Together you make dreams come true
He has a dream, and he is working very hard to achieve it. Avaga Emmanuel (29) from Koboko, in the far North of Uganda, has already worked for various social organisations, hoping that the voices of young people will finally be heard in his country. Young people want change, and they have plenty of ideas for it, is his firm belief. They just need a platform to be seen. That is why Emanuel founded his organisation ‘Masterseed’ last year, which focuses mainly on young people and women.
As the eldest of five brothers, Emmanuel had to help at home at an early age with cooking, washing and cleaning. At his free time, he cooks for his mother and girlfriend. Unusual for a young man in Uganda, but it has shaped him greatly. ‘Women know the solution to many problems, but they do not get the chance to go to school long enough’, he says. For a year of secondary school, parents have to pay hundreds of euros per child per year, and in this patriarchal country, it is often the girls who have to stay home after the age of 12.
Emmanuel works with other youth and women’s groups in his region to set up very simple learning systems. “We use a lot of drawings and photos because many young people have difficulty reading and writing. But they can make a drawing about their dreams. We always ask the students how they see their future and what solutions they know for their situations. This automatically starts the conversation about their future and the obstacles they see.” Masterseed also trains practical skills such as making soap: the market for this is good in the area around Koboko.
Emmanuel’s strength is his ability to connect people. He also works with quotas of people with different backgrounds in his groups to maintain balance. And he regularly brings his groups into contact with important local leaders to teach them how to exert influence. He also just wants to continue with his projects hard and fast. ‘There are so many young people ready to get started. “Now the elderly must make way!”