By Michael Kanaabi Dollar
Not many tour operators you meet in Kampala are as passionate as Isaiah Jobs Rwanyekiro0 the CEO of Breathtaking Uganda when it comes to what they do especially promoting Uganda as a tourism destination to fellow Ugandans even before they look outside the country.
His love for domestic tourism seems to even exceed that of many technocrats with in the tourism sector that’s why you could easily mistake him for being the focal person on tourism in the government of Uganda.
Reason for this is he seems to have all the tiny details of every tourist destination worth a mention all across Uganda at the back of his palm.
However let not his warm smile and energetic demeanour when engaging on things tourism in Uganda make you think it has been all rosy for him.
Isaiah Jobs Rwanyekiro stared death straight in the eye 5 years ago when it was declared he had cancer and from then on his journey has been a tough one surviving cancer and living to see his passion for domestic tourism and travel come to fruition.
How did it start?
It was April the 16th 2018 when Isaiah Rwanyekiro got the devastating life changing news that he had cancer of the colon after a recommendation of a colonoscopy and extensive tests by Dr. Peter Makobore of Najjera Hospital.
For 2 full years before that devastating news, Rwanyekiro had been in and out of various hospitals being told he had bacterial infections, helicobacter, irritable bowel syndrome among other misdiagnoses. But a report from a pathologist finally delivered the life changing news to him.
Only 37 years at the time, Isaiah had to pick himself up fast and act lest he becomes another cancer statistic in the country which at the time lacked adequate equipment to determine the extent of the cancer. He needed to under go a PET scan in India which proved he had a young aggressive cancerous tumor growing in his colon.
Together with the help of his friends Muhereza Kyamutetera and Vivian Katushabe they contacted Dr. Mohamed Ibrahim in India and arranged for Isaiah’s swift travel there for treatment.
The treatment regimen that was chosen for Isaiah included both chemotherapy and surgery. He was on the next flight to India in the company of his sister Rose Natukunda and while in India, he first went through a number of radiotherapy and chemotherapy sessions before he was sent home for a 2 months waiting period before his surgery.
On the 25th of October 2018, Rwanyekiro finally underwent a grueling delicate 8 hour long surgery that got rid of the cancer tumors in his body.
Signs to watch
It is good to look out for any consistently abnormal patterns and behaviours in your stomach, Isaiah says you should not ignore pain in the lower abdomen even if it’s mild especially if it goes on for a long time.
Blood in stool is also a sign of potential colon cancer that you should not ignore. Taking comprehensive tests including a colonoscopy should be something you consider if you have the above signs consistently coupled with consistent fatigue that comes even when you have done nothing.
Colon cancer usually starts in the inner linings of the colon or rectum with non cancerous benign tumors called polyps growing, these can over time become cancerous therefore no tumor should be taken lightly. It usually occurs in older persons but can affect any one of any age including children in some cases.
Accepting the tough situation
On receiving the bad news about his cancer diagnosis, thoughts run through Isaiah’s mind that he could actually die much sooner than he anticipated.
“However having that tough conversation with my family and getting the assurance that they will do everything possible to ensure I beat cancer and live gave me hope”.
Things got a little better on talking to Dr. Mohamed Ibrahim and the rest of the medical team in India which further assured me, I can beat cancer after laying out the details of the planned treatment protocol fully and all the requirements and expected results.
Starting Afresh
As Rwanyekiro endured the stressing, painful and rigorous treatment of cancer through to it’s completion, he always prayed only one prayer, that he would live long enough to travel the world.
Thank God he came back alive and for him it was an opportunity to go all out, no holds barred without a care in the world and fulfill this life dream of his.
And having loved to travel, adventure and experience the outdoors fully even as a minor, this new lease of life was Isaiah’s chance to make it all happen with greater clarity and utmost passion.
Going all out into domestic tourism
Through all the pain and endurance of cancer treatment and completing it, Isaiah purposed never to let anything stand between him and what he wants to achieve.
With excuses out of his way, Isaiah purposed to get maximum value out of every minute of life he was ever going to live there after.
On returning home after a successful surgery Isaiah founded RK Breathtaking Uganda Limited back in October 2018 and it is through this company he has traversed this country extensively reaching almost all corners of Uganda and visiting some of the most exquisite hotels, destinations, restaurants, taking along many fellow travel enthusiasts and tourists who appreciate the Pearl of Africa as much as he does.
Now in its 5th year, one of the aims of setting up RK Breathtaking Uganda Limited as a tour company with a focus on domestic tourism was to showcase the immense and little known beauty Uganda possesses as a nation.
“ Most Ugandans haven’t travelled this beautiful country enough and have no idea about how beautiful their country is so together with my friends I set out to change this narrative, have more Ugandans tour Uganda and along my journeys with friends across the country showcase the beauty of the Pearl as well” he says.
The most notable of his domestic travel journeys
First on Isaiah’s list of his most memorable domestic travel adventures was going on a tour with the State Minister for Tourism Hon. Bahinduka and the Miss Uganda team of contestants through western Uganda starting from Lake Mburo, Igongo Cultural centre, Kabale, Lake Bunyonyi all the way to Kisoro. “ That for me was epic” he says.
Another journey that really stood out for him was one he took out with a group of friends at the beginning of 2002. Dubbed the Big Boy’s Caravan it was a 32 days non stop journey around Uganda with a group of friends and travel enthusiasts.
On top of the above, Rwanyekiro has been to some of the region’s most revered destinations in Mombasa, Zanzibar and also gone across continents to destinations in Thailand, Malaysia and the Emirates to mention but a few.
Life as a Cancer survivor
The journey after surgery for Rwanyekiro has been quite amazing given he is living his passion every passing day but that hasn’t meant there haven’t been any challenges and down turns.
“One of the biggest challenges I have to grapple with is the finance side, the cost of life is expensive post treatment for example there is a daily dose of medication that costs me 200,000 Ugx every day” Isaiah says.
I also have to use a colostomy bag which can make one’s life a quite uncomfortable and make you lose confidence if you are not strong mentally.
My lifestyle has also changed and become less active because it’s quite hard and inconveniencing to go out and swim plus engage in other outdoor sporting activities that I do love a lot with a colostomy bag.
“Regardless, I soldier on and celebrate the good there is and appreciate the good things God and this life have gifted me with” he says.
A Thanksgiving Mass of Celebration
Having survived cancer in 2018, gone on to start his company Breathtaking Uganda Limited the same year through which he has taken over 3000 different people on tours since it’s inception, visited over 300 hotels, 11 Airports, 30,000 restaurants, 80 outstanding destinations and driven 400,000 kilometres since he walked out of that surgical room, Rwanyekiro has a lot to thank God for.
For more on Isaiah’s tourism journey and all the places he has been to along the way log onto www.tourismtracker.go.ug
As a result on the evening of Wednesday 25th October Isaiah Rwanyekiro will be celebrating these milestones through a thanksgiving service to be held at St Charles Lwanga Catholic Church in Ntinda from 4:00pm to 6:00pm. Isaiah encourages all friends, family, well wishers and colleagues to join him in this Thanks giving Mass and prayers either physically or virtually for those who are far.
This is what Isaiah has chosen as an honour to God who brought him back alive from those grueling rounds of chemotherapy, radiotherapy and that 8 hour long lower anterior surgery.
The service which will also coincide with the celebrations of the 5th anniversary of his company RK Breathtaking Uganda Limited.
“Never give up no matter what life throws at you, you can overcome anything if you put your mind to it.”
That is tourism enthusiast and Entrepreneur Isaiah Rwanyekiro’s conclusion after staring death in the face and overcoming it then going on to travel the pearl of Africa and other destinations outside Uganda extensively.
Email: michaelkanaabi@gmail.com
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