• Memoirs from My Time in Holland

    Written by Advocate Brownie Ebal

    Edited by Kasi Editorial Services

    This is a piece from the thoughts in my head, during my two-year residence in Holland.

    Crazy day. The cultural shock overwhelms me! This is my state of mind every day.

    Quiet streets of Holland, but of course, with cyclists

    In Holland, the weather is always rainy. Too often, lunches consist of sandwiches. How much bread can one take?

    I miss my home, Uganda: the chaos, the madness, the ability to find food at any time, whether night or day, whether walking on the road or ordering from a local vendor; the bus/taxi stops   we can find along (and sometimes in the middle of) every road. 

    In Uganda, a taxi can stop at any location (including the gate of any home) provided it can pick up a passenger! Who needs an Uber, right? Ha-ha-ha!

     I miss the uniquely Ugandan ability to speak, shout, or start a conversation about the government in a bus (or any public means for that matter) while; the conductor’s voice shouts, “Kamwokya, Bukoto, Ntinda” or “Maaso awo!”

    Famous chicken on a stick,”Namawojjolo”

    Holland is a quiet nation.  No speaking in the train or tram; no food by the bus stop. To get food or a drink, you have to go to a designated shop. There are no roadside vendors to bring services closer to you, the Ugandan way. No roasted chicken on a stick or “gonja” by the roadside. I miss Uganda: the hollers taxi conductors direct at you as you walk; the zealous people trying to sell you a piece of maize or chicken, the boys standing in the streets, or running after vehicles to sell you children’s toys.

    In Holland, everything closes by 7:00 pm on weekdays. Unlike Uganda where businesses, especially bars, stay open 24/7, Dutch citizens respect their working hours.

    Ability to access food at 12:00 am is the norm in Uganda. There is no need to check the taxi or “boda-boda” schedule.  To board public transport, you simply stand by the roadside and wait. In Holland, the trains, trams and buses are scheduled.  Punctuality is the key to survival. 

    Oh well, this is the price of living in a developed country. Everything is time-tabled–scheduled to the last minute. As a result, people naturally expect you to come on time– a miracle in my country!

    (Note to self) The traffic jam excuse for being late to any appointment will not work in Holland.  Buses and trams have their own lanes after all.

    In Holland, the ability to cycle to and from work amazes me to this day. It is commonplace to see people going about their business cycling in the rain as though it were nothing. You do not need to dodge cars as you cross the road as I was trained to do in Uganda. Holland has a serene atmosphere; you can walk across a road without having to yell at some reckless driver for breaking the traffic rules.

    I miss Uganda’s nightlife.  In Holland, a house party is a call to sit or stand and talk for ages about work, the weather and your plans. It is not an occasion for dancing, loud music or food; just lots of drinks and snacks.

    At Ugandan parties, you can reach fashionably late, arrive when it is time to eat, and dance the night away. In fact, you can honestly go to a party on an empty stomach and come back full! Sandwiches are not categorized as food to be served at a party.

    I am seriously missing Uganda’s crazy quirks.

  • A Youth’s Perspective on Leadership.

    By Adv. Brownie Ebal

    Legal Practitioner, Venture Capitalist and Philanthropist

    Editors: Kasi Editorial Services

    To get a better perspective on what an ordinary 23 -25-year-old believes leadership to be, I asked my close friends what their thoughts were.  

    Eve, a female lawyer in Uganda, told me that leadership involves leading people to accomplish tasks by inspiring, motivating and encouraging one’s teammates to do better. I agree with this definition because leadership involves leading others to enable them to reach their greatest potential.

    Sidney, who is currently undergoing a leadership course, believes that leadership is the ability to sell your vision to people and cooperate with them to achieve a common goal. This definition is accurate to the extent that one cannot be a leader without people following them. To be a greater leader, you must convince others to follow you. However, I disagree with the definition to an extent because I believe we are our first followers. We must believe in ourselves first before anyone joins us.

    Martin, a procurement officer, considers leadership as a situation where someone physically, emotionally, spiritually, and socially leads by example. This definition resonates with me because it encourages each one of us, in different fields of life, to employ leadership. It suggests that we can all be leaders.

    From my experience, leadership means putting yourself above others and fighting for a greater cause. I believe that the ability to put your own needs aside and fight for something that brings good is leadership.

    Whatever your definition of leadership may be, I urge you to be the best version of yourself. This is the only way to become golden daily.

    If you have any insights, or would like to write an article or collaborate, please email me on: 

    infowithbrownie@gmail.com or contact: 0701353592

  • Written by Adv. Brownie Ebal

    Legal Practitioner, venture capitalist and Philanthropist

    TRIGGER MOMENT:

    As a World At School Global Youth Ambassador for Education in Uganda, I was honoured to be able to attend the Youth Assembly at the United nations . There was a 15 year old girl who started her own NGO called pencil foundation that donated pencils to children in Africa. I was challenged by her bravery and wondered why I kept holding myself back giving excuses of not helping the world because I was too young or had no money.

    Attending the UN general assembly

    Motivated by this young lady, I sat down with friends and we decided to set up an NGO. We named it “Kitabu-Buk” project which means  Kitabu-Book in Swahili and Buk- Book in Luo, my mother tongue.

    The NGO collects used and new books from Ugandans who have excess and distributes them to schools to help with their learning. We also provide children with career guidance at our donation events.

    GETTING BOOKS FROM OUR HOUSE

    I then went back home and decided to help with the resources that I had. We had books in our house and thereforeI realised that we needed to donate them to children who couuld not afford such books.

    FIRST DONATION EVENT

    This was organised with the help of a group of friends. They were able to come share their experiences with the students and also help with carreer guidance for children to stay in school.

    At the first donation event with some of the students who received books

    DONATIONS

    We were able to get donations from various people. MK Book Publishers donated books, World Vision donated over 2000 text books to the cause. Nabisunsa Girls’ School, Bwerangi Gilrs’ schools all donated to the materials to be  given to various schools. Pepsi Uganda aslo donated sodas to some of the schools we went to.

    bwe
    Students from Bwerangi Girls school who donated their excess books
    wv
    Kitabu- Buk Project team receiving a consignment of 2000 text books from World Vision

    NEWS PAPER ARTICLE

    The leading news paper in Uagnda, New Vision wrote an article about the work we do as Kitabu-Buk project and this inspired many young people to join the NGO and make a change in the lives of children.

    FUNDRAISERS

    Kitabu- Buk Project carries out different fundraisers, but the most significant ones were the door to door fundraisers where we collected books and also sold various African materials to raise money from people’s homes.

    vol
    Volunteers at the door to door fundraiser

    DONATION EVENTS

    Since inception we have impacted the lives of over 2 million Ugandans and we have donated over 100,000 text books  and 3000 scholastic materials to 25 schools in the country. 

    We have donated to the most vulnerable in society which include the deaf and those in war torn areas.

    donate
    Donation event at Uganda School of the deaf
    books
    Some scholastic materials that were donated

    BEING NAMED A HERO

    One of the articles named me as a hero in Uganda because of the work Kitabu-Buk project was doing to change lives of children.

    QUEENS YOUNG LEADERS AWARDS

    I 2016, I was chosen as a Highly Recommended Runner’s up Queen’s Young Leader’s Award for the work Kitbau- Buk Project has been doing.

    Kindly visit our website for more information.

    Home

  • Written By Advocate Brownie Ebal

    Legal Practitioner/ Venture Capitalist/Philanthropist

    On Monday 19th December, 2022, the Young Lawyers mentorship Series was privileged to host The ULS President Emeritus, SC. Pheona Nabasa Wall. 

    The Young Lawyer’s mentorship Series is an initiative by the Uganda Law Society which is platform that was established to enrich the knowledge of young legal practitioners in Uganda. This platform enables the young people gain insights on how to make it big in the Ugandan legal field and emerge as respectable persons of society.

    These are the key insights I picked from her talk:

    According to Pheonah, leadership is a calling and not a career as anyone can be a leader. In this light, each one of us should strive to walk the talk so as to inspire others to be the best version of themselves.

    The ULS President emeritus tasked young people to embrace leadership. Leadership is not in a title but how you carry yourself. She encouraged all young people to strive to be relevant in this digital age and innovate new ways to solve problems. She encouraged the youth to grab the opportunity that social media brings and use it to positively impact the lives of others.

    She further highlighted that one’s success depends on one’s daily routine. She encouraged members to wake up early and discussed her morning routine which starts at 5 am. This, she said, has helped her reach office early and dedicate an hour to complete her pending work on time without the interruptions that come from office interactions.

    The Guest Speaker further encouraged members to take up the spirit of volunteerism. She said that giving back to your community and those less privileged than you will open doorsthat you never knew existed. Acts of service are a blessing to all. As the Bible says: “It is better to give than to receive.”

    She challenged members to create a brand for themselves so that they are known for something positive. She stated that one way to achieve this is through being consistent and keeping your word. This will enable people trust you and give you more responsibility. “If you cannot be trusted with little, then you cannot be trusted with much, “She reiterated.

    Key tips on how to progress in one’s career

    She stated that each one of us needs to know what we want and work towards it. Sometimes, life can throw various challenges at us but we need to keep steadfast and on track in order to accomplish anything.

    She encouraged members to keep learning, retooling and reskilling in an area that interests them.

    Key tips on dealing with difficult bosses

    She encouraged listeners to read “The 48 laws of Power by Robert.”  It will provide insights on how to deal with power.

    She encouraged members to pick their battles wisely. Always ask yourself, is it worth it? Also, always remember who is the boss, respect and understand your boss and ensure that they are happy. A happy boss will always vouch for you.

    Key tips to keep motivated

    She advised members to always put God first. She challenged members to have accountability partners who will keep them on track especially with their faith. This will keep one centered and motivated to keep doing good as Jeremiah 9:11 states:

    “I alone know the plans for you, plans not to harm you but plans to prospers you and give you hope and a future.”

    Parting shots

    She told members not to be afraid to fail as it is part of the leadership journey. You can only learn by trying, not by spectating.

  • Written by: Brownie Ebal

    Edited by: Kasi Editorial Services

    On the 5th of August 2022, enthusiastic staff of National Water and Sewerage Corporation (NWSC) gathered together at IREC Victoria Garden in great anticipation and celebration of the launch of “The Leaders are Learners Book Club”. The club seeks to enhance motivation and growth amongst the staff. Its core values of the Club are professionalism, teamwork, innovation, results orientation, integrity, reliability and excellence. To achieve NWSC’s goal, the management of NWSC believes in empowering everyone to be leaders of themselves and others. NWSC strongly believes that in order to grow as an organization, we must keep learning. The book club is an initiative to model new leadership for NWSC staff and encourage continuous learning and productivity. This background gave birth to Leaders are Learners Club which was created to enhance staff motivation and growth.

    Over 50 people attended the launch with The Managing Director of NWSC, Dr. Eng. Silver Mugisha as the Chief Guest of this progressive reading movement. He was accompanied by the Director of Engineering Services Eng. Alex Gisagara and the General Manager Kampala Water, Eng. Mahmood Lutaaya.

    A swearing-in of the Committee and Patron of the club kick-started the event. Distinguished members of the National Water shared wisdom and a wealth of experience with the rest of the team.

    Activities for the day.

    As President of The Leaders are Learners Club, I started off the event with a welcome address and an outline in which I introduced the Book Club. I shared that the club was an opportunity for people to challenge themselves to learn different things, for example, public speaking, a journey I have embarked on. My address was then followed by the inauguration of the LL Club Executive Committee.

    Synopsis of the vision of the LL club.

    The Patron, General Manager-Kampala Water Eng. Mahmood Lutaaya shared how the book club can boost productivity and engagement and encouraged staff to embrace this avenue of growth. Upon his invitation, the Senior Manager Legal Department shared a touching story about how the club’s inaugural book The 5AM Club by Robin Sharma helped her to engage her daughter in productive life and work models, such as waking up early, doing tasks on time, and planning.

    She intimated that shortly after her daughter read the book, she picked up some of these habits and has reformed her personal and work life. Eng. Gisagara agreed, sharing stories of how waking up early has been part of what has kept him and many of NWSC’s Top management team alert and efficient in emergency works and other management duties required of them.

    In depth analysis of 5AM Club and Panel discussion by NWSC employees.

    During this event, five participants presented their perspectives of the popular The 5AM Club, sharing their lessons and also validations of habits they had already been practicing. Jackson Wasajja, an Electrical Technician and Winfred Maiga a legal officer shared an anecdote from the book, Treat people with respect regardless of how they look. They might provide the solution to your problem.”  Kakaija Doreen shared how waking up early has enabled her to accomplish more in her work day.

    Perspective from Managing Director – Dr. Eng. Silver Mugisha.

    He tasked the audience with questions like: Who is a leader? As a Leader what does one want to be in 10 years?   He stated that a leader is not born one. He is simply one who knows where he wants to go. He further laid out the qualities of good leaders as: good communicators, planners, emotionally intelligent individuals, mobilizers who influence team members positively, encouragers of teamwork, and persons who choose the right people to work with.  Tomorrow’s leaders, he believed, should be resilient,  optimistic, with a strong value system, punctual, good concept analyzers with a clear conscience, speedy workers who are confident and risk-management oriented.  He pledged his full support to the club.

    The guest of honor shared insights about the requirements of today’s leaders to thrive in the workforce. “Leaders conceptualize,” he said, “ are technology-driven, embrace work-life balance, and are risk managers.”

    In his words, today’s leaders need to be able to continue to learn in order to keep up with the technological advancements happening worldwide. It is also the way to recognize problems and risks within their work and contribute to solving them. He also shared the importance of having corporate objectives for the book club and individuals who are part of it. In this way, progress can be measured for both the individual and the book club.

    The Leaders are Learners Book Club was crowned with two musical performances from staff, Isaac Ezama, a Software Engineer and Maurice Ayoo, a Civil Engineer.

    The event closed with  a sumptuous meal of meats, juice, tea, cake and a karaoke evening where staff bellowed their lungs out.

    Some of the managers of NWSC at the Launch
    The President, Leaders Are learners Club swearing in
  • Written by Advocate Brownie Ebal

    On 14th July, 2022 I attended a zoom panel discussion by The East African Law Society.

    The zoom discussion highlighted the role of in- house counsel in ensuring that the organizations they represent are compliant with all relevant laws, regulations and government directions.

    The various speakers emphasized that the legal arm of a company should focus on key important areas of corporate governance; Regulatory and legal compliance, policies management process, contracts management process and monitoring and reporting. The discussion emphasized that legal compliance is crucial as it allows organizations to continue doing business in a particular jurisdiction.

    Key roles of in-house counsel in ensuring legal compliance

    • Advise the board and management of an Organisation on legal compliance requirement, implications and time frame to compliance.

    • Work closely with the compliance, internal audit and risk department of the organization to identify the compliance gaps and best ways to address them.

    • Continuous engagement with the regulatory authorities for a broader understanding of the regulations for effective implementation.

    • Engagement with peers in the industry on compliance common issues, challenges and other.

    • Continuous training of the organizations’ employees on legal compliance requirements.

    • Staying informed on the various regulations with which the company must comply and stay abreast of any changes.

    Further discussions were held in regards to the practicality of legal compliance in Tanzania, Uganda, Kenya and Rwanda with case studies being analyzed.

    Conclusion

    It was agreed that legal compliance is important and it is a key reason why businesses keep running. In addition, legal compliance it is not a one-man job, but rather a collection of team effort from various people in the organization.

    Finally, for an in house counsel to add value and be considered the organization’s voice of reason, alignment and continuous engagement with internal and external stakeholders is paramount.

    An in-house lawyer should always stay abreast with the latest laws and jurisprudence so as to adequately advise the corporation on corporate governance and legal compliance issues.

    An informed lawyer is an asset.

  • Written by Adv. Brownie Ebal

    National Water and Sewerage Corporation (NWSC) is a Company that thrives on innovation and ideas that better the customer experience.

    As in house counsel, one of the challenging aspects of the job is finding a balance between the Company going to court and the company settling. Many of the Legal challenges companies face, can easily be resolved through adequate communication with customers, suppliers and employees. The role of in house counsel is to assess the likely risks faced by companies and advise accordingly before matters get out of hand. Litigation can lead to cases taking years to settle and leads to case backlog. Creating a “win-win situation” can therefore be critical for a business to survive.

    Therefore, in the spirit of promoting Alternative Dispute Resolution Mechanisms through mediation and conciliation as opposed to full blown litigation, the NWSC Legal Department came up with this novelle idea to start “NWSC Legal Aid Clinics.”  

    These Clinics are to act as a bridge between NWSC and its customers so as to rectify any issues that have arisen through its operations that can be resolved amicably before running to the Courts of Law. These clinics enhance the relationship of the Company with its customers and reduce any further risks that may arise due to any misunderstandings.

    The Legal Aid Clinics, also look to educate staff on the legal framework that governs their operations. An empowered staff can be able to serve the corporation better and reduce incidences that may cause legal embarrassment.

    These legal Aid Clinics started in 2019 and have grown to resolve over 500 legal customer complaints. Not only did, the team look at connecting with customers, we also looked at ways in which services can be brought nearer to our customers. Thus, camping at the various NWSC branches to offer such services, makes the legal team accessible and act as a mediator between the Corporation and its customers.

    On Friday,18th February, 2022, the Legal team was camped in Bwaise Branch and our customers were guided on the internal administrative bodies that have been setup in NWSC to resolve these claims.

    To all the customers that have turned up, we appreciate the time taken to come and find amicable solutions to these existing problems.

    To all our dear esteemed NWSC Customers, when the legal team is camping at your branch for the day, please do come to our legal Aid Clinics so we can resolve your issues amicably.

    To the lawyers, let us try to think outside the box and come up with solutions for our clients that propel business and do not destroy it.

    The Legal team together with NWSC staff from WALOPU unit after an internal Legal Aid Clinic
    Legal Officer, Apollo Magezi, attending to a NWSC customer
  • Written by Adv. Brownie Ebal

    On 22nd July, 2022,  I attended a zoom panel discussion by The East African Law Society.

    The zoom discussion highlighted the growing importance of fintech technology and dominance in the financial sector. In this regard, the rapid mobile penetration in the East African economy, has led to fintech taking a high gear in the emerging economies.  Fintech refers to firms leveraging technology to deliver financial products capabilities to customers or other financial services firms, it has also curved out a distinct offering to create a fully fledged sector group, complete with its own service providers, accelerator and market. Once a conduit of the traditional financial service sector, today, fintech holds its own as a mainstay service sector.

    Fintech as a nontraditional player has increased non-financial companies offering financial services. These refer to new market entrants outside the traditional banking institutions and carter specific financial services to it’s customer segment and they include; technology companies, mobile network operators, Cash Network, E- Retailer. Many Fin Tech’s due to their robust business models have been able to taste success and have enabled traditional financial institutions to explore areas of co-operation and partnerships to improve reach and efficiency. Due to this new phenomenon, traditional banks have been challenged  to become more innovative, promote economic growth  and partner with various key players to remain relevant. 

    Currently, the fintech space is not regulated and further discussions are underway to regulate the space. 

    The discussion concluded that consumer protection is needed to protect clients of fintech. The panelists urged for better collaboration across all sectors. Currently, various companies use mobile money payments for bills to be paid. E.g. MTN Mobile money, Airtel money. 

    Further discussions were held in regards to the practicality of fintech to the banking sectors in Kenya, Rwanda, Uganda and Tanzania. 

    I urge young lawyers to always attend such informative discussions so as to remain relevant in this ever changing space.

    An informed lawyer is an asset.

  • Toastmasters International is a nonprofit educational organization that teaches public speaking and leadership skills through a worldwide network of clubs.

    It has objectives such as;

    Improve members public speaking skills.

    Build leadership skills.

    Maximize one’s potential.

    Enjoy unlimited personal growth.

    Work on networking in a small and supportive environment.

    On 30th June, 2022, Toast Masters Muyenga Club had its regular meeting and new members were given a change to practice their speeches. This first speech for every toast master is known as an Ice Breaker speech. It is a speech where members can talk about their lives freely and are given 6 minutes to deliver a memorized speech.

    Since, I was a new member, this was my first memorized speech in toastmasters. Since, the speech had to be personal, I decided that I would talk about something very dear to me. This was “leadership.” The title of my speech  was “She leads.” As  I began my speech, I was excited and nervous. I had presented various  intellectual speeches but not personal ones. The thought made me nervous as this was the first time for me to deliver a speech that was personal.

    I prepared and headed for the stage. I started quite well with introducing myself, the title to my speech and began telling my childhood leadership journey. Midway, the story, I became nervous and my mind went blank, I could not remember, how my childhood contributed to my leadership journey. As I watched my audience, I panicked and laughed nervously. I was startled by myself but the audience was very supportive and I gained the courage to start afresh.

    I asked for a few seconds to calm down, get my thoughts together and then head back to the stage. I returned more determined than ever to convey my truth, not from what I had memorized earlier on but from my heart. This sense of self assurance, that, this is my story and I have the right to tell it as I deem fit, awakened the confidence in me. I was able to tell my leadership journey through my eyes. I specifically shared instances where I failed at elected positions and how I had to get back up despite the failure. For example; in Primary 3, I stood for class representative and was shocked to learn that I lost because my opponent had bought sweets for the entire class. As a young child, this devastated me but it taught me the need to influence people to like me and speak to their hearts and show that I cared so that I could win votes. Despite this loss, I did not give up, I stood again for an elected position in my O’ level and won overwhelmingly with 90 % of the votes. The lessons I learnt from my first campaign journey, helped me secure the votes, this time round. From these elected positions, I have learnt not to quit and to keep serving even without a title. As I grew older, I have started organizations, not because I am the smartest in the room but because, I am not a quitter and I have learnt to start trends. I then my shared journey, from where I was able to start Kitabu- Buk Project a local NGO that has served over a million Ugandans country wide.

    As I concluded my speech, I asked the young people, not to give up, keep doing good, keep serving and God will lift you higher than you have ever imagined.

    As I concluded my speech, I looked back at how I began, the nerves, forgetting my story and simply freezing on stage.

    This article is a call to everyone, not to be afraid to speak as  “Public speaking is a journey that you can only move forward through walking in it.

    In-case you are interested in joining toast masters, kindly follow the link

    https://www.toastmasters.org

  • On Monday 19th December, 2022, the Young Lawyers mentorship Series was privileged to host The ULS President Emeritus, SC. Pheona Nabasa Wall. 

    The Young Lawyer’s mentorship Series is an initiative by the Uganda Law Society which is platform that was established to enrich the knowledge of young legal practitioners in Uganda. This platform enables the young people gain insights on how to make it big in the Ugandan legal field and emerge as respectable persons of society.

    These are the key insights I picked from her talk:

    According to Pheonah, leadership is a calling and not a career as anyone can be a leader. In this light, each one of us should strive to walk the talk so as to inspire others to be the best version of themselves.

    The ULS President emeritus tasked young people to embrace leadership. Leadership is not in a title but how you carry yourself. She encouraged all young people to strive to be relevant in this digital age and innovate new ways to solveproblems. She encouraged the youth to grab the opportunity that social media brings and use it to positively impact the lives of others.

    She further highlighted that one’s success depends on one’s daily routine. She encouraged members to wake up early and discussed her morning routine which starts at 5 am. This, she said, has helped her reach office early and dedicate an hour to complete her pending work on time without the interruptions that come from office interactions.

    The Guest Speaker further encouraged members to take up the spirit of volunteerism. She said that giving back to your community and those less privileged than you will open doors that you never knew existed. Acts of service are a blessing to all. As the Bible says: “It is better to give than to receive.”

    She challenged members to create a brand for themselves so that they are known for something positive. She stated that one way to achieve this is through being consistent and keeping your word. This will enable people trust you and give you more responsibility. “If you cannot be trusted with little, then you cannot be trusted with much, “She reiterated.

    Key tips on how to progress in one’s career

    She stated that each one of us needs to know what we want and work towards it. Sometimes, life can throw various challenges at us but we need to keep steadfast and on track in order to accomplish anything.

    She encouraged members to keep learning, retooling and reskilling in an area that interests them.

    Key tips on dealing with difficult bosses

    She encouraged listeners to read “The 48 laws of Power by Robert.”  It will provide insights on how to deal with power.

    She encouraged members to pick their battles wisely. Always ask yourself, is it worth it? Also, always remember who is the boss, respect and understand your boss and ensure that they are happy. A happy boss will always vouch for you.

    Key tips to keep motivated

    She advised members to always put God first. She challenged members to have accountability partners who will keep them on track especially with their faith. This will keep one centered and motivated to keep doing good as Jeremiah 9:11 states:

    “I alone know the plans for you, plans not to harm you but plans to prospers you and give you hope and a future.”

    Parting shots

    She told members not to be afraid to fail as it is part of the leadership journey. You can only learn by trying, not by spectating.