Over 45 Great Issues Scholars came together last week to celebrate the ten-year anniversary of their program. Accompanied by GIS mentors and Dickey Center staff, the scholars had the unique opportunity to have a conversation with Rehmah Kasule, the president and founder of the Century Entrepreneurship Development Agency, a non-profit social advocacy organization in Uganda focused on youth development.
Even with looming examinations and term papers, students crowded around the spacious Occom Commons. They negotiated hefty helpings from a magnificent spread of Mediterranean dishes and chatted with Ms. Kasule as they settled into their seats.
Following an energetic introduction by GIS mentor Sana Nadkarni ’22, Kasule stood to welcome the scholars and to deliver a brief summary of her work and the many things that inspire her passion. She gave many pithy points of advice, touched on many important parts of her life, and emphasized the greatest issues of her work.
“Only through education, can we break inter-generational poverty in all part s of the world,” Kasule offered by way of transition. She took her seat, reminded the scholars that this event would be a conversation, and immediately opened up the floor for questions.
The scholars asked Kasule questions on a wide range of topics including the lingering influence of colonialism in Uganda, the difficulty of identifying a single talent to pursue, and the state of gender equality across Africa.
With every answer, Kasule captivated the group with a graceful and relatable ease of style that made everyone in the audience focus on her solutions. She spoke as comfortably of large-scale issues as she did of interpersonal relationships. And her advice was far-reaching to a group of students focused on the great issues of the world.
“As young people think about how to change action,” she asserted. “Climate change, human trafficking, poverty, hunger, sustainable development. There are many! But how do we work together so that we can make change?”
“Call out to governments to be accountable,” Kasule said. “Speak of peace and create movements!”
Alleging that she had been talking for far too long, Kasule again turned the conversation back on the students.
I asked Kasule what her favorite, non-work-related, memory was.
“Hanging out with all the young people,” she said. “It’s a little work related but I can’t help but think of that. I love what they make me do.”
“When they get down, I get down,” she emphasized, laughing, as she mimed a small dance in her seat that demonstrated exactly how happy her work made her.
As the event was coming to a close, it was clear that Kasule’s personable affect had made a difference. Students began asking questions about their passions, about how to identify them, and about how to choose only one if any single person could have so many.
I am convinced that no other speaker could have put these nerves to rest as well as Kasule. “You need to visualize your dreams,” she offered. She said that we needed to picture what we wanted at any single moment and trust that desire.
The session closed with Kasule’s trademark mantra. She asked everyone to stand, to take their neighbors’ hands, and to repeat it, loudly and boldly.
Soon enough everyone was loudly proclaiming, “Who am I? I’m a star. Who am I? I’m a champion. Who am I? I’m a great leader.”
“And remember to shine,” said Kasule. “The night sky is not lit by a single star. It is lit by billions of stars.”
By Victor Cabrera
Thank you for the great article. It was indeed a pleasure speaking to young people and hearing their great dreams and passion for creating innovative solutions that will make a difference in the world.