“Being a Watipa scholar has helped me to extend my academic levels, I am persistent and personally determined to achieve my goals.”

Kyendikuwa is studying and working towards a future society that is job creating not job seeking. You can watch a short film he made for the Watipa film competition earlier this year on YouTube.

Kyendikuwa only has one year to go before completing his diploma in hotels and institutional catering at Uganda’s Buganda Royal Institute.  Things have been difficult with a severe lack of equipment, food and study resources but his Watipa scholarship has enabled him to keep studying and Kyendikuwa has now been employed by a hotel that will mean he has more income for living expenses. Though he has experienced major challenges including a rent rise, Kyendikuwa has been able to draw on friend’s support to purchase materials and shared kitchen equipment with others when necessary.

He has lots of exams coming up in the next few weeks including economic and communications tests but his favourite is food preparation, a skill he hopes to take out of his study and use in a future venture. Though he is still in the process of raising funds, Kyendikuwa plans to open a youth training and snack store next year. This enterprise will, Kyendikuwa hopes, reduce youth unemployment in his community and begin to create his vision for a “job creating” rather than a “job seeking society”, his two key objectives from further education.

He also has plans for Watipa’s future, proposing local units in developing countries that can help local scholars to develop technical skills and increase the connections he has already made with many people from across Africa and Europe.

Though he says “Watipa is everything!” it is Kyendikuwa’s hard work and determination that is really the driving force behind his success.

Isaac Barry