Monday, June 04, 2007
This is my story.
For those who live in North America you will know the holiday I’m talking about. It was Memorial Day Weekend.
I had the privilege of attending a conference during the Memorial Day weekend which was May 25th through May 28th I think Admin eluded to it in one of his posts when he was trying to put me in my place……………………LOL.
Admin you know I love you don’t take it too serious. The Ugandans I met at this conference left me very much impressed, but yet puzzled!!!!!! The Ugandans I met all live, work and play in North America and EU they all came from the district of Mbale. Their organization is known as North America Masaba Cultural Association (NAMCA). My friend wanted me to attend this yearly meeting for a couple of years. I did not attend in the previous years because of finances and also because of fear. Fear because I’m not from a true Masaba culture and I had forgotten to speak the Lumasaba language. Some people kind of made fun of me for not speaking the language; which I thought was rude. Just as I would not be able to speak fluently in either dialect. I can understand what is being said; but I can only respond in English. Not my fault, “If you don’t use it, you lose it”
I was so impressed to almost intimidated by the caliber of highly educated and professional people in the group who are working so hard at their jobs as professors at prestigious universities, physicians at prestigious medical schools, financial controllers at major cities, CPAs, computer engineers, PHDs just to mention a few. Then it occurred to me, what if all this talent went back home!!!
I knew from my younger years that Ugandans were the most educated people compared to Kenyans and Tanzanians. Even the politicians who attended this conference were very very highly educated.
I have been wondering since that conference why aren’t intellectual Ugandans going back home. Most of them had become Citizens of their adopted countries. The politicians in attendance where not offering any help to lure these intellectuals back home!!! Instead they were comfortable having these intellectuals raise money to do projects which in the districts these politicians come from and I could see they were going to take credit for what this organization is doing and get the votes. I did my best to ask pointed questions, but you know they are politicians they do not answer you questions.
In my opinion the politicians should try to make it easy and lure these intellectuals back home by giving them some incentives to make it their worthy while.
I’m sure you would all ask me why I have not gone back. That is another topic
My two cents