THE SKY IS NOT THE LIMIT FOR BETTY AJAMBO
When Betty Ajambo joined politics in 1998 as a timid and shy youth female councilor no one could have imagined that few years down the road, she would become the seasoned leader that she is today. Currently, Betty is the District Duty speaker Busia District, a woman Councilor representing Busitema and Sikuda sub counties, general secretary Busia district farmers association, a woman representative on the Uganda Red Cross Society Busia branch board, a leader in various community groups at the grass root level.
“The best I could do in council was to sit and watch people debate because I was too scared to get up as a woman and deliberate my issues” Betty recollects.
FOWODE’s duty is to promote gender equality in all areas of decision-making through advocacy, training and Betty is a story of accomplishment. Her turning point in her life came when she attended a series of capacity building trainings that were organized by Forum for Women in Democracy in January 1999 –October 2000. These trainings targeted Sub County female councilors. Mrs. Tezira Jamwa and Mrs. Salome Mukisa facilitated the training. Carefully selected topics were covered - leadership skills, debating skills lobbying and advocacy and caucus formation. From these trainings, Betty realized her true potential and belief in her self was boosted compete at any level.
“My self esteem was raised and confidence built, I began participating in council debates. By then I was a back bencher in the councils and did not hold any leadership position in the community except the position of female youth council,” says Betty
When the term of office as youth councilor ended, she contested for women councilor Syanyonja parish in Busitema sub county 2001-2006. She was appointed Health and Education secretary. Community members increasingly noticed her potential and capacity then nominated her don several school boards and community organizations.
In 2006-2011, Betty retained her position of woman councilor Syanyonja parish and served as secretary production Busitema Sub County. Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations (FAO) identified me and trained as a farmer trainer, I was also elected on the board of Busia District farmers association.
“In the last election I felt I had grown politically and I now had the capacity to serve as a district councilor Busitema and Sikuda sub-counties. After the preminaries, FOWODE trained us in effective campaigns and I was successful because of the tips I got”
I owe this success to FOWODE, which built my capacity, raised my self-esteem and restored my confidence.
Betty’s being in the caucus that FOWODE facilitated female legislators to form has boosted her team work and advocate for women issues in council, and she believes that women leaders’ collective effort boosts their space in the council, consequently lobbying and advocating for Women issues becomes easy.
Betty says argues that there are still many women out there who have capacity but need to be reached with such skills that FOWODE imparted in her.
Right now, her eyes are on the district speaker position.
The Busia speaker Hon Wandera Geoffrey said that his deputy Speaker is a quite an assertive woman whose confidence he believes was boosted by the training by FOWODE in 2002.
“This training I believe helped to build Betty’s confidence and triggered her compete for even a bigger position amidst all challenges that women leaders face specifically resistance from the fellow Women,” says Geoffrey Wandera.
Betty is just one example of women that have been trained as FOWODE holds the lamp to ensure a just and fair society where women and men equally benefit from decision-making processes.
FOWODE’s duty is to promote gender equality in all areas of decision-making through advocacy, training and Betty is a story of accomplishment. Her turning point in her life came when she attended a series of capacity building trainings that were organized by Forum for Women in Democracy in January 1999 –October 2000. These trainings targeted Sub County female councilors. Mrs. Tezira Jamwa and Mrs. Salome Mukisa facilitated the training. Carefully selected topics were covered - leadership skills, debating skills lobbying and advocacy and caucus formation. From these trainings, Betty realized her true potential and belief in her self was boosted compete at any level.
“My self esteem was raised and confidence built, I began participating in council debates. By then I was a back bencher in the councils and did not hold any leadership position in the community except the position of female youth council,” says Betty
When the term of office as youth councilor ended, she contested for women councilor Syanyonja parish in Busitema sub county 2001-2006. She was appointed Health and Education secretary. Community members increasingly noticed her potential and capacity then nominated her don several school boards and community organizations.
In 2006-2011, Betty retained her position of woman councilor Syanyonja parish and served as secretary production Busitema Sub County. Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations (FAO) identified me and trained as a farmer trainer, I was also elected on the board of Busia District farmers association.
“In the last election I felt I had grown politically and I now had the capacity to serve as a district councilor Busitema and Sikuda sub-counties. After the preminaries, FOWODE trained us in effective campaigns and I was successful because of the tips I got”
I owe this success to FOWODE, which built my capacity, raised my self-esteem and restored my confidence.
Betty’s being in the caucus that FOWODE facilitated female legislators to form has boosted her team work and advocate for women issues in council, and she believes that women leaders’ collective effort boosts their space in the council, consequently lobbying and advocating for Women issues becomes easy.
Betty says argues that there are still many women out there who have capacity but need to be reached with such skills that FOWODE imparted in her.
Right now, her eyes are on the district speaker position.
The Busia speaker Hon Wandera Geoffrey said that his deputy Speaker is a quite an assertive woman whose confidence he believes was boosted by the training by FOWODE in 2002.
“This training I believe helped to build Betty’s confidence and triggered her compete for even a bigger position amidst all challenges that women leaders face specifically resistance from the fellow Women,” says Geoffrey Wandera.
Betty is just one example of women that have been trained as FOWODE holds the lamp to ensure a just and fair society where women and men equally benefit from decision-making processes.
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