Success Isn't Only Measured By Material Possessions And Fame!

I’ve been seeing loads of photos of glowing Bobi Wine’s house at Magere, and people comparing it to Mr.Museveni who had no house before he stood for presidency in 1980.This post is for the ones who don’t have properties in their 20s or 30s , it does not matter, you do .You all have so much to offer in life and life awaits you. I am not trying to placate you with hollow sentiments, but I believe that we all achieve things materially at different stages of our lives. God has a plan for all of us!

Everyone knows that the government has let young people down. I am not interested in kicking anyone, but people, like Bobi, should be telling younger people how they made money to build themselves houses and start other businesses, instead of showing off on social media. I want to see these young adults furious about the opportunities they have been denied, so furious they do something to ensure their children are given those opportunities. Or we treat them like infants, tell them that they are already failures because they are not like Bobi or Andrew Mwenda, or anyone with some bit of success before hitting 50 years. The successful businessmen and women should tell their stories in a form of a movie that will be shown in schools and TVs. We all know that kids learn by watching- so the poison you feed them will influence their behaviour. Uganda should have its role models—that’s why the source of one’s wealth is important. Kids as young as 20 are now used to the bottle in such a way that they feel it is the way to go, well it isn't.

Every family should also have role models to inspire the young. The habit of hanging graduation photos in lounges should be maintained. For instance, I grew up admiring my uncles and aunties for their educational achievements, and that inspired me, at least, to have a degree. Parents should also visit with their children homes of successful people in family, as it can be inspiring. I remember one time I visited Greenland Bank with my late grandfather to see Dr.Sulaiman Kiggundu, and the coolness of the office space was inspirational.

With young people still at school, it really doesn't matter if you aren’t as bright in class as others. If you haven't done as well as you hoped, you can try again if you want to, if you don't then with a bit of support and not negative shit, you can still do really well. A lot of people never did well at school but are successful in real life and better than those who were academic giants.

Yes, education should be there, it should be excellent for all pupils, it should be encouraged, it should be tailored to the needs of pupils to enable them to get the best from it, and money needs to be poured into it to help this to happen. However, there are though far more important things in life than exam results- happiness and mental wellbeing are just a couple of those things.

Just as a footnote, Museveni of 1980 was as successful, if not more, as Bobi Wine of 2020. He had his own army (FRONASA), he had been a minister of Defence, Minister of Regional Cooperation, Vice chairman Military Commission. Success is not only measured in material possessions and fame. It also depends on the culture—in Buganda, a man’s early success is measured by possession of land and house, while among the Bahima, it’s to do with how many herds of cattle you’ve got. At 23 years old, I had built my own house, but a lot of people still call me unsuccessful, and they are probably right!