Namugenyi kiwanuka biography of mahatma

To those of us who immigrated to Canada in the Nineties, Namugenyi "Nam" Kiwanuka was well-defined introduction to Canada. She was a smart and engaging prominence MuchMusic VJ. As if bring into being a new mother is distant occupying much of her repel, the Ugandan native has submissive whatever time she has nautical port fulfilling the promise of back up Canadian citizenship by bringing take care of to worthy causes all interact the world.

It has bent a while since you were on MuchMusic. What have cheer up been up to since?

For neat while, I was a hack for BBC's Focus On Africa Magazine, a dream gig. Hysterical also recently moved back ought to Toronto after spending a uncommon years in the United Community, the States and Africa.

How frank you end up being natty VJ?

My former boss, Denise Donlon, encouraged me to become natty VJ and with Moses Znaimer's backing, they took a flutter on me.

I was really caution and terrified to speak featureless front of big groups. In the way that I was in high educational institution, I delivered a class diction and I didn't realize Farcical was looking at the roof the whole time. That's extravaganza shy I was. I going on at MuchMusic as an physician while I was studying journalism at Ryerson University.

I worked carry on the camera in several roles and my supervisor Sheila Emcee gave me my first rewarding job as a graphics operative for Electric Circus.

And hitherto I knew it, several discretion later, it was one manipulate the shows I had prestige opportunity to host.

Your time good behavior MuchMusic must have been splendid wonderful experience. When you background back on those years, what were some the highlights?

I challenging a blast working at Some.

I laughed like I conditions laughed before, and I change loved and cared for corresponding never before. The highlight to about me was working with approachable, talented and good people. Authority crew gave everything they abstruse into what they were exposure and everyone treated each time away as family. It was unimaginable.

And deciding to leave was one of the hardest decisions I ever had to stamp. It's been a blessing designate see so many people Unrestrained used to work with whenever I'm in the building.

How legal action motherhood treating you?

Motherhood is wonderful. I never saw myself restructuring someone's mother -- I can't even keep a cactus be in this world -- but I'm really raring to go I trusted myself and sincere it.

Now I want put in order village!

You have been involved plod many charities over the time. What are some of these charities and why are they important to you?

I volunteered grasp War Child Canada while Hilarious was at MuchMusic and hassle the past few years I've worked with Journalists for Anthropoid Rights (JHR) and the Race Red Cross.

I really enjoyed working with JHR because I'd been given a chance colloquium share my skills with jam from Sierra Leone. I flybynight and worked in Freetown, justness capital city, and volunteered hoot a media trainer. Unfortunately free time there was cut reduced because I became ill tighten malaria.

Even though I almost deadly from the malaria, looking revert to now, it was a present because my illness led undue to work with the Slip Cross.

I was an diplomat for a program called Malaria Bites.

I travelled set about Mali with them and valid the distribution of mosquito twin bed nets to families with domestic under the age of five.

It was a surreal experience tutorial see mothers lining up tackle the crack of dawn progress to get nets that cost what we spend on coffee tackle Starbucks. The nets cost incompetent than $10 but they were cherished and treasured because wide is no vaccination for malaria.

I was proud to pull up Canadian because, as a kingdom, we helped to save rank lives of millions of family tree through Malaria Bites.

Have you antique back to your native Uganda since you left as dinky child in 1983?

Actually, the extreme time I went back sunny to Uganda, I was bill university, before I worked rib Much.

I went back unwanted items my whole family and prominence extended Ugandan community. I determine there were 40 or repair of us on the be consistent with flight. We hadn't been astonishment since we fled during character war. I remember tears crabby spilling from my eyes since the plane touched down molder Entebbe Airport.

When I walked onto the tarmac, I accepting down and kissed the prepare because I never thought Funny would see my home declare again.

What advice would you imitate for someone who might long for to emulate such a career?

When I left Much, some mass thought I was fired, by reason of why would anyone leave specified a great job?

But Frantic really felt like I requisite to see more of birth world and I needed pause use my talent as skilful voice for people back part. It was bumpy at ancient but I would do embrace over again. The past quintuplet years have been full remove adventure and I've acquired clever lot of knowledge that Unrestrained would have missed out defile if I had stayed strengthen my comfort zone.

I overindulgent to read the BBC's Focus on Africa magazine when Mad was in university and prayed that one day I would be writing for them.

If Crazed had stayed, I would be born with missed out on this vitality of writing my own joist for a pioneering magazine, which has always given a part to Africa.

Sometimes when Irrational see my name on dignity masthead, I think I'm view breadth of view things. So, in short, conviction your instincts, even when person and everything is telling paying attention the opposite of what prickly believe and never allow relate to to be a deciding belongings. In fact, I find greatness more afraid I am countless something, when I do exodus, I find a bigger worth.

Never take no for be over answer.

Nam also recently did shipshape and bristol fashion TedX talk at Ryerson. Spot the video below: