memoirs of a kangaroo in the sun.

Let me tell you the story of my first major crush. I was in Primary Seven and two years away from being a teenager. We will call him 'Tumz' for lack of a less revealing name. Tumz was my end-all and be-all. He was the boy I was going to love FOREVER! Everything I did and in all the decisions my little mind made, I had to consider him. If he was attending Saturday classes, then I too was attending Saturday classes. If he had his socks pulled all the way up all day, then that's what we were all doing.  There was a day we were to be allocated seats according to the first letter of your Last name. Since Tumz was a T, and I was an A-something, I obviously had to add a letter to my name that would bring me closer to T. Naturally. So I became Na-something instead. It didn't get me a seat right on his desk but it brought me close enough.  It got to a point where I carried a boy's bag. It was a brand whose name I cannot remember but the design was more of male th...

If you’ve watched the new Disney Pixar movie “Inside Out” you might understand a little how people turn out to be the way they are. We all have voices in our heads trying to point us in a particular direction. It’s not always as straightforward as the angel on your right shoulder and the imp on the left. Sometimes you’re a boiling pot of different flavours, each trying to make their scent known. In the movie, you have different voices – Joy, Anger, Sadness, Disgust, and Fear. Joy attempts to be the leader of the voices, always trying to let you focus on the “yellow-er” side of things. All memories should be yellow, sunlight. Anger is the non-thinker, provocation gets immediate reaction. Sadness is how you’d picture an introvert; quiet, low, thinking about why things are how they are. Disgust reacts when she doesn’t like something, fear is always apprehensive. It’s not easy being an introvert. It feels like Sadness is the one in the driving seat and your memories are blue. You...

Dear Kullein, When I was growing up, despite my quiet nature, I liked to listen and I still do. I am not big on preparing sermons or lectures that are instructional. Most of my conversation comes from listening, understanding and giving appropriate feedback. What I am saying is I enjoy conversation. I am the kind of guy who will stay awake fighting sleep waiting for a text. I sometimes think if one could stay alive on anything other than food, for me it would be deep personal conversation. I thought about what to write for your blog. Should I write about ten steps to enjoying your twenties? I’m reminded of that Switchfoot song that goes something like “We were just kids Just limited, misfit, itinerant Outcasts singing bout the dissonance We were just kids, wide-open Like a child, eyes-open, Like a child, unbroken by the wheels gone by you’re in the sunrise of your years” Something that reminds you to celebrate your sunrise years. However, I want to know about you first....

On Thursday September 15 2016 at Imperial Royale Hotel, Uganda launched its first-ever National Policy and Action plan on Early Childhood Development.   The policy is expected to contribute to social, economic and human development, increase of workforce productivity, and poverty reduction . The NIECD Policy of Uganda has three major objectives;       - To harmonize existing ECD policy related goals, objectives, strategies and initiatives within and across all sectors.      -To set, improve and align standards for ensuring access to well- coordinated, quality, equitable and inclusive ECD services within and across sectors.           -To build and strengthen capacity of systems and structures to deliver integrated quality and inclusive ECD programs.   It will also ensure integrated services for children from conception to eight years of age in the form of health, nutrition, education, protection, and par...

This is one of my favorite pictures from when I was a baby. It's my elder sister and I posing for a picture that was to be sent to my father in Denmark. I don’t remember much from the time that I was a child. I do however remember feeling safe. Some memories stand out for me however from the early years of my life. On the weekends when my dad was around, my mum and dad would buy either goat’s meat or cornflakes, I do not know why it was one of the two foods but it was always one of the two. They would set up an eating place, one bowl or dish, and place it on a table in the corridor of our small house. My siblings and I would sit around this table together and eat the cornflakes/goat’s meat till the bowl was empty. My mum and dad would stand at the end of the corridor, holding each other and watching us eat together. I can’t remember the exact expressions on their faces but I would like to think that it was something like; ‘Yup, we created that’. Another memory that stan...

Everyone has struggles. We all go through periods that are particularly trying to us. After a certain age, or at a certain point in life, you realize that these trials are part of life. You realize that they will always come and pass so you brace yourself and pray to come out on top. For some of us, you even develop a coping mechanism that will help you through it; mine is usually time-off/away because then I get a different perspective which always helps me to adjust.   So what happens when a time comes and your mechanism does not work ? And it does come sooner or later. What do you do? Do you just throw in the towel and let yourself sink into a pity party of massive proportions? Do you throw yourself headfirst into the situation and try to fix it whatever way you know how? Do you run to your friends/family/loved ones and ask them to help you solve the problem? Do you throw money at it? Drink/party the problem away maybe?   Do you pray and fast for days; thro...

I’m looking for you in every face I see Looking for the familiarity that used to be Empty parking lots, bare wrists What’s a picture without color; what’s me without you? I’m running to you but you’re already leaving I’m running faster, running to catch up with you Running past wondering stares and pointing fingers Running to stop you from taking another step, the next step…and the next Running to make you see that we are all it takes We are all it will take. Wait for me. Take my hand.  Look me in the eye. Believe me. Believe me, I beg you… You smell of home Carry it with you as you go, leaving me exposed, un-sheltered, cold. I can’t run anymore; I’m panting and sweaty I can’t let you leave but I can’t run anymore Why won’t you stop walking? Why won’t you look back when I call your name? Tell me you see it too; how great we will be. How unstoppable we are together. We will conquer the world, swallow them whole. We will make history. We ...