Good news. I won another award. A 2023 tidbit from 7 years of hustle.
We got it! It’s screaming joy and happiness. 💎👏🏻💪🏻🎖️🎼🎼
I won an award! I got the red carpet experience and of course, I beamed with excitement as both the cheque and the plague was handed to me. My name was read and ululations powered in. The last award to make me this happy was the African Entrepreneurship Award by BMCE Bank of Africa in Morocco.
“Ladies and gentlemen, the winner for the MOST OUTSTANDING UGANDAN ALUM IN BUSINESS & ENTREPRENEURSHIP is……. Hakiza Ronald.
First things first, what’s the award about?
On 21st January 2023, the U.S. Embassy Kampala hosted the inaugural U.S. Mission Alumni Impact Awards Gala as a way of honoring the impact of U.S. exchange program alumni. The event was also a celebration of 60 years of the U.S.-Uganda relationship. The red-carpet event featured an illustrious group of Ugandans from across the country who participated in U.S. government exchange programs over the past six decades. There were 13 award categories, and alumni were recognized for their dedication to selfless service within their local communities, the region, and the world.
It is important to note that, over 4,700 Ugandans have participated in U.S. government-supported exchange programs. From the first Ugandan Fulbright scholar to study in the United States in the 1950s, to the cohort of 2022 Mandela Washington Fellows under the Young African Leaders Initiative (YALI), alumni of U.S. government supported exchange programs have made a significant impact in their respective sectors in Uganda, be it in business, academia, education, public management, civil society, the arts, medicine, public health, the media, and many more.
The award categories and nominations
This award ceremony was a celebration of outstanding individuals based on their breath of experience impacting society, empowering transformation, and delivering the utmost value. With the growing network of US Exchange alumni and the scaling impact being driven by these great men and women, it’s only worth it that the best is recognized and awarded.
The alumni impact awards which had a total of 13 categories were given based on impact that alumni created. Impact, according to the U.S mission Kampala, was defined as affecting policy or social change; providing meaningful social benefit; contributing to education or training; or raising of awareness or consciousness about important issues. Impact had to be community-wide, but their community can be defined as their neighborhood, their city, their region, or their nation.
Which category did I sqoop?
The Outstanding Alum in Business and Entrepreneurship category was rather competitive.
The “OUTSTANDING ALUM IN BUSINESS AND ENTREPRENEURSHIP” award is a true testament that smart work, grit, and a desire to impact the world will and shall always win. But I would never be here if it wasn’t for the dedicated team of people that have continued to work with me in delivering value to the transport sector.
“It’s good to win awards, but the most important is to win together” — N’golo Kante.
I would be selfish to individualize this win and the many others past and future awards. I believe that true success is not done for individual glory, but for the commitment to and love of the team. This award is dedicated to all the hustling Africans building commendable ventures in Africa’s emerging markets. May the hustle work in your favor.
Confession: I got off my sick bed to go collect that award. Hidden beneath the majestic walk, the beaming smiles and the ululations was a body ridden with medical weakness. But still I showed up.
You might also find this article interesting. Enjoy the read. African-entrepreneurship-awards-my-success-story-to-the-presidential-jury
