Having joined the hospital in April 2012 as a media and communication person, Katushabe was elevated to the position of field communication coordinator in 2015.

“I basically do communication work that is used for fundraising to help children who have disabilities and can’t afford the surgeries,” says the 2012 Makerere University graduate of Mass Communication.

CHILDHOOD

Casting her mind back, an amused Katushabe only has one word for her childhood – curious.

“I was an inquisitive child who would often wake up to ask questions in the middle of the night,” she says.

By the time she was eight, she was already sure she was going to be a lawyer, much to her family’s satisfaction. Having completed her primary education at Magulu primary school in Mukono, Katushabe joined Kyeizooba Girls’ secondary school for her O and A-levels of education. She also served as an academics prefect while in A-level.

It was while in S2 that she chose to change her dream career.

“It was careers’ day,” recalls Katushabe, “and we had all these professionals from different careers dressed to the nines, except for this one guy who was totally different.”

She says he was wearing a journalists’ jacket and baggy jeans. But despite his informal dress code, he was the most confident and most knowledgeable among all the professionals who addressed the students that day. Although she has long forgotten his name, she recalls he was a regional correspondent for one of the local dailies.

“It seemed as if he was the only one I was listening to. He had such brilliant answers to our questions,” recalls Katushabe. “He made an impression on me by the way he looked at things, and he kept taking notes the whole time.”

Indirectly luring Katushabe into journalism, he wrote an article about the event.

“From that moment, I knew I wasn’t going to do law. I was going to be a journalist,” she says.

With her 21 points at S6, her guardians were willing to pay for her dream course – Bachelor of Laws. However, she insisted on pursuing a Bachelor of Mass Communication, which she got under the district quota government sponsorship system.

LIVING NEW DREAM

Several years down the sharp turn from law to journalism, Katushabe says she made the right choice. While in second year at university, she started freelancing with New Vision, and volunteering with Campus FM.

In 2011, she had a short stint with The Razor newspaper. Meanwhile, she was part of the Rafiki theatre, who were using their storytelling skills in participatory theatre to address issues such as gender-based violence and violence in schools, among others.

“We explored several themes, and moved to different parts of Uganda and East African countries to stage our plays,” Katushabe says.

FINDING INSPIRATION

Since 2012, her work at CoRSU has inspired her in different ways. Katushabe works closely with all stakeholders, including the medical and non-medical staff, parents and the children who need medical help.

“I am lucky that I get to see these children before, during and after their treatment,” says Katushabe, adding that the most satisfying thing is that she is always involved through the patients’ rehabilitation process and beyond.

The major reason for tracking her patients is a way of developing stories, photos and videos which are used for fundraising. The corrective surgeries are very expensive for a vast majority of CoRSU’s clients; thus, fundraising enables the patients to access the services.

“This job has inspired me a lot to want to study a course that can help me serve people better,” Katushabe says.

To this effect, she will next month commence her master’s degree in International Social Development at the University of East Anglia (Norwich City) in the United Kingdom, under the prestigious Chevening sponsorship.

“I believe in studying what will help me to have impact on people and communities,” says Katushabe, who hopes to concentrate on her studies while networking. This, she adds, would help her become a better leader in one year’s time.

FUTURE

Armed with her master’s degree, Katushabe plans to, among other things, explore health communication for society’s benefit.

“For instance, so much research has been done, but has not been broken down in layman’s language for people to understand the findings; so, I hope to do that,” she says.

In a nutshell, Katushabe hopes to interpret and communicate research findings in the easy-to-understand format to benefit the target people.

“I envision a Uganda with better public health systems and people who are well informed about health choices,” Katushabe says. “I hope when I come back after a year, I will be more empowered to contribute to that.”

Born in Kashenshero sub- county, Mitooma district, Katushabe says she sees meaning in life and her endeavors because of knowing Christ.

“I received Christ in 2002, but became a lazy Christian along the way until 2016,” she says. “Since then, Christianity is my lifestyle.”

pbaike@yahoo.com