In November 2020, at least 19 people were killed within two days of political insurgency in Uganda, following the arrest of 38-year-old Presidential candidate, Robert Kyagulanyi Ssentamu. Kyagulanyi’s resilient and charismatic campaign made him the youngest most likely candidate to win (in over two decades), against 76-year-old incumbent, Yoweri Kaguta Museveni. Yet, the death toll had risen over 50 by December 30th, 2020 with over 100 youth arrested. Among these were support, medical and media teams on Kyagulanyi’s last political rallies.
Youth in Uganda make up the world’s youngest population (77% under 25 years of age, with over 7,310,386 youth between 15 to 24 years, according to World Bank 2019). Yet, demographics by Worldometer show that the nation’s infant mortality is at 39.17%, with 53.32% dying before the age of 5. Now, those that survive, are dying at the hand of a despotic violent police, enduring corrupt governance and, high unemployment - rated at 1.92% (H. Plecher, Nov 4, 2020). These rates are only predicted to rise post Covid-19. Reflect upon this...
Kyagulanyi’s overwhelming support is rooted in a young nation advocating for economic sustainability and democratic transition through elections. Saif-llah Ashraf Kasirye, a Radio One journalist, never got to vote on January 14, 2021. He was shot in the head by police, on December 27, 2020. While protests are proving effective in movements like Black Lives Matter (USA), End SARS (Nigeria) and Uganda’s We Are Removing A Dictator, protests have also cost us lives of future leaders. I advocate for creative and effective non confrontational media to address youth challenges, to steer conversations for peaceful resolution on subjects of social justice reform. We need infrastructure and global support systems for youth protection, to make non violent criticisms of government work. Burning tyres, streets blockades, inflammable riots and armed police has cost us more lives #Reaching16, lives that won’t see the future we are advocating for.
The stories in productions I write and develop are rooted in challenges of young people like myself, women and minority groups. Plight that cause me pain when I see injustice, predicaments that melt my heart and make me cry, are at the fore of my advocacy issues. In August 2016, I met then 17-year-old Gerald, who only a month before - had attempted suicide, jumping off the 7th floor rooftop of Tirupati Mazima mall in Kabalagala-Kampala. Faced by brutal Police arrests at Uganda’s Pride Celebrations, and fear of social stigma upon media exposing his sexuality, he’d chosen death as his best chance. This encounter inspired my play, SWALLOW (Raped for Tape). My other works; Love Is Religion and DALLIANCES, discuss similar themes of mental health of young people, human rights abuse, sexuality, gender and policy for safe spaces for free expression, offering solutions through community sensitization. DALLIANCES screened at AIDS 2020 (Virtual) Global Youth Village.
Last year, under my non-profit start up, Sebamala Arts, I devoted all personal savings to kick start annual Apprenticeship programs for youth and women filmmakers. The result, Artist Development workshops and two film productions (Black Glove and 7_Hills), to combat Uganda’s unemployment crisis, while training more advocacy artists. The work is driven by principles of Advocacy and Equality, both in pedagogy and practice; creating skills and on-job training for women, girls and youth from minority groups. Black Glove’s Pre-production, a fashion noir set against stunning backdrops of Uganda’s tourism gems, employed 45 artists from Uganda, Congo, Burundi and African diaspora in New York, (over 60% are women). The company also organizes Intimacy Direction Workshops exploring identity, safe spaces for women who face violence, youth protection in the work place, and encourages women taking leadership roles in film departments predominantly run by men. This is important to me. A goal driven to break the cycle that trapped my biological mother in violent-abusive relationships, marginalised my sister and her daughter, economically, by patriarchal polygamy.
Apprenticeships are digital spaces equipping youth and marginalized communities with professional multimedia tool kits to advocate for themselves. My long term goal is to develop Sebamala School of the Arts, a home for the program and production studio for Advocacy Films from Africa. By enriching other leaders in consortium of youth organizations, with skills I have acquired in Journalism and Performing Arts around the world, I shall empower a generation that holds our government leadership accountable, while creating global art for advocacy and sensitization on peace, social justice and youth development. The productions create paid employment, contributes to professional resumes, with targets to increase industry payments for artists toward self sustainability through creative markets, to support welfare of youth populations.