The best education

I've a hunch that the best education is not the one we acquire from formal schools. Otherwise those who always came on top of their classes and went on to graduate cum laude would be running the show and calling the shots in society. But that is rarely the case.

Consider President Museveni who is often vilified as having been an 'average' student all through school. Yet that didn't matter for he always knew who he was and what he wanted, thanks to the training and mentorship he received as a child from his guardian, Mzeei Boniface Byanyima. That gave him the confidence and charm that have held him in good stead for 30 years in which he has outsmarted his opponents and reigned over an army that a much more 'intelligent' president, Milton Obote, twice failed to control thereby losing his grip on power. That early mentorship gave Museveni an unshakable foundation from which he built. Mzeei Byanyima was one of the smartest political players so what he injected in the young lad was unforgettable and set Museveni in motion for greatness.

Thus for me the best education is the one that starts with children with our parents and guardians; when they talk to us with words and actions that are so distinguished that they affirm us and inspire us to aspire from that tender age to do well and make them proud. This is the kind of education King Solomon was hinting on when he said that train a child in a way he should go and when he grows up he will not stray from it. 

Alas! most parents and guardians today have shirked that privilege of educating their children holistically and let the plasma tv take over while they are busy climbing the career ladder and traveling the world. At school teachers chip in the best they can and some students perform pretty well. But at the end of the day they comb the streets looking for jobs till holes appear in the soles of their shoes. Meanwhile those who acquired real education from their parents and guardians are busy innovating and making things happen.

Look before you leap

On Tuesday all the buzz was about Valentines Day. But nothing summed up what the day is all about than a two-part illustration I received via WhatsApp. The first part dated February 14 (Valentines Day) showed a guy chasing a girl, and the second part showed the same people nine months later, with a dramatic reversal; now the girl was heavenly pregnant but the guy responsible didn't want to know; that's why he was running and the poor girl was now the one doing the chasing!

It was such a sobering illustration that I don't think any sensible unmarried lady or man who saw it crowned their romantic day with sex, or if they did they used a condom. But take a moment and consider those young men and young women in a cloud of love that painted the city of Kampala red with their couture. Those that bought all the flowers and all the chocolate in town; that ate all the food in fine restaurants and sipped all the wine. You heard them on the radio requesting the latest love songs for their lovers. Some went on a boat cruise, booked the finest rooms in the finest hotels and emptied all video labs of the most romantic movies because Valentines Day comes once a year! How do you think most of those young couples who are hardly out of their teens ended the day? 

 I couldn't help wondering especially after reading a recent report to the effect that over 500 Ugandan girls get infected with HIV daily. It's an alarming statistic yet Valentines Day has lost its original essence and been reduced to a day that is not complete unless you wear red ('the colour of love'), go to some cozy place on a date and end up rolling in the hay. No wonder all the chasing that guys do during Valentines Day climax a few months later with some girls becoming pregnant and turning around to do the chasing. The moral of the story is embodied in an old proverb: "Look before you leap."

It's good to be underestimated

It's good to be underestimated. For then you can play your game and prove the naysayers wrong. That's what Cameroon did throughout the recent African Cup of Nations in Gabon. They were written off before the tournament kicked off after seven key players who play in Europe spurned call-ups to represent their country. This was followed by a dispute over money, yet when the Indomitable Lions got on the pitch they played their hearts out; upsetting the odds against them first by eliminating the hosts at the group stage, then going on to beat favourites Senegal and Ghana in the quarterfinal and semifinal respectively.

Cameroon was underestimated but it won Afcon 2017

In the final against the much-fancied Egypt with its clout as seven-time continental champions, Cameroon stood 'no chance'. Arsenal's star midfielder Mohamed Elneny made that point sink in when he scored after 22 minutes.  But as baseball superstar Yogi Bera famously put it, "It ain't over till it's over." Thanks to two dangerous substitutes, the underdogs came from that goal down to stun the Pharaohs with two scintillating goals. I'll never forget the winning one by Vincent Aboubakar; how he chested the ball, deftly lifted it over Ali Gabr's head before smashing it home. It was a killer 'punch'!

It all taught me never to let the negative labels define or deaden me. If they call you loser or a nobody, ignore them and do your thing like the Indomitable Lions did. Being called underdogs brought out the best in them; they approached every game with the zeal of the devil (the devil never gives up until it has its victim where it wants him - in the pit of hell); they didn't care whether you were Ghana with the Ayew brothers or Senegal with Sadio Mane or Egypt with the reputation of having never lost a final! They were physical, intense, disciplined, pacey, courageous, excellent and united all the way. That's why they became champions.

Learning from the legend

Last Sunday tennis fans worldwide watched an epic Australian Open final in which Roger Federer defeated his most enduring rival Rafael Nadal.  Federer's breathtaking triumph crowned him with his 18th Grand Slam title making him a legend extraordinaire.

Roger Federer the legend (Internet photo)

The fixture was the more relished by many tennis lovers partly because it featured protagonists whose rivalry has defined and enriched the game of tennis arguably like no other. Although Federer has won more Gland Slam titles than no other, he was in the Sunday showndown peculiarly the underdog, and this is why. 

First, he had not played competitively for six months because of injury. Second, he had endured five years of Grand Slam title drought. Third, he had beaten Nadal only twice in 11 Grand Slam contests. Fourth, he had not beaten Nadal in 10 years! Most of all he is 35 years. Nothing slows down sportsmen like age. They are prisoners of the ticking clock. Their bodies begin to break down by 30. In fact, Federer's five-year Grand Slam title drought could be attributed to advanced age with his aging body failing to execute meticulously what his brilliant Tennis mind commands it to. Yet on Sunday he showed in style that a winner will always be a winner. 

I believe Federer has experienced moments when he might, fleetingly or seriously, considered throwing in the towel, but somehow he has fought on. Frankly, I was afraid for him because Nadal is such a fierce fighter who torments opponents with relentless spin and brute force as sweat drips down his face while anguished grunts accompany his every shot. In the end Federer's class proved too much for Nadal. 

There is a great likelihood that these Tennis geniuses shall not meet again in a Grand Slam final. But no matter what we shall always remember them for showing us how to truly compete; how to always give your best. I'll particularly always remember the fairytale tennis Roger Federer treated us to not because of his talent alone, but because of his fortitude and resilience.

It takes time

I am not one of the people who felt a terrible disappointment after the Uganda Cranes were knocked out of the African Cup of Nations. For me it was enough that they had qualified after 39 years. To make it after that long, long wait was in itself a stellar achievement for which the current team will always be remembered. Now we can build on that, keep qualifying until qualification becomes a culture and a lifestyle rather than a one-in-every-three-decades affair.

It was encouraging to see how organised the Uganda Cranes were and are. One mistake cost us the first match but in the second we were much better and the Pharaohs of Egypt won only because they were hungrier and more experienced.  We really should take pride in our performances.  Players like Ochaya, young Shaban and goalkeeper Onyango showed what we're capable of if we continue working hard.

It always takes time to build something that will stand the test of time.  After 39 years without playing at the big continental stage, the Uganda Cranes were without doubt psychologically rusty and jagged compared to countries like Ghana, Cameroon and Egypt who are used to the big stage. Our ambition from now should be to qualify as consistently as possible because it's from playing often at that level that we shall learn from mistakes and build a strong muscle that will hold us in good stead in the hour of need. 

Someone recently sent me a WhatsApp message that said: "No one gets a sudden rise, not even the sun. It takes time to rise to the peak of success. Just keep your efforts going and be positive." This is a message that the Uganda Cranes can identify with.  I pray for our government to style up and start providing the necessary support, build academies, celebrate our stars tangibly like Idi Amin used to, and we shall be unstoppable. 

Not in soccer alone but in all spheres of life, in all our pursuits should we continue working hard and aiming for the stars. Then we shall get there.