Author: Mark Ssali

Denning’s development within the Boys’ Mentorship Programme has followed a consistent pattern. From his earliest days in the structure, he responded to discipline with focus and to responsibility with steadiness. He learned to work under instruction, carry tasks to completion, and lead without needing attention. Those who mentored him early on speak of a boy who listened carefully, adjusted quickly, and stayed committed to the values placed around him. In the years that followed, those traits became visible in more formal settings. He took on greater responsibility, adapted to new environments, and continued to apply the structure he had grown…

At seventeen, Jed Kiragga stands at the threshold of a rare opportunity: a year-long academic and cultural exchange in the United States. He will represent Uganda through the Youth Exchange and Study (YES) Program, a U.S. State Department initiative designed for promising young leaders. For most, the spotlight of such an achievement would be the beginning of the story. For Jed, it is the outward expression of a transformation that began nearly a decade ago: quietly, deliberately, and far from the cameras. He was nine years old when he first joined the Boys’ Mentorship Programme. Reserved and unsure of himself,…