When I was a young child my mother called me, a Daughter and my teachers called me a Students; two identities which have remained until today.  Others call me many things; a responsible woman, a Congolese short girl, and so on. In America the country I just entered as a student, they refer me to a black Africa girl. In addition to all these positive or neutral identities some other people have stereotypically defined me as a ‘too quiet girl or too humble’, crazy and others say that I get too much concerned with what is happening in my surroundings. While I value my mother’s, my teachers’ and all those who try to define or identify me under certain category, I have grown to understand myself as a young woman with Leadership and Kindness principles. These two values which have shaped my life into a meaningful one.

 The leadership and kindness, though are the values that define me most have also put me in a position where others want to take advantage over me. As a leader I am always reminded that it is not just about me. I learnt that best decisions are made with a bigger picture in mind as one put in consideration others who are affected with what is happening. I got to believe that by treating all people equally without looking at their color, age and even sexual differences has helped me to live peacefully with all kinds of people.

One of many factors which have shaped me into a leader and built my kindness is that I  started living with a single mother at an early age. Then with people different from my relatives at work with people both at home, places of work and even in school. With time through life lessons I discovered that for one to survive had to exercise the quality of impartiality. In 2008 for example, I lived in COBURWAS Hostel in Uganda which accommodated more than 50 senior school girls every year. Being the eldest student, COBURWAS founders appointed me as a leader for these other students. This gave me an opportunity to practice real leadership and every day I found myself in a position that I had to decide who benefits from the Hostel services such as, food, clothes and other nonfood items. I needed to do my job with fairness and serve everyone. For one full year, I fulfilled all my responsibilities until I was admitted to another school.