By Enock Wanderema
When Andrew Bugembe put up his hand in class, there were indications he could not process his lecturer’s statement that for one to be a successful media professional, one has to be a good writer.
“Yes, Andrew,” the lecturer beckoned, as he called him out to speak. The class was silent. Andrew rarely engages in arguments — especially before lecturers.
“Sir, what would you say about me, who is good at camera work, and editing videos? Writing is not my passion. I have tried to master it, but I have not been successful,” Andrew stated.
“Well, it would serve you better if you practiced writing as well; it can save you somehow,” the lecturer responded.
After class, Andrew told me: “You can’t be good at everything, I know my passion, and I will succeed as a video producer.”
Such a rebellious and decisive thought can only come from someone who is confident of their skills, someone who is a leader. As a new student at Uganda Christian University (UCU) in 2019, Andrew contested for the position of class representative and won. In fact, the only vote his competitor got was his own.
“Can you imagine my dad wanted me to pursue a course in law?” Andrew asked rhetorically, as he recalled how he ended up pursuing a Bachelor of Arts in Journalism and Communication.
Asked why his dad wanted him to pursue a course in law, he said it was not really because he wanted his son to be a lawyer. Andrew said his dad assumed that the intense curriculum in a law school would distract his son from the passion he had for music. Andrew’s dad was concerned about future earnings with his belief that musicians are generally “not taken seriously” by society.
It is this passion that saw Andrew take up a leadership position, and also radiated his abilities to potential professional networks.
“I found Andrew to be a focused, determined, disciplined and no-nonsense student,” said Frank Obonyo, a lecturer in the School of Journalism, Media and Communication at UCU. Obonyo previously supervised Andrew at UCU’s Department of Communication and Public Relations, where Obonyo was the head. He is currently the Senior Public Relations Officer at the Law Development Centre in Uganda.
“We took him up as an intern in our office because he is a good listener, creative, and has an insatiable thirst for improvement, especially in video production.”
Whenever Andrew finds it challenging to creatively manipulate a video project, he always seeks help.
“He consults the Internet, people, and other online sources whenever he is stuck,” Obonyo observed. “This is a strong spirit that any supervisor would like to have around.”
Another attribute about Andrew is that he never says never. He is a “yes man,” a trait which sometimes has him biting off more than he can chew.
He adapts easily to situations and gets along with people effortlessly. Possibly, it is this attribute that has enabled him to take some videos for Uganda Partners, a non-profit charitable organisation based in the USA, that has rewarded him with a partial scholarship to cover a tuition balance during a financially difficult semester. One such video that Andrew produced was of Mwikoyo Rachael, who is pursuing a Bachelor of Nursing Science at UCU. Mwikoyo is one of the beneficiaries of the charity of the Uganda Partners NGO.
Additionally, Andrew was part of UCU’s inaugural podcast team where, at its inception, he was the producer, a role he was learning on the job.
Andrew, often seen carrying tripods and cameras around campus, is an example of finding strengths in a true passion outside of normal expectations.
