The Skillz East Africa 2019
dubbed “Global Stance
Workshops” is a nonprofit
initiative organized as part of the Skillz East Africa program attracting over 35 youths and artists from different regions engaging them in social enterprise, leadership development, artistic development and business development participatory sessions
and dialogues tailored to equip the participating artistes with skills and knowledge on how they can design, develop and build their “stance” as professional creatives. This
year’s session also included CV writing. Just in case a creative decided to push the boundary formally.
Highlighted as Creative Safe Spaces, it sought to bring breakers and various creatives together and this year’s dialogue was organized in Kawempe where a number of
facilitators from related fields like Kaweesi Mark of Breakdance Project Uganda, B-Girl Aino Simanyi of Eccentric Squad, Abdul Abdanger of Tabu-Flo Dance Crew and Rasheeda Nalumoso of British Council Uganda shared with the youths in the facilitations.
I found Abdul had already started off but still what I picked from his session was about calling upon the youths to look at their life and talent in the bigger picture. He called upon them taking part in any opportunity that comes their way especially in the media
field that still has space for more untapped content. Citing a few examples from the international breakdance fraternity, he stressed the need for the youths to add on what they
already have. To get out of their comfort zones
and take over. To reinvent what they already have mastered so as to come off as more like brand new and not to easily die out. The end
result will be that if they presented what they have reinvented, they will be surprised by the success that will come their way.
Aino, with a vast field of academic and work experience both locally and internationally came on next and took us through the major basics or key points to focus on when writing a selling resume/CV for those that want to as well enter another field (esp. formal sector). Something that many Ugandans are very clumsy about. She stressed the point of keeping it short because most times, the recipients never have all the time in the world to read through everything and also to always keeping one self-busy which experience one should list to a relevant vacancy.
Aino
Kaweesi Mark from BPU, an ardent break-dancer as well as a youth activist,
educator and facilitator took us through a lively session focused on self-actualization and or realization and one
of the greatest moments in his talk was when he paused the question, “What would you like people to write about you at your own funeral.” It was so deep that people shared intimate stories of their lives as some even shed tears recalling
memories from their past. It’s at that moment that I actually took time off to think about my life and what exactly was how and what was I living it for and how people saw me as and asked myself whether I would like myself if I was seeing me from another
person’s point of view. Yeah, it was that mind bending. Oh, you want to know what I answered for the question? Text me.
From British Council Uganda came Rasheeda, a creative curator and a very firm
supporter to youths and creative projects in Uganda came on last and skilled the youths about the dos and don’ts of getting funding for their projects. She told us to always keep this information in order (name of project,
project description, its aims, location, duration
(start-finish) and its cost). Trust me, we were all ears to the ground, pens and paper in hand because amongst us were also agriculturalists,
social workers, fitness trainers and at the end of
her session she told us to keep in mind about the identifying and resourcing funds phenomenon; list people who can support you, who are they, what is your relationship with them?, how could they help you (monetary, advice, legal, logistically, human resource, connection to other funders), what could they help unlock. Well, that was quite basically it.
Abdul
Ricky Orenia, Chandia Lucky and Ras Benard Benzima, the main organizers of the
project kept us alive with an assortment of fruits and drinks and we’ll as facilitated us with books and writing material so that no one skipped a point. Much respect brothers.
Till next time.
Random Thoughts of Shadray 