Week 3: Youth Booth

Meet my new friend Nakimuli Sharitah.

Actually you can just call her Sharitah. 

This lovely lady and I recently met at Eastern Camp held in Mbale.  Sharitah was one of the first campers to arrive and I could tell as she stepped off the matatu how full of potential she is to be a leader in her community. 

No surprise as she is the youth of one of my favorite PCVs from my group, Caitlin.

Throughout the week I began to see Sharitah grow as a leader… Paving the way for her fellow peers, taking initiative, and demonstrating the core leadership values of responsibility, self-discipline, and integrity.  As I arrived to GirlTech 3.14159 for another week of camp, one of the campers gave me a letter from Miss Sharitah.  My heart was filled with joy and warmth as I read it.

My favorite line?

“Your heart fills even the coldest room in winter in Canada.”

Let’s learn more about her…

She is currently 16 years but will turn 17 in November.

Sharitah resides in Jinja, just East of Kampala that is home to the source of the Nile and milkshakes.

She is in Secondary 5, which is considered advanced level, which means soon she will be on her way to University if money allows.

As she pursues higher education, she wants to be a businesswoman, managing an independent and successful business.

About her family… She lives with her mom, who is HIV+.  She acquired the virus after she produced all of her five children.  Sharitah’s father died when she was four years, although she forgets how.  He was HIV-.  She has two biological siblings, an older sister and a younger brother.  She then has two younger half siblings, a brother and sister.  She is second born.

No surprise that her favorite subject is economics.

If she had to eat one meal for the rest of her life she would choose rice and beans.  This seems to be a fan favorite among Ugandans!

She loves listening to Taylor Swift.

She prefers the rainy season to the dry one because she doesn’t have to buy any water.

During her week at camp her favorite moments have been making new friends and discussing with her peers about their different lifestyles.

With one million shillings she would set up a small poultry and rabbit keeping business for her Mom, as there is a high productivity.  She would use the rest of the money to pay school fees and invest for her future.

Her words of advice to the youth of today are to, “Work hard because many of us want everything to just come easily but you only get what you work for.  Working hard is success.”

She was such a doll to meet and I look forward to hearing where she goes in the future.

Go get ‘em LION!