What you missed at the men’s conference in Kololo
Some men who attended the annual men’s conference at Kololo Independence grounds in Kampala last Saturday. PHOTO/ISAAC KASAMANI
What you need to know:
- The event was aimed at educating and involving men about important life matters.
On Saturday, men from all walks of life converged at Kololo Independence Grounds in Kampala for the fifth edition of the annual men’s conference dubbed Men’s Gather.
The event, which started at 9am, was organised by Phaneroo Ministries International and included discussions on a range of topics, including family, relationships, finances, and mentorship.
The conversations were presided over by Apostle Grace Lubega, the founder of Phaneroo Ministries International, who engaged fellow pastors and experts in other fields.
Apostle Lubega said the discussions were aimed at educating men about important life matters as most focus today is on the girls, a mishap which has prevented men from stirring in the right direction.
He was speaking against the background that most of the programmes neglect boys’ needs, who are lagging behind.
“…. and that is why we felt it important to have that conversation of trying to align men to purpose,” Apostle Lubega said.
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The panelists also hinted on alcohol and drug addiction, a vice that is silently wrecking lives of youth.
Daily Monitor in February 2021, reported that about 60 percent of students in primary and secondary schools drink alcohol and more than a third have consumed prohibited drugs and substances.
Marijuana, cocaine, and heroin were among the most abused drugs and substances by school-going children, according to Makerere University School of Psychology, the institution that conducted the research.
Rather than judging victims of drug abuse, Pastor Moses Mukisa of Worship Harvest Ministries, said it was important to listen their stories and understand what prompted their addictions and find ways of helping them.
“Love conquers all. Why is a young person smoking or injecting themselves with that [syringe containing drugs]? What are they really looking for? There is a vacuum. Every time someone is trying out all these things, you find that there is a void [someone is trying to fill]. I have found that one of the ways to love men, interestingly, is by letting them share their stories. Listening to them without passing judgment,” Pastor Mukisa said.
Father and son
While reminiscing on his own past teenage years as a drug addict at the age of 16 years, Pastor Ssebina Washington partly attributed the problem of alcohol and drug addiction to absenteeism of fathers to guide their sons onto the right path of life.
“When a father who is supposed to nurture a son is absent from their life, they won’t know their experiences. My father, who was absent or mother, never knew [about the addiction]. Long after starting cigarettes, that was when they discovered [about the addiction] and could not do a thing,” he said.
Pastor Frank Butayi of Restoration Assembly Church in Nakulabye, Kampala, said men were neglecting their roles as providers of their families.
“I pastor in an area where there are many absent [male] partners and I deal with women who have five children from five [different] men,” Pastor Butayi said, adding: “I was talking to one of such women and she said, when she gave birth to the first child, she thought the man would be responsible, and he was not. She got another man ....”
Apostle Lubega asked parents to encourage conversations in their families to sort out any irregularities as well as teach children how to overcome real life challenges.
“At the age of 13 years, he took me for my first job, a juice making factory and sometimes, when I would tell him that I was not paid, he would tell me it was okay because I was working. I later learnt he was planting a work ethic in me. So, by the time I got into my university days and later embarked on a banking career, I had an incredible working ethic because my father spoke into my destiny,” he added.
On business
Mr Patrick Bitature, a businessman, said it is important for men to seek guidance on making money from others who are better than them.
He also advised youth to discard the habit of getting involved in quick rich schemes as good things take an amount of time to build.
The event ended with a sermon from Apostle Lubega and entertainment from respective gospel artists. Some of the men Daily Monitor interviewed said they learnt a lot and would incorporate the teachings into their own lives.
