I want to introduce Jimmy who is going to be working with the Robert Owen Society and the Marches Hive to develop their media management strategy. This is his story…….
My name is Oryema Jimmy Martine. I am a social entrepreneur and a recent graduate with a Bachelors Degree in Social Sciences (Class of 2021) from Makerere University. Makerere is one of the most prestigious universities in Africa and a number of great national leaders have gone through it like Julius Nyerere, Benjamin Mpaka, Julius Kabila among others who later became Presidents of their various countries.
I originate from a small village called Paimol which is in the district of Agago and the region of Northern Uganda though my grandfather moved to Kitgum district around 1976 due to the rebel activities against the then government of Iddi Amin Dada. This led to his children and later us the grandchildren growing up from Kitgum. My great grandfather Erinayo Angol was a chief in Paimol who was appointed by the British protectorate. See https://www.facebook.com/1326804567447748/posts/1545821065546096/?d=n
I am passionate about change making and the digital environment which has led to the background of my story. I was fortunate to get an opportunity through Facebook to further my education when I couldn’t continue with High school in 2013. The opportunity ultimately led to my recent graduation which has as well given me different opportunities in life. Through this in 2014, I met change makers at the Chrysalis Youth Empowerment Network and that gave me the opportunity to work with different groups of vulnerable children with their project ‘The Butterfly’.
Under the Chrysalis, I was able to come up with my project in 2015 which was called The Pearl Basketball Project. Under this project, I was able to teach young children how to play basketball and also during the training breaks, we would always teach ourselves life skills. It was a successful project that lasted for two years until I joined university in 2017.
In recent years at university, I learnt digital marketing as well and I was able to work with different organizations and businesses to market their services and hence driving me to start up my own company called Fridama media ltd were we do outdoor led screen advertisement and digital marketing.
Accordingly with that opportunity that I got online in 2013 and my future plan is to start up a foundation which will be named ‘WATWERO FOUNDATION’ meaning ‘WE CAN’. It is based on my own story of how a thirteen year old boy from Kitgum district who was on the verge of becoming a school dropout was brave enough through social media to find an opportunity that saw him later graduate from University. Through my foundation, I want to create opportunities for the vulnerable children from different communities in my village that they can also make it where there seems to be no hope because I am a testimony.
