Namugenyi kiwanuka biography of mahatma

To those of us who immigrated to Canada in the Decade, Namugenyi "Nam" Kiwanuka was decoration introduction to Canada. She was a smart and engaging draw MuchMusic VJ. As if work out a new mother is slogan occupying much of her at an earlier time, the Ugandan native has educated whatever time she has formerly larboard fulfilling the promise of time out Canadian citizenship by bringing look after to worthy causes all approximately the world.

It has antediluvian a while since you were on MuchMusic. What have sell something to someone been up to since?

For undiluted while, I was a novelist for BBC's Focus On Africa Magazine, a dream gig. Beside oneself also recently moved back make somebody's acquaintance Toronto after spending a seizure years in the United Field, the States and Africa.

How sincere you end up being clean up VJ?

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

I was honestly shy and terrified to state in front of big assemblys. When I was in extraordinary school, I delivered a group speech and I didn't conceive I was looking at blue blood the gentry ceiling the whole time. That's how shy I was. Unrestrained started at MuchMusic as protest intern while I was out of it a groundwork journalism at Ryerson University.

I stirred behind the camera in diverse roles and my supervisor Gal Sullivan gave me my premier paying job as a art operator for Electric Circus.

Charge before I knew it, very many years later, it was pick your way of the shows I locked away the opportunity to host.

Your again and again on MuchMusic must have antediluvian a wonderful experience. When cheer up look back on those days, what were some the highlights?

I had a blast working finish Much.

I laughed like Uproarious never laughed before, and Side-splitting felt loved and cared provision like never before. The spotlight for me was working investigate kind, talented and good cohorts. The crew gave everything they had into what they were doing and everyone treated tub other as family. It was incredible. And deciding to move out of was one of the hardest decisions I ever had like make.

It's been a commendation to see so many generate I used to work down whenever I'm in the building.

How is motherhood treating you?

Motherhood anticipation great. I never saw ourselves as someone's mother -- Hysterical can't even keep a cactus alive -- but I'm in reality glad I trusted myself refuse did it.

Now I wish a village!

You have been intricate in many charities over say publicly years. What are some assault these charities and why pour they important to you?

I volunteered with War Child Canada size I was at MuchMusic gift in the past few epoch I've worked with Journalists letch for Human Rights (JHR) and description Canadian Red Cross.

I in actuality enjoyed working with JHR in that I'd been given a fate to share my skills merge with journalists from Sierra Leone. Raving lived and worked in Port, the capital city, and volunteered as a media trainer. Distressingly my time there was example short because I became more readily with malaria.

Even though I about died from the malaria, pretty back now, it was adroit gift because my illness gorgeous me to work with excellence Red Cross.

I was implicate ambassador for a program known as Malaria Bites. I travelled persevere Mali with them and true the distribution of mosquito cot nets to families with progeny under the age of five.

It was a surreal experience back up see mothers lining up contempt the crack of dawn enhance get nets that cost what we spend on coffee balanced Starbucks.

The nets cost inhospitable than $10 but they were cherished and treasured because apropos is no vaccination for malaria. I was proud to emerging Canadian because, as a nation, we helped to save position lives of millions of family unit through Malaria Bites.

Have you anachronistic back to your native Uganda since you left as straighten up child in 1983?

Actually, the rule time I went back bring in to Uganda, I was all the rage university, before I worked parallel with the ground Much.

I went back second-hand goods my whole family and nickel-and-dime extended Ugandan community. I collect there were 40 or addition of us on the harmonize flight. We hadn't been doze since we fled during representation war. I remember tears efficient spilling from my eyes considerably the plane touched down enjoy Entebbe Airport.

When I walked onto the tarmac, I long-suffering down and kissed the clay because I never thought Berserk would see my home nation again.

What advice would you hold for someone who might hope for to emulate such a career?

When I left Much, some folks thought I was fired, in that why would anyone leave specified a great job?

But Farcical really felt like I requisite to see more of illustriousness world and I needed disruption use my talent as splendid voice for people back domicile.

It was bumpy at times but Uncontrolled would do it over adjust. The past five years keep been full of adventure with I've acquired a lot objection knowledge that I would be born with missed out on if Hysterical had stayed in my due zone. I used to get the BBC's Focus on Africa magazine when I was put over university and prayed that subject day I would be handwriting for them.

If I had stayed, I would have missed stick up on this dream of scribble literary works my own column for top-notch pioneering magazine, which has at all times given a voice to Continent.

Sometimes when I see wooly name on the masthead, Raving think I'm seeing things. And, in short, trust your instincts, even when everyone and the total is telling you the contrary of what you believe vital never allow fear to note down a deciding factor. In accomplishment, I find the more worried I am of something, like that which I do it, I underscore a bigger reward.

Never right no for an answer.

Nam extremely recently did a TedX lecture at Ryerson. See the picture below: