I failed to fulfil a patient’s dying wish

First thing you do when you get to work?

I organise my to-do list and prioritise my tasks. 

Earliest childhood memory…. 

One sunny afternoon I returned from school and saw 12 ducklings go downstream. They looked peaceful and calm. Beneath them, I could see the magic of their little webbed feet working like paddles to provide more surface to push against the water. Several years later, at St Leo’s College, Kyegobe, I wrote an essay about this and it got me a standing ovation at a Youth Alive Summit.

First best friend…? 

Vena, a girl who used to live in our neighbourhood but I last saw her at the Margharita Golf Course when our school threw us a tea party to celebrate our promotion to Primary One.

First book you read…? 

The Invisible Man by HG Wells. My sister gave it to me as a gift which I have to date. 

What was special about it?

It gave me a love for molecular physics until Senior Three when my preferences changed.

Your first job was…

I used to take the cotton off the conveyor belt and dump it into the ginners in my Senior Four  vacation. 

How enjoyable was that?

I used to do the night shift and sometimes I can still hear the sound of the ginning machines whining away with the voice of my supervisor screaming, “Feed the machine!”. 

First salary? 

Shs1,500 per shift. 

What did you use your first salary for? 

At the end of the first week I was paid about 10,000. I used this to buy three rabbits which multiplied and from this project, I took care of my needs through high school.

What are you studying now?

I am infatuated with design thinking; the cognitive, strategic and practical processes by which design concepts are developed. 

What do you like about your job? 

I love that I have a great degree of control and freedom within my job. I work full-time on a flexible schedule, both in and out-of-office. Also, my boss trusts me to produce high quality work with results. I work hard to maintain that level of trust, which keeps me engaged and excited. My job enables me to live and enjoy my other passions.

Most memorable experience…. 

Two birthdays, one in March and the other in October. The birth of my girls will always stand out as a milestone for me. Having my first child gave me joy as a new father but it also made me realise that I had become a man. 

Biggest regret in life…

Toscar, a patient at my workplace, rang me saying she craved cake but she could not afford it. I rushed the conversation because it was at night and I was cooking for my family.  She died the next day. I wish I had fulfilled her dying wish. I have prayed for forgiveness for almost a year now.

What do you dislike about your work? 

I work in a place where two extremes coexist, sadness and happiness. Within the same hour, I could be elated to see a new couple start the journey of parenting yet I could also meet a family, torn apart by the passing of a child.

Your first crush was…

I met her at Freedom Square  with her friend Joy. She was the most beautiful girl.  I envisioned her as my wife. She is now my wife.

QUICK NOTES

Favourite food... 

I am a chicken and chips aficionado. I am also a sucker for anything sweet and sour with meat in it-preferably chicken.

Hobbies... 

Reading novels, travelling and hanging around my daughters.

 What music do you listen to? 

All music. Music makes me feel good. 

Who is your best musician?

Leonard Cohen, especially  his song Hallelujah,  which teaches me about life. It is a refrain worthy of times in celebration, mourning, regret, catharsis, and reconciliation. 

Best advice ever received? 

One Christmas Eve, I squandered Shs3.5m in a skewed business transaction when I was a freshman at  university. My mother told me, ‘Money is made over time, go slow.’