuality means one’s feeling towards the opposite sex.

The WSWM is a wonderful club because through it I have acquired computer skills whereby I can now type my work and search for the information I need which I couldn’t do before I joined the WSWM club.

Lastly, I have learnt about body changes for now I can take care of my body changes like my periods and cutting off the pubic hair around the different parts of my body.

I am Kasuku Fred in S1 at Bukomero Secondary School. I have learnt a lot from the WSWM and first of all, I have learnt how to abstain from sex because from sex I can acquire dangerous disease like STIs HIV like syphilis and HIV/AIDS.

I have acquired computer skills whereby I can search for any information that I need from the Internet.

From the WSWM, I have learnt how to be a friend to the others and also work together with my friends and teachers. Ever since I joined the WSWM, I not shy anyone and I even teach some of my friends what I learn from the WSWM lessons.

Lastly, I have learnt about body changes like the growth of pubic hair and how I can cut off the pubic hair.  It is not new for me when I see some of these changes on my body.

I am Agaba Silver a student at Mbarara Army Boarding Secondary School.  The WSWM was introduced in my school in 2008. At first it had few members. Some students were ignoring it including me.

Gradually I was convinced by one of the members who used to give me information after every lesson. When I joined, I started ripping benefits and now I am determined to remain a member till I leave the school.

I have gained confidence of standing on my own and that of getting advice from my fellow students and other people. I have known how to control my anger towards my friend. I now have my future dreams and I promised myself to fulfill them.

I am Tumukunde Fortunate, a student at Mbarara Army Boarding Secondary School and a member of the WSWM club. We were in S1 when the club was introduced in our school. I was eager to join the club but later I was like why I am joining the club yet I came to study.

Later, I was inspired by the WSWM lessons and the patron. The lessons that inspired me the most were:

• Emotional ups and downs( lesson 2)
• Is your body changing too? (Lesson 3)
• Friends and relationships (lesson 4)
• Sexuality and love (lesson 7)
• Love shouldn’t hurt( lesson 11)

My achievements from the WSWM include:

• I have learnt how to control my emotions and how to deal with different people.
• The club has made me assertive and I can now make my own decisions.
• The club has also taught me how behave with different people in different places under different conditions.
• I have learnt how to be optimistic yet I was myopic whereby I couldn’t focus on the future. I could go with what has come.
• I have gained confidence too. I used to be shy and couldn’t speak in public but now it so happened that I presented on our exhibition day.
• I have also gained something that I never expected that I could do. I can now counsel somebody on my own and I really don’t how I can thank SchoolNet Uganda for introducing the club.

Let me share with you this story about a friend of mine.

She was a girl aged 15. She was involved in a relationship with a certain guy whom she loved so much and vice versa. The girl could dodge lessons and spend most of her time with the boy which led to repeat the class. The girl was used to the boy and lost her virginity to the boy. When the girl repeated, she realized that she had to concentrate on her books and when I told her about the club and how interesting it was, she said it was wastage of time. But in the end the girl consulted me seeking for guidance and counseling because she had failed to control her feelings. I had to explain to her some lessons and the girl learnt some things from me.

In conclusion, the girl ended up joining the club and she is now one of the leaders of the WSWM therefore we appreciate your help, capital, guidance and other things you give to us so that we can become good citizens.

I am Tukahirwa Onan in S2 North at Bukomero secondary School and a member of the WSWM club.

From the WSWM club, I have acquired computer skills whereby I can search for whatever information I want from the Internet. I have also acquired free computer lessons and therefore the WSWM has played a big role towards my computer studies.

I have learnt how to relate and help the HIV infected persons whereby not to discriminate and stigmatize them. I give them advice and care to make them happy, I share with them my books, plates and also play with them in the name of love.

Lastly, I learnt you have to provide a pregnant woman with a balanced diet, good care and treatment when she is at home.

I am Kimuli Clark from Bukomero Secondary School and a member of the WSWM club.

In the WSWM, I have learnt how to control my emotional ups and downs. My best emotional up was when I passed my Primary leaving Examinations and my worst emotional down was when I was told that my uncle whom I loved so much had died.

I learnt how to plan for my future because the WSWM club gives us examples of people who have become responsible people after school and they are using the knowledge and skills they gained from the WSWM to earn a living.

I have learnt to advise my friends in problems and not to land them into problems. I have also decided to abstain from sex until marriage.

One of the most important things that I can’t forget is that the club has taught me how to use a computer. It was the first time I got a chance to use a computer and now I know how to surf, save and search for information from all parts of the world.

I learnt how to cater for my body from the lesson about body changes. I used to fear every time I would find whitish things on my bed sheets but I now know that those are wet dreams and are normal to boys.

I advise each and every youth who gets a chance to hear about the WSWM to join because it is a good club which equips young people with many educative lessons.

I am Sengiyunva Margaret in S2 at Bukomero Secondary School. Since I joined the WSWM, I have learn’t many things.

I have acquired computer skills from the WSWM for which I am very grateful.

I have learnt about body changes. Whatever body change that I get, I don’t get worried e.g. I have learnt about the body changes in girls which include: menstruation periods, growth of breasts, enlargement of hips, and growth of pubic hair for both the girls and boys.

I have learnt about the cleanness of my body therefore I advise my fellow students to join the WSWM.

From the WSWM, I have learnt about “Pregnancy for both the girls and boys” which has taught me how to help boys and girls in case of pregnancy e.g. in case a girl becomes pregnant, I can advise her not to do an abortion.

I have also learnt about HIV/AIDS and other diseases like syphilis.  I advise my fellow to abstain from sex until when they finish their studies and for those who are married to be faithful to their partners or use a condom and also not to share sharp objects like razor blades, knives etc.

I am Kabugho Rosette a student at Mt. Rwenzori Girls Secondary and a member of the WSWM club.

To begin with, I am very impressed with the managers of this wonderful club who never left out our school when introducing the WSWM. I really pity those students who gave this club a cold shoulder; they have really missed a lot. Sincerely since I joined the WSWM in 2007, I have never regretted.

Through the WSWM, I can now express myself freely in front of many people without any shyness. Before becoming a member of the WSWM, I couldn’t even stand in front of my fellow students but now I see this as very simple.

Ever since I joined this club, I know how to make my own decisions and I know my rights like the right to education, right to expression etc.

Before joining the WSWM, I was always scared of my body changes but now I am no longer scared.

Choosing a good friend is no longer a problem because from the WSWM, I have learnt what are good and bad friends.

I am now aware of HIV/AIDS  and I know how to protect myself  from it and to prevent all the disadvantages of early pregnancy and early marriages and I also know my responsibilities as a lady.

I don’t know how I should thank this club; it is dear to me as its name “World Starts With Me”

Long live Uganda, Long live Mt. Rwenzori Girls and Long Live WSWM

I am Masika Harriet in S3 at Mt. Rwenzori Girls School. First of all, I thank all the members who are part of the WSWM and I actually thank you for the big care, support and knowledge that you are giving us. I joined the WSWM in 2007 when the club was formed in our school.

When we joined the club in S1, we had a number of problems which included:

• Shyness
• Video coverage was a problem
• Absenteeism was a problem in a way that some students would be forced to join.

But then we had to overcome these problems and we are now experts and for sure I can now lead a crowd without shivering.

I used to fear boys and I could not even stand and talk to them but because of Lesson 4: “Friendship and Relationships” I can now get as many good friends as I can. I can even talk to elders with confidence. I am actually sharp and I can do anything good and at the right time.