On June 13, 2020, a young Ugandan’s blossoming life ended in a freak accident at an American national park.
Esther Nakajjigo, fondly known as ‘Essie’, by the age of 24, had made a name for herself. In today’s era of doing the ‘mostest’ for likes and follows, Nakajjigo made her name standing up for the vulnerable in her community. Her brief life speaks of someone who saw something and chose to do something about it.
According to the New Vision, Nakajjigo grew up in the heart of Kampala’s red-light suburb, Kabalagala, surrounded by stories of teenage pregnancies, abortions and prostitution, among others. At 14 years, she rolled up her sleeves and jumped into the fray as a volunteer health educator at a local health centre.
When that health centre closed, Nakajjigo, at the tender age of 17, sacrificed her university tuition (having convinced her mother) to set up a community health centre, Princess Diana Health Centre III in Makindye, which provided free adolescent and reproductive health services to young people.
A young woman of big convictions, her work would later earn her a Buganda Kingdom scholarship, which funded her university studies. In an August 2015 NTV interview at the health centre, 19-year-old Nakajjigo shone with confidence and passion. She intimated how the death of a close friend (due to abortion-related complications) moved her to do more to reach vulnerable young girls.
Empathetic and astute, she understood that a fellow teenager could easily connect with teenagers. Christened Uganda’s Ambassador for Women and Girls, she harnessed the power of broadcasting, hosting reality TV shows, to highlight challenges facing vulnerable girls and young women. In ‘Saving Innocence’, she revealed the harrowing reality of vulnerable teenage girls forced to trade sex for fish, resulting in teenage pregnancies, sexually transmitted infections and abject poverty.
In the second show, ‘Living in the Face of Trauma’, she put a humane face to the lives of young girls and women in one of the world’s largest refugee camps, Bidibidi Refugee Settlement. In 2015, NSSF Uganda recognised the bright light that Nakajjigo was when ‘Saving Innocence’ won the award for best project in the central region for impacting the lives of the most vulnerable.
Obituaries told of a life lived purposefully, of global stages and accolades. The parliament of Uganda observed a minute of silence in honor of Nakajjigo. At her funeral service, foreign ambassadors and high-ranking government officials eulogised her as her heartbroken family and peers mourned a life snuffed out too soon.
Nakajjigo’s short but impactful life comes back to me in light of the National heroes day, celebrated annually on June 9. Every year, the government handpicks individuals to be feted for their achievements and service to the nation.
The Busia district government website has an unexpected commentary about the 2018 Heroes day, “…the holiday is one of the most divisive days in the Ugandan year. What constitutes a hero, and who specifically should be honoured, are matters of debate in the country.”
Undeniably, the celebration of National Heroes day is increasingly hollow, largely limited to the political class and those within their purview, the rest of Uganda, on the outside looking in. Author and lawyer Isaac Christopher Lubogo makes an eloquent case for the reframing of our national heroes in a recent online article, ‘Uganda Heroes Day: Whose Heroes, Whose History?’ published by the Insight Post Uganda website. Lubogo posits, “If Uganda’s Heroes Day is meant to honour sacrifice, patriotism and national service, then where are the names of the people who bleed silently every day, without a gun, without a title and without a voice?”
He continues, “Where are the teachers in tattered chalk-dusted coats? Where are the nurses delivering babies with one glove and candlelight? Where are the whistleblowers who expose rot… Where are the street sweepers, the soldiers without ranks, the mothers without medals?”
This is not to say that those individuals the government awards heroes’ medals are undeserving. No; this debate is a fantastic opportunity, a soft landing that would allow us to broach longstanding grievances buried within our national conscience. Imagine a Heroes day where each region in Uganda participates in the selection of national heroes according to the criteria stipulated in the national ethical values policy.
As I have written previously, Uganda has a national ethical values policy. A rich policy, beautiful to behold. Based on the national anthem and motto, the policy aims to “promote and preserve the rich cultural identity and values of Uganda to enhance national development within a harmonious environment”.
The policy lists the national ethical values as: Respect for humanity and the environment; Honesty, uphold and defend the truth at all times; Justice and fairness in dealing with others; Hard work for self-reliance; Integrity, moral uprightness and sound character; Creativity and innovativeness; Social responsibility; Social harmony; National unity; and National consciousness and patriotism.
Imagine a national contest to nominate heroes from all over the country who embody these values- heroes living right in our midst, keeping their heads down, out of the political fray that attracts news headlines! Imagine the gems we would discover from all over Uganda! Imagine the stories we would uncover!
Imagine roads, hospitals, schools, national parks, markets, government installations, etc, named after our homegrown heroes! Imagine the conversations this would elicit every time! Imagine what it would do for our collective identity as Ugandans! Imagine a national conversation that would unify us and imbue the next generation with the confidence needed to build back better!
A few years ago, my daughter’s school had a book character day during which the students dressed up as their favorite book character. In this small African school, I was chastened to see that not one child (including mine) picked an African luminary. The students were all about characters from Western media (Snow White, Elsa and Anna from Frozen, superhero characters like Batman, Superman, Iron Man, Black Panther, etc).
As I watched my daughter and her classmates revel in the fun and creativity of the event, I could not shake off the guilt that haunted me. Yet, how would these children know if we do not take deliberate steps to ensure our children know about Africa’s great sons and daughters?
When I came across Esther Nakajjigo, it was the freak accident that killed her that grabbed the headlines. Intrigued, I read as much as I could about her and came away sad and sadder. Sad that I did not know of this amazing young Ugandan until her death. Sadder that Uganda had lost such illustrious potential.
She remains the kind of role model I desire my children and many other Ugandan children to look up to and emulate. But how will we know about Nakajjigo and others like her? What monuments have we erected to institutionalise heroes beyond the narrative of the victorious guns of 1986? Unfortunately, there is a trend that to contribute to national development, one needs to join politics and/or go to law school in preparation for Parliament or have bush war ‘street cred’.
In Nakajjigo’s 2019 NTV interview, when asked if she would pursue a political career given her rising star in her community, Nakajjigo responded, “Power is not by standing in parliament. Power is by reaching this person down there who does not have the radio or TV to watch what is going on in parliament.”
At her tender age, Nakajjigo had long keyed into her ‘why’ and ‘how’. The government should revisit its framing of National Heroes day – especially that ‘national’ aspect that Ugandans may own their heroes and write their own narratives! Imagine a National Heroes day where all of Uganda comes together to celebrate their heroes!
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The writer is a tayaad muzzukulu.
The “gamament” should revisit its framing of National Heroes day – especially that ‘national’ aspect that Ugandans may own their heroes and write their own narratives! Imagine a National Heroes day where all of Uganda comes together to celebrate their heroes!
Madam, I am upset because of the above plea to the “gamament”.
Thank you for pointing out that hero, you have done your part, what the rest of us clowns can do is to keep her legacy alive;
1. Build a statute…( We can all contribute, “kikumi kikumi…)
2. Be more supportive to unfortunate women…
3. Name our babies after her…
I am totally for “self help”, appealing to the current “gamament” is like sucking on ash…why should they listen to you and me and us (Clowns), did we fight ? (… like as if the “war” was in Sweden and board rooms)