No shortcuts to success

Stephen is a lawyer, a teacher, and a motivational writer. In summary, the kind of inspirational figure many youths and adults alike like to look up to.  But Stephen fought a good fight to get there. He was born out of wedlock, and separated from his mother very early. As a baby he was also burnt and still has gaping scars that make you shudder at the pain he must have suffered.

With Stephen on his graduation day

Like many children from poor families, Stephen experienced lack his entire school life. After S.6, he didn't get enough points to earn him government sponsorship at university. He pursued a Diploma in Business and got employed as a records assistant at a sub-dispensary upcountry. After five years, Stephen saw no future in that, and decided to repeat A-Level. This time he scored enough points to get admitted at Makerere University on government sponsorship. But instead of his dream course, Law, he was given Education. He completed it and taught Literature in secondary school for three years before he decided to apply for Law on private sponsorship. He was admitted, and quit his school job to pursue his dream course. It was a leap of faith, a great risk seeing that he had not saved enough for tuition. 

He was often chased out of examination rooms for incomplete tuition. Being a go-getter with great people skills, Stephen was not afraid to approach his friends for help. Those who were able to did so but Law being such an expensive course, it was not easy. Whenever he was on the cusp of surrender, somehow a good Samaritan would rescue him with a word of encouragement or a cash bailout.

Four years later, Stephen completed his second undergraduate degree, and proceeded to LDC were he completed his Bar Diploma, and is today a practicing lawyer with a respected firm in Kampala.

Stephen's life is a perfect testimony that meaningful success has no shortcuts but comes after years of struggle, resilience, patience, courage, faith, passion and hard work