OP-ED: Be creative, volunteer, reject bad governance in servant leadership

By Lydiah Namayengo

t was a pleasure yesterday to have been the Chief Guest at the celebration of the Nakoosi sub parish youth day in Namuyenje parish, Nakisunga Sub county, Mukono South constituency in Mukono district.

We had a fruitful engagement with the young people of Nakoosi and those from other Sub parishes as well as the women and citizens at large.

The leaders have tried to start up income generating activities like piggery project, chicken rearing, savings groups although had encountered various challenges like lack of pay in serving God, poverty, unemployment, lack of sustainable projects to boost development among the young people.

In addressing them, i appreciated them for joining leadership in church and encouraged them to continue serving here because the Lord pays u indirectly as church gives u a new family and network of many opportunities.

I however argued them to not only engage in church leadership but also leadership in the central government because issues affecting us are the same and the solutions for solving unemployment plus other issues will be passed by central government and need to be in the budget that also is passed by central government. Therefore, there will not be solutions for the women and young people without them directly engaging.

I encouraged them to continue saving and investing by starting small and then grow big. There after, the Lydiah Namayengo Foundation with partnership with church will lobby and organize more trainings, vocational and skills training as well as empowerment of the youth and women to have sustainable incomes because u can not be effective leaders without financial sustainability.

In the midst of unemployment among young people & women, since Nakoosi and Namuyenje are rural communities, I encouraged couraged them to engage in agriculture and farming as well.

However, with reference to the National Coffee Bill 2018, that government plans to register and issue out licenses to the coffee farmers, I warned them that this was a move to continue making us poor as well as promote illiteracy and ignorance since we as farmers have been using coffee to take our children to school.

So this move to enhance government initiated and promoted poverty should stop! Farmers must wake up and say NO as well as reject the bad laws and chase away all the bad leaders that are making and passing these laws.

I also argued them to utilise their small savings by investing in construction of rental houses to boost their finances.

However, i caution them to demand their political leaders to explain to them the Land lord and Tenants Bill that is over taxing them with ground rent, property tax, plus other high taxes &fees and reject this law as the people of Mukono district.

I also implored them to avoid being lazy, minimising jobs, avoid feeling pity about themselves, avoid thinking that they are still young so they should not be hard working, avoid being dependants and learn to be independent on their own as well as learn the spirit of volunteerism that will open their doors to many other opportunities.

I implored them to be first security in their communities and fight against police brutality on any other young person as well as murders and killings of other young people in a been to look for survival.

I advised the parents not to sell their land or even get bank loans in a bid to export our children to modern day slavery abroad, but rather use that money to start small and medium enterprises and income generating activities.

I therefore cautioned them to be creative and innovative to sustain leadership; be accountable and transparent; unity and team work as well as recruit more women and young people to join them in the fight to say NO to bad governance and demand for people centre leadership.