A few days ago, I had a conversation with my daughter about why she hadn’t completed her school Mathematics assignment.
Her argument was that she hadn’t completed it because it was hard and that indeed her older cousin, Henry, had told her that Mathematics is very hard.
My daughter’s narrative isn’t any different from mine during my early school years.
Even when I didn’t know what biology or physics were, from listening to conversations of those who were in higher classes most of which were about how difficult sciences were, I convinced my mind that sciences were very hard and not for me.
When I enrolled in Senior one, I couldn’t wait to get to Senior three and drop sciences.
Indeed, after senior two, I destroyed my science books; I cut the books in small pieces and in the rubbish bin I went; I hated sciences that much; never mind, I didn’t even attempt to learn or follow what was being taught, I only looked towards the day, I would drop sciences.
Unfortunately, when I got to first term of Senior three a policy change declaring sciences compulsory was made!
Those that were attentive in class from the word go were certainly ahead of me, I was starting from scratch. When we had a math class, I found excuses; I fell sick! This certainly was at the expense of my own future but I couldn’t see that then.
Much as I so much detested sciences, I loved English, I loved composition and performed quite well. Because sciences were made compulsory, some art subjects were bundled together, one had to choose between Agriculture and literature. My Dad always narrated to me books he read at O’level during his time, I always found them so interesting and couldn’t wait to study Literature at O’level so that I could read for myself books that Dad always narrated to me. There was a narrative amongst students that Agriculture was easier to pass than Literature, since one had to choose between the Literature and Agriculture, I once again followed the narrative of the majority and decided to opt for Agriculture which was easy to pass! Agriculture which I selected for the sake of passing was one of my worst performed subjects! I passed English with a D2, I have no doubt I would have performed well in Literature had I opted for it other than Agriculture.
I did HEL/D at A’level, I performed quite well and even earned for myself a District Scholarship. I applied for Education, Tourism and Development studies. The best Course for me should have been Social Sciences but I decided to run for my dear life when I saw the word Sciences, it never occurred to me that that was a political course for a very political Nyanjura. My bias without any queries made me not to apply for Social Sciences, I found myself doing Tourism at campus; a science course to a large extent!
Now as a grown up, my narrative has changed in so many aspects. I always give myself a benefit of doubt, I always say if so and so can do it, I can equally do it.
I have also learnt to stopped giving judgment based on what others have told me; I give a benefit of doubt.
I now believe in trying and failing, I don’t believe in impossibilities, I believe in possibilities.
To the young people out there, it’s possible; many things are possible if we only gave them a try; try your luck, don’t give up before you even try.
Doreen Nyanjura is the Deputy Lord Mayor of Kampala
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