Inspiring Change: The Story of Tusingwire Kedress
When Tusingwire Kedress (42) accepted the role of a Change Agent in July 2022, she wasn’t sure about what would it demand from her but also what it would mean for her social life in general.
Almost a year now since she became a Change Agent, Tusingwire says even as she is yet to fully embrace the role, she is appreciative of the right skills she’s been learning and developing for the role.
“I have found the role to be extremely fulfilling,” she says
She says through animation, she has had many new experiences, learned new knowledge and developed a big network of friends and work partners.
“I have made many friends from my village and beyond. Like fellow Change Agents from other villages. They’ve been more than colleagues. We share tips on succeeding in this role but even check on each other on a regular basis. It’s been fun as well to travel outside my village and come to new places for training, like where we are now” says Tusingwire
Some of the lessons and skills that Tusingwire has learned through this role and particularly during the training she attends include communication skills, public speaking, collaborative ways to finding out challenges facing the village and possible solutions to addressing them
The biggest challenge she is facing is how some politicians pay villagers money or give them Bushera to attend their meetings, a problem that has created expectations among villagers that anyone organizing meeting should provide that Bushera
While there are many challenges facing the community, their main concerns are water scarcity, the absence of a secondary school nearby, poor seed quality, and inadequate access roads. In response, the community has widely involved citizens and engaged local leaders to start addressing the challenges
Even as sometimes responsibilities become too much, Tusingwire takes pride in a supportive husband and their three children. On top of being a change agent, Tusingwire is also a Village Health Team member and farmer.
