Inspired Magazine 'Commonwealth Edition' by Creative Cause

CHARACTER

EDUCATION SCOTLAND UNLOCKING POTENTIAL - INSPIRING PURPOSE

COMMONWEALTH EDITION

W W W . I N S P I R I N G P U R P O S E . O R G . U K

POSTER BY SUK

The aim of the Inspiring Purpose programme is to give young people the opportunity to think about their values and character strengths whilst also reflecting on who or what inspires them and their aspirations and goals for the future. Our mission: help young people set goals, demonstrate future-mindedness and develop a sense of purpose.

COMMONWEALTH EDITION

UKHPREET KAUR

Over 3,500 young people from 60 schools have participated in the Commonwealth Programme this academic year. Teacher and pupil testimony reveals a transformational effect on those who take part. This magazine is a showcase of the Character, Inspirations and Goals of young people in the Commonwealth.

O F F I C I A L AWA R D S M A G A Z I N E

SUPP RTERS Inspiring Purpose is an independent education programme of the educational charity Character Scotland which was established in 2009 to promote the development of character in young people and intentional character education in schools. We acknowledge the generous support, encouragement and partnership from the following organisations without which the programme would not be possible.

The Templeton World Charity Foundation aims to provide scientific breakthroughs and practical tools relating to the search for meaning, purpose, and truth. Through sharing these spiritual discoveries, it seeks to impact individual lives across the world. The Foundation’s current themes and goals relate to accelerating consciousness research, big questions in classrooms, diverse intelligences, global innovations for character development and the power of information. Its core values involve seeking a global perspective, making spiritual progress possible, promoting breakthrough discoveries, thinking like a start-up, embracing differences and creating positive impact for people. See www.templetonworldcharity.org

D.C. Thomson & Co. Ltd is a private company based in Dundee. The company has significant interests in UK newspaper and magazine publishing. Amongst other publications it owns The Courier and Advertiser, The Aberdeen Press and Journal and The Sunday Post. It owns The Beano, The Dandy and Woman’s magazines My Weekly and The People’s Friend, Puzzler Media Ltd (one of the world’s largest publishers of Puzzle Magazines, Crosswords and Sudoku) and Parragon Publishing Ltd which publishes and sells some 90 million books each year worldwide. The company has interests in commercial television, online businesses, and is a major shareholder in Mothercare. DC Thomson supports the programme through the Northwood Trust. www.dcthomson.co.uk

The Garfield Weston Foundation was established in 1958 by Willard Garfield Weston, a Canadian businessman who arrived in the UK with his family in 1932. He was the creator of Associated British Foods and the Foundation was endowed with the donation of family-owned company shares. As a result, the Foundation is today the ultimate controller of the company. The trustees today are all lineal descendants of the founder and they remain committed to continuing the ethos that has made the Foundation one of the largest and most respected charitable institutions in the country. It gives them as much pleasure to help a small local community as a major national organisation and they are prepared to consider applications covering a wide range of charitable activity. www.garfieldweston.org

The Jubilee Centre for Character and Virtues is a unique and leading Centre for the examination of how character and virtues impact on individuals and society. It offers world class research on the importance of developing good character and virtues and the benefits they bring to individuals and society. A key conviction underlying the existence of the Centre is that the virtues that make up good character can be learnt and taught. The Jubilee Centre believe these have largely been neglected in schools and in the professions. It is also a key conviction that the more people exhibit good character and virtues, the healthier our society. As such, the Centre undertakes development projects seeking to promote the practical applications of its research evidence. www.jubileecentre.ac.uk 4

CONTENTS 6 8 9 10 11 13 15 16 17 19 20 21 21 21 22 24 24 25 25 26 26 27 27 27

Foreword & Welcome Judges’ Comments Rajneet Kaur Poster Extracts Australia - Aquinas College Bangladesh - Scholastica School Cameroon - Enko Bonanjo Int. School India - Chittagong Public College India - Satya Elementary, Balliyewal India - Satya Bharti Adarsh Senior India - Satya Elementary, Mohie India - Satya Elementary School, Bagga Khurd India - Satya Elementary School, Mahil India - Satya Elementary School, Ladhowal India - Satya Elementary School Hathur India - Satya Bharti Adarsh Senior Secondary India - Jhanneri India - Kamalpur India - Satya Elementary School, Kamalpur India - Akapalli India - Ambedkar Nagar India - Army Goodwill School India - AGPS, Rajouri India - GBSSS, GTB, Nagar India - Kolridih

28 28 28 29 29 29 29 29 30 32 32 33 34 35 38 40 40 41 44 46 47 56 57

India - Moel Town India - AGPS, Rajouri India - Pinewood School, Hamirpur India - Rana Pratap Bagh India - Shalimar Bagh, Delhi India - ZPHS Ghivanagar, Siricila India - ZPHS Gani, Kurnool India - ZPHS Racharla, Bahapoar Commonwealth Results List Malawi - Thalawe Primary School Nigeria - Dreams Learning Solutions Nigeria - ZHM International School Scotland - Bridge of Weir P.S Scotland - Boroughmuir High School S.Africa - Ikusasalethu High School Uganda - Kampala Quality P.S Uganda - Mothercare Prep School Uganda - Nabisunsa Girls School Uganda - Seeta High School Uganda - Sir Apollo Kaggwa Road P.S Uganda - St. Joseph’s Girls SSS Nsambya Uganda - St. Savior Junior School, Kisubi Learner Evaluation

Designed & Published by CREATIVE CAUSE www.creativecause.co.uk Printed in the UK by THE MAGAZINE COMPANY The Inspiring Purpose Values Poster Awards is a programme of Character Education Scotland Ltd registered charity number SCO40962. The views expressed in this magazine are those of the contributors and not necessarily the views of Character Education Scotland or its trustees. Character Education Scotland, Career Studio, Granary Business Centre, Coal Road, Cupar Fife KY15 5YQ Email: admin@character.scot Tel: 01334 844900 © 2018 Character Education Scotland Ltd. All rights reserved. O F F I C I A L AWA R D S M A G A Z I N E

FOREWORD

By Graeme Hartley Chief Executive Character Education Scotland “Our Inspiring Purpose poster programme provides a valuable resource that takes young people on a journey of selfdiscovery and aspiration. It invites honest self-assessment of values, personal strengths and areas for development. It challenges individuals to consider what they will personally do to bring out the best in themselves. There are no right or wrong answers and who or what inspires a person is unique to them. They can be as thoughtful and creative as they like. We are in our 12th year of the Programme and close to 500,000 young people have taken part. Our 2018 entrants showed yet again how inspiring our young people can be. With the help of more teachers and more participating schools we hope to widen our coverage even further.”

WELCOME

By David Lorimer Founder Character Education Scotland

Welcome to our 2018 Commonwealth magazine, where you will find inspiring content from this year’s finalists and prize winners from different countries. Reading through the posters is always an instructive experience as one gains a direct insight into the inspirations and preoccupations – not to mention wisdom - of the next generation. Students begin with the section reflecting on personal values and qualities, writing about their strengths as well as other aspects of their personality they feel they need to work on. Then they move on to choosing an inspirational fictional character or story. Zoe Musasizi from Uganda chose Alice in Wonderland: She was determined to find her way back home. In addition to that, she was curious enough to drink some potions without knowing what would happen to her. She was also brave and kind. All of these characteristics encourage me to be more like her. She teaches me that determination is all I need to achieve all my goals in life. She also teaches me to be brave and overcome my fears. The lessons she draws speak for themselves, as also with Sanjna from India, who chose Aladdin: Aladdin is very brave. He always has a solution to every problem. He uses the magic of his ‘jin’ to help others. He is very kind. He teaches me to be selfless and help others, and to love and care and to give to others. I like Aladdin’s ‘jin’ and its magical powers. I also want to help others with the power of my magical thinking and incredible ideas. Next, students choose an inspirational figure. Here the variety is greater than in the UK magazine, as children come from different cultures around the world, so readers will find a few people they have probably never heard of,

unlike Einstein, Mandela, Martin Luther King, Mother Teresa, Emma Watson, Barack and Michelle Obama and Malala, also chosen by Scottish pupils. Some children from India chose spiritual figures like Swami Vivekananda, Rabindranath Tagore, Sri Chinmoy and Guru Nanak. Some choices are unusual, such as CS Lewis, who inspired Jennifer Greene from Scotland to start writing. Not surprisingly, some Indian boys choose cricketers, who they aspire to emulate not only in terms of skill but also character. The neurosurgeon Dr Ben Carson is a popular choice for his resilience and dedication; also the 11th President of India, scientist Dr AJP Abdul Kalam. Lena Haas from Scotland writes extensively on the murdered journalist Anna Politkovskaya, and is inspired by her courage. In reflecting on Malala, Neha Bhat from India is determined to follow in her footsteps, commenting that ‘she has created a chain of light and hope for girls across all continents.’ Her vision for a better world ‘beginning with my own country, would be a government that builds schools faster than it builds bombs, and attends first and foremost to the demonstrated needs of its citizens as its primary responsibility’. Another fascinating figure is Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf, chosen by Faith Mildred Alal, who was the first woman to be a head of state in Africa as President of Liberia. This may also have inspired the moment she is justly proud of: I am very proud of myself of a time that I was in conflicting loyalty but I chose a side and didn’t regret it. When a bully asked me to tell on my friend or else I suffer the consequences of being silent. I was beaten but I remained silent to protect my friend and respect because I know she was weak and she could easily give in though she is innocent. This made me proud of myself. There are many other inspirational figures I could have

referred to, as readers will discover for themselves. In terms of their vision for a better world, students from the Commonwealth have much in common with their peers from the UK in terms of advocating equality, respect, gender equity, peace and a healthy environment. Here is Sarah Awari: • To see a peaceful world, free from crime and inhumanity • A world in which all people feel secure and free • A world where we live in harmony with nature; environmentally pure. A green world. • A world that merges to form a global village where cooperation, inter-relations, peace, harmony, security and love are the norms. Jenny Fosto from Cameroon: I would like to be not only an inspiration but also I would like to motivate the children of this generation to get off their phones and computers and start cleaning up the mess that we could have left behind for our children. I would like to win a Nobel Prize for finding a more affordable solution to the effect of electromagnetic waves on our brains. I would like to put a smile on people’s faces every single day. Harshdeep Singh from India: It is well said that vision is our mission. Having vision in our life makes our life very exciting and challenging. My vision is ‘healthy people and healthy world’. Health is our wealth. It means that health is everything. It’s important to maintain one’s health, because if one’s able to maintain one’s health, he/she gets everything in life very easily. If we are not living in discipline and following nature’s rule, we can never become healthy and never reach success. Abhishek: My vision for a better world is based on my observation that the world can get better if people have a culture of helping unconditionally. My kind of world will be enriched with people who don’t hesitate to help others. This world is full of empathy, helpfulness and compassion. And Melissa Ankunda from Uganda: I want to achieve great success in my life. I want to achieve a goal of raising the voices of women and standing up for their rights. I want to be able to stand in front of a huge crowd and empower women and talk about how we have value and we are the peak of creation. I want to achieve a goal where the men understand the purpose and value in a woman and know behind their success there will always be a woman. I want to achieve gender equality in the nation. Powerful aspirations indeed! Other content expresses character aspirations directly. Sidratul Muntaha from India writes: I want to be a person who can spread love and peace among people. I believe that love can conquer everyone by its purity and kindness. And peace is something that makes us feel secure. So by spreading love and peace I will be able

to spread positivity in the minds of people. By doing this, I can inspire others to do the same for the good of society. Hannah Kisakyi: I am most proud of the time that I was part of a 15-mandelegation of teenagers in my community who started a campaign to help the needy and disadvantaged so that they can also be happy. The campaign, under the theme, ‘Fighting for the best’ helped the needy and disadvantaged to know that they had nothing that made them different from people who are well off, they too had some difficulties like them. This was a great achievement in my life as I got to touch someone’s life and put a smile on their faces. Martha Kusiima from Uganda writes: I want to start a sustainable development programme for young women and girls around the world, create jobs for young women, provide scholarships to young girls, specialise in aiding poverty and health stricken countries and have a programme that creates videos and posters that would encourage environmental sanitation. I would also like to get a scholarship from Harvard or Cambridge University which would enable me to achieve my dream of becoming a bio-chemist. Feedback from the Commonwealth shows the importance of the first section in terms of enhancing self-knowledge and self-awareness. This awareness is already there in a tacit form, but our programme helps make this explicit and encourages young people to work on their less-developed qualities. It also promotes the formulation of goals and aspirations for the future. Triffine Mujuni from St. Joseph’s Girls School in Uganda writes: By taking part in this project, I discovered more about myself and what my friends think of me as they read my work. I also learnt that I can do something to improve the world. And Bridget Ayoo Beryl from Seeta High School in Cameroon observes: Taking part in this project has enabled me to take a full journey of self-discovery whereby I have been able to fully internalise myself and got to know my future prospects and ambitions as well as setting a goal to accomplish them. These examples convey a sense of empowerment that underlies the programme with its intention to help young people live from the inside out and with the realisation that their dreams can become reality with vision and persistence. They can happen to life as well as life happening to them I would like to take this opportunity of thanking the Templeton World Charity Foundation for their generous funding of this project, also Jason Penman our administrator and Marianne van Mierlo for help with editing and transcribing the content of this magazine. Now, you can read on and be inspired for yourself!

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LONDON JUDGES’ COMMENTS 2018 I was really pleased to be a part of this and have the opportunity to hear voices from all across the Commonwealth. I was very impressed with many of the entries as I thought they were honest, insightful and detailed. I also thought the booklet was clear and engaging. I do wonder about the issues surrounding language barriers. Debbie Headdey, Royal Commonwealth Society Reading and sharing in the words of future generations from across the Commonwealth showed us that we have many universal shared goals and aspirations for a better world. I found this process one which inspired and reaffirmed my faith in the next generation. It was a privilege to have been asked to take part. Sarah Williams-Gardener, Starling Bank The young people clearly engaged with the programme and enjoyed learning new things about their own characters. It was interesting to see how priorities and ambitions differed across countries. Coral Fleming, Royal Commonwealth Society Overall the judging experience was positive – among younger students I believe that English may have been somewhat of a barrier. It was interesting to see how often issues surrounding the environment or littering were raised. Another common theme appeared to be equality, which was heartening to see. Danielle Totman, Royal Commonwealth Society I was disappointed by the “sameness” of values and the conformity of view about what needs to be done to improve the world and how little is suggested on how to do this, e.g. the role of the UN, the importance of interdependence. It was also surprising that corruption was never raised. However, I was encouraged by the underlying optimism of the contributors and the seriousness with which they approach their identity. Lord Watson of Richmond CBE

POSTER EXTRACTS FROM

RAJNEET KAUR O F F I C I A L AWA R D S M A G A Z I N E

COMMONWEALTH FINALISTS & WINNERS

AUSTRALIA BLAKE DAVIES AQUINAS COLLEGE

‘Mankind at its most desperate is often at its best’ – Sir Bob Geldof An inspirational person to me is Sir Bob Geldof. Sir Bob was the lead singer of a band called Boomtown Rats who were a successful band in the 80’s. Sir Bob was watching the news one night when he saw a special on the extent of a famine in Africa, and the effects it was having on thousands of families in the region. Sir Bob was determined to help, so he contacted all of his music friends and orchestrated for the group to join as one and created a band called Band Aid which recorded a song called ‘Do they know it is Christmas yet?’ The following year he organised two concerts. The song and concerts raised £56 million to help the struggling people in Africa. I found Sir Bob inspiring as he was determined, did not take no for an answer and really was ground breaking in his charity efforts, through Band Aid, since there was no social media and technology to help spread the message and raise awareness. As a result, Sir Bob had to work hard, be committed, and at the same time stay humble. He showed creativity, a passion for helping others and exposed his and other’s talents for the good of the world. A moment when I felt proud was when I made my first 50 in cricket. Previous to the event, I had showed determination and worked extremely hard to get to the milestone, but often fell short. I kept showing determination, persistence and courage. The moment taught me always to work hard.

MARCUS TAYLOR AQUINAS COLLEGE

‘If you judge people, you have no time to love them’ ‘Peace begins with a smile’ - Mother Teresa Mother Teresa was best known for fighting for the rights of the sick and helpless. That is why I look up to her. The world would be a very different place without her. She showed the values of loving one another, kindness, living in peace and compassion. Mother Teresa is an inspiration to everyone because she fed the hungry, protected the orphans, comforted the dying and embraced the outcasts. She was so successful because she knew her goals in life and had big dreams. Mother Teresa has characteristics that I would like to live up to because she was humble of her achievements. I would like to become a successful architect. To be free from worry and fear. To help other people any way possible. To find a passion and stick to it. To have a good, healthy, sporty life.

JOSEPH SETIAWAN AQUINAS COLLEGE

Bill Gates is one of the most famous people in the world. He is world-renowned from his genius and his innovation which enhances the way we live today. I find him very inspiring for many reasons. First of all, he never gave up. Bill Gates faces many challenges to this day. He was originally granted

BANGLADESH TANUSHKA SAMARA SCHOLASTICA SCHOOL

‘Instead, what I was beginning to understand was that however things unfolded from here on, whatever the next chapter was, my life could never be sum of one circumstance. It would be determined, as it had always been, by my willingness to put one foot in front of the other, moving forward, come what may.’ – Liz Murray

access to computers in High School because of financial problems. He was given a huge and nearly impossible challenge of creating a basic computer programme which would work on rust bucket laptops which mostly nearly didn’t work. However, he persisted and he managed to find an innovative way to clear all of his obstacles. Bill Gates also took responsible risks, such as dropping out of Harvard University just to seize an opportunity to get into the computing business. Should it have failed, Bill Gates would have been left with absolutely nothing, but the risk paid off and is one of the major reasons Microsoft is what it is today. Bill Gates is also one of the greatest philanthropists (someone who donates money to charity) in the world. Each year, he donates around 4 billion dollars. Instead of holding up his money like a greedy landlord, he donates it to enhance the lives and education of less fortunate people. My main vision for a better world is a world where everyone tries their hardest, whether physically or academically. In today’s world, many people slack off, leading to huge downfalls in society. By trying our hardest, we can complete everything more quickly and to a higher standard, helping us complete jobs more rapidly and giving us more time to enjoy time with people we love and therefore live happier lives.

Among all the notable personalities, Liz Murray has inspired me the most. It was not before I read Breaking Night: A Memoir of Forgiveness, Survival and My Journey from Homeless to Harvard that I had the courage to follow my own dreams. In this book, Liz told her own story of how she was accepted into Harvard University despite her being homeless. She had suffered in her childhood as her parents were drug addicted, and her father moved into a homeless shelter after her mother’s death. Her determination to gain an education startled me as she graduated from Humanities Preparatory Academy, in Chelsea, in two years. She received a New York Times Scholarship for needy students and was accepted into Harvard University. She is the founder and director of Manifest Living and is a counsellor and motivational speaker. I find her inspiring because of her dedication to work for people being accepted by Harvard University. Her ideals of being optimistic and hopeful about her future make me feel positive about my future, as I want to be accepted into Massachusetts Institute of Technology and become an aeronautical engineer. I think Liz has achieved success because of her optimism, confidence and determination towards working for social benefit. It encourages me to never give up.

RADNA AHMED SCHOLASTICA SCHOOL

My favourite fictional character is Black Beauty from the book ‘Black Beauty’ by Anna Sewell. In this book we learn about the struggles of growing up. How as we grow up, we realise and learn harsh things about the world around us. We feel what it

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is to grow up and we go through the processes of how life takes a turn in every chapter of the book, along with Beauty. ‘Not all of us can do great things. But we can do small things with great love’ Do things for people not because of who they are or what they do in return, but because of who you are’ - Mother Teresa Mother Teresa was a nun and missionary. She devoted her life to caring for the sick and poor. Born in Macedonia to parents of Albanian descent, and having taught in India for 17 years, she had experienced a ‘call within a call’ in 1946. Her order had established a hospice and centres for blind, aged and disabled. In 1979 she was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for humanitarian work. Mother Teresa was generous in all aspects of her life, a dispenser of divine mercy. She made herself available for everyone through her welcome and defence of human life, those unborn, those abandoned and discarded. She opened clinics for people who were almost dying. Also she made schools for children, in India. She never gave up helping the poor. She influences me, because she makes me realise about the people around me. She never thought about herself, and she even gave up her dreams to help others. I feel that, I should also try to help others. This might get everyone else around me thinking, this might improve the world around us.

‘If you can’t feed a hundred people, then feed just one.’ ‘Some people come in your life as blessings, some come in your life as lessons’ ‘If you judge people, you have no time to love them’ – Mother Teresa

WU MONG JIA SCHOLASTICA SCHOOL

Nothing is impossible. The word itself says it: ‘I’m possible!’ – Audrey Hepburn ‘I alone cannot change the world, but I can cast a stone across the water to create many ripples’ – Mother Teresa My inspirational figure is Hermione Granger in the Harry Potter novel series by J.K. Rowling, Hermione is one of the most important characters. She is a witch with bushy hair, brown eyes and large front teeth. As the best friend of Harry and Ron, she shows numerous qualities. She is known as the most intelligent witch of her year and is very logical. She gets wonderful grades and is always sincere. When Harry and Ron first saw her, they didn’t like her bossy attitude but soon found out that she is a very good human being. As she is a muggle-born, she has a great sense of equality. She is always quick to help defenceless people who are discriminated such as house elves, halfgiants (Hagrid), werewolf (Lupin) etc. She played a great role in defending the world from Lord Voldemort. She even erased her parents’ memory for peace and greater good. Even if she was just a student, she did all that she could do for peace and a better world, by starting it herself. For all this, I think Hermione is truly a heroine.

SHABAB TASHRIF ZAMAN SCHOLASTICA SCHOOL

‘With Great Power comes Great Responsibility’ – Stan Lee Stan Lee – We all know this veteran comic-book writer, right? He is also known as the creator of many well-known superheroes such as SpiderMan, The Incredible Hulk, Doctor Strange and lots

more. He was born in Manhattan on December 28 1922. He is now the Chairman Emeritus of Marvel Comics.* Why he inspires me is because of his hard work and his persistence. I am also inspired by how creative he is. He has great imaginative powers.

ARIYA MASHIYAT SCHOLASTICA SCHOOL

‘Both men and women should feel free to be sensitive. Both men and women should feel free to be strong.’ – Emma Watson ‘If not me, who? If not now, when? – Emma Watson My inspirational figure is Emma Watson, a British actress, model and activist. She starred in the famous movie franchise Harry Potter which was written by J.K. Rowling from the age of 11 in 2001 until the age of 21 in 2011. Emma was appointed UN Women Goodwill Ambassador in July 2014. She launched the #heforshe campaign at the UN and extended a formal invitation to men to participate in the conversation about gender equality. “Gender equality is your issue too” said the actor and UN Women Goodwill Ambassador. Emma inspires me as a stern voice of a leader fighting for gender equality. She inspires me to bring forth a balance in my life. She has faced many difficulties in her path striving for equal rights for men and women, but she faced them bravely and overcame them. She inspires me to apply that in my life and raise my voice fighting for the rights of the deserving people.

CAMEROON JENNY LEANA NGOMPO FOSTO ENKO BONANJO INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL

‘The most alluring thing a woman can have is her confidence’ – Beyoncé I would love to say my inspiration is my sister or mother but due to the fact that the instructions say that they would prefer it was not a family member, I have to admit that I am truly inspired by Beyoncé. I know it may sound like I am some ignorant, senseless 10-year-old that does nothing

but listen to music and dance to words that I don’t understand but truly Beyoncé has some of the best personality and humanitarian aspects that I could think of. Firstly, Beyoncé is a really good role model for girls as she has had a lot of difficulties in her life yet she never gave up and stayed committed to attain her goals. She is hard-working and seems to be constantly motivated, which is something that I wouldn’t mind having myself; she never seems to give up on any task or important event she has to attend to. She has actual important messages in the music that she writes, trying her hardest to empower women all over the world. She is extremely modest and has a fun spirit, she does not boast or brag about her multiple talents. She stands up for what she believes in and uses her voice to make important issues known. One of Beyoncé’s most recent albums is Lemonade, many believe that this album was made solely to throw shade towards her cheating husband Jay Z but there are multiple underlying meanings to the album itself. Lemonade is made by a black woman and is for all black women. It aims to celebrate black power and black femininity. The lyrics are powerful and is filled with raw emotions of jealousy, rage, joy, betrayal and female empowerment. What makes the music 100 times better are the music videos that go with it, which feature a variety of influential black women, including actress Zendaya and Amandla Stenberg, tennis star Serena Williams and the mothers of police brutality victims Mike Brown, Eric Garner and Trayvon Martin.

* Died November 12, 2018 O F F I C I A L A W A R D S M A G A Z I N E 13

Lemonade addresses all of the black women who have been wronged by the men that they love most. This album is for the black women with absent fathers and for the black women with husbands who left them for girls with relaxed hair and bleached skin. The album is dedicated to the women who had to bury their loved ones because of the faulty system that makes it clear that their lives do not matter.

countries claim to follow a democratic system they tend to favour one economic party over others.

Overall Beyoncé might not be the voice of all black women but she is one out of many and if young girls look up to her I think in the future we will have a range of young, black, independent women.

I would like to be not only an inspiration but also I would like to motivate the children of this generation to get off their phones and computers and start cleaning up the mess that we could have left behind for our children. I would like to win a Nobel Prize for finding a more affordable solution to the effect of electromagnetic waves on our brains. I would like to put a smile on people’s faces every single day. I would also like to evolve Cameroon and make our country less dependent on foreign countries. I would also like to make black woman know that they do not have to bleach their skin or relax their hair to feel worthy.

I have never been a very patient person, so when my mother suggested my sister and I to go to an orphanage and provide a service of some sort, I thought it would be a bad idea. My sister and I went to ‘Main a la Main’ Orphanage and provided a knitting workshop and a website making course. After we had done the course for most of the weeks in the summer of 2017, I realized that spending time with others and providing a service to those who are less fortunate is worth it. The smile on the orphans’ faces were worth it. The kind of person I’d like to be is to become a motivational speaker and an advocate for Human Rights. I would like to inspire people to strive at developing our world and making a better future for our children. I would like be the voice of the voiceless and stand up for those that cannot stand up for themselves. I would like to live in a world where everyone is treated with equity and fairness despite their gender, race, or sexual orientation. I think that the democratic system in a country needs to be closely followed because even though many

Our education system should implement a sense of integrity in all students in order to avoid the increase of embezzlement and corruption in our society. Throughout my life I would like to be the 16-year-old that my 11-year-old-self looked up to.

KEVIN SIMO TAKOULO

ENKO BONANJO INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL I have many objectives I want to achieve in life. Firstly, I want to be a successful web developer because since I was a kid I was exposed to computers, programs, cables and I was already curious to know more about them and how they are working and with time I learned much and I am still looking at other functions and uses we can make from them. I also want if possible to be a good artist because I have always been interested in comics and manga, and I admire the time they are spending working and the quality of work. I want to draw a successful manga and make it very interesting such that one day it will be animated. I want to build an enterprise specialised in the production of technological devices such as computers, phones, printers, drones and many others and also in the creation of programs that will help to make life easier for everybody and to make profits. Through this, I will have the selfgratification that I have achieved something. I will equally be able to give to my family members everything they need and also to be able to help all the people who are ready to work and make efforts to make their dreams come true for a better world.

For me a better world is a world in which everybody considers others as brothers, sisters, fathers and mothers. A world in which everybody makes it possible to work in synergy to help people without caring about their origins, the relationship of their parents or of their countries and also the financial situation. A world without pollution, war, terrorism, manipulation and exploitation and all those negative actions which bring conflicts, deaths and chaos. Also a world in which everybody has access to education and knowledge and wants to share it with others because it will help all the people doing unskilled jobs to get the necessary skills since they did not have the chance to go to school. This will help raise the standard of living in the world and the living conditions so that everybody, even the poorest people, will live in acceptable conditions. It will also help to reduce the amount of deaths per year.

and persons living with disabilities will gain skill in order to better their lives. I must work hard in class and get good grades to achieve this dream. This means I need to be more committed to my class work. My greatest achievement and my happiest moments in life will be to see the above dreams come to fruition.

SARAH SIMO KAMDEM

ENKO BONANJO INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL Last year, together with my classmates and the IG1 students of Enko Bonanjo International School, we went to New Destiny Orphanage at Terminus Bonamoussadi with food items and other stuff for these less privileged children. We helped them with their homework, while others played football and handball with them. We also fed the babies. Some of us cried on the way back to school because we pitied the babies who had been abandoned by their parents. The orphans were very happy to see us and grateful for the things we brought. I was very happy to put a smile on these children’s faces and to be able to help the under-privileged.

HASSOUMI SALMA MANSOURA ENKO BONANJO INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL

My main target in life is to do something that other people would benefit from. Being a medical doctor is my dream because I want to help people. I wish to create a health foundation in my community where I will help the under-privileged persons living with disabilities, old people, street children and vulnerable persons with basic health care. I will equally open a vocational centre where the underprivileged, vulnerable, street children

INDIA SIDRATUL MUNTAHA CHITTAGONG PUBLIC COLLEGE

“When times are darkest, a hero is born. “ My inspirational figure does not have any superpowers. He is a hero to me and all those who are able to open their consciousness. Yet his head is still bowed to his creator. He was born with a humble heart occupied with love. Such a love that love everything created without measure, without difference. He cried even for those who tried to murder and torture him. He was kind, loving, forgiving, truthful, soft tempered, and fought for equality. He smiled at others and respected them, despite their harsh words. People trusted him. Even his enemies entrusted their wealth to him. This person is none other than the prophet Hazrat Mohammed. He is my light and his life will be my guide.

O F F I C I A L A W A R D S M A G A Z I N E 15

SALMA BINTE SULTANA CHITTAGONG PUBLIC COLLEGE

My favourite fictional character is Snow White, who displays that we need to have patience and kindness for good to triumph over evil. Her most inspiring quote to me is “Remember you’re the one who can fill the world with sunshine.” I admire her positivity and kindness. I want to be a person who can spread love and peace among people. I believe that love can conquer everyone by its purity and kindness. And peace is something that makes us feel secure. So by spreading love and peace I will be able to spread positivity in the minds of people. By doing this, I can inspire others to do the same for the good of society.

HARPREET KAUR

SATYA ELEMENTARY SCHOOL BALLIYEWAL I heard a story of Suma (Nepal) as part of Girl Kissing Program in our school. She is a slave from childhood. Her parents sold her. She lived a painful life. But when she was 14 years old she got an opportunity to study in a night class nearby to her home. She knew about her rights through education. She took stand for her rights, she fought for her freedom and at last she got freedom at the age of 17 years old. Now she was asked to fight for other girls’ rights, equality and freedom. Her story inspired me to build a lot of courage and hope for making my life better. ‘Sometimes you have to go through the worst days of your life only then you can achieve your goal’ – Arunima Sinaha This quote always gives me courage in my bad days and failure. It gave me hope and confidence that I can bring a better change in my life, society and world. Arunima Sinha is resilient, self-disciplined, committed, courageous and independent. Born in 1988, she is the first female amputee to climb Mount Everest. She was pushed from a running train by some robbers in 2011 and in this accident she lost one of her legs. But she did not lose her courage and ambition to get success in life. Her aim was to climb all the continents’ highest peaks and hoist the national flag of India. She was awarded Padma 16

shri (2015), Tenzing Norgay national adventure award (2016) and First Lady Award (2018). She is an inspiration for all girls. She inspires me because before losing her leg she was a national level volleyball player but she did not lose her hope. She was committed towards a goal. She had the courage to do things because she is self-disciplined and resilient. I am proud of her. She gave me courage in my life and hope to make my life better and also the lives of other girls. Her journey gave me mental and physical power to achieve my vision and goals.

SANJNA

SATYA ELEMENTARY SCHOOL BALLIYEWAL Aladdin is very brave. He always has a solution to every problem. He uses the magic of his ‘jin’ to help others. He is very kind. He teaches me to be selfless and help others, and to love and care and to give to others. I like Aladdin’s ‘jin’ and its magical powers. I also want to help others with the power of my magical thinking and incredible ideas. Navjot Kaur: Confident – Inspiring – humble – persistent – honest – resilient – helpful – committed – courageous ‘Courage is what it takes to stand up and speak. Courage is also what it takes to sit down and listen.’ – Sir Winston Churchill This helps me because I want to become a great leader who listens to everyone’s ideas to make a better decision.

Navjot Kaur was the first Indian woman wrestler to win an Asian gold medal. She won a bronze medal in the Commonwealth Games in 2014, bronze in Asian Wrestling Championship (2011), silver in 2013, gold medal in 2018 and in the Wrestling World Cup a bronze medal (2013). She inspires me because of her courage, persistence, enthusiasm and her commitment to her goal. Her qualities always give me inspiration to make my life better and help others. I want to become like her. She had a back injury which took time to heal but after that she came back with more confidence with her good persistence and courage.

DIMPLE

SATYA ELEMENTARY SCHOOL BALLIYEWAL ‘If you want to shine like a sun, first burn like a sun.’ ‘You have a dream before your dream can come true’. ‘The bird is powered by its own life. By its own life and motivation.’ My inspiration is APJ Abdul Kalam. He inspired me a lot because he was from a poor family and during his childhood he sold newspapers but today I’m getting the best education and I dreamt of a person like him. He inspired me through his famous inventions. He is popularly known as the missile man. Though growing up in a poor family, APJ Abdul Kalam worked hard and became successful as a person and today his name bears golden letters. I love him.

ARSHANDEEP KAUR

SATYA BHARTI ADARSH SENIOR SECONDARY SCHOOL CHOGAWAN ‘Once we decide we have to do something, we can go miles ahead’ The Prime Minister of India ‘Narendra Modi’ inspires me. When Modi stormed into power in 2014 by winning Lok Sakha Election with massive mandate, he delivered a strong message ‘we are not here for any positions but for a responsibility’. From bureaucrats to MPs, everyone started falling in line. Be it strengthening foreign policy or launching welfare schemes for low-income groups, Team Modi has been working hard to fulfil people’s expectations. Major things Modi government has achieved since coming to power: Swachh Bharat Abhiyan Creation of NITI Aayog to replace Planning Commission

RAJNEET KAUR

SATYA BHARTI ADARSH SENIOR SECONDARY SCHOOL CHOGAWAN ‘Women could do anything that men could. It’s about hard work and not about gender.’ – Geeta Phogat The story of Geeta Phogat is very inspiring: you can learning from her efforts and hard work to motivate yourself. We all have to set a goal in our life and then make a plan to achieve that goal. Geeta grew up in a conservative family where it was considered that the male child would bring more glory to the family as compared to the daughters. For this very reason, her mother Daya wanted to have a boy and not a girl, according to the book ‘Akhada’. Competing in the 55 kg wrestling category, her gold medal at the 2009 Commonwealth Wrestling Championship in Talandhar, Punjab, brought her to national limelight as she qualified for the 2010 Commonwealth Games in New Delhi.

O F F I C I A L A W A R D S M A G A Z I N E 17

HARMANPREET KAUR

SATYA BHARTI ADARSH SENIOR SECONDARY SCHOOL CHOGAWAN ‘I had a clear vision; if I take up an assignment, I’ll do full justice to it; otherwise I’ll walk away’. ‘ – Kiran Bedi Kiran Bedi is one person we all truly admire. She was able to reach the top of her profession and be an inspiration for millions of Indian women suffering because of the society and culture they are born in. she was the first woman to join the Indian Police Service and the first police officer in the world to be awarded a ‘Peace’ Award. She is a popular social activist and winner of numerous awards all over the world. Kiran Bedi is the founder of two NGOs - Novjyoti and the Indian Vision Foundation. She is my inspiration because of her courage, determination and clear and firm nature.

KHUSHI KUMARI

success of fellow state person and boxer Dinko Singh. Kom was born to a poor Manipuri family in Kangethei to farmer parents. Although she was unable to pass her 10th grade board exams, Kom’s determination led her to complete her degree with the National Institute of Open School. At first Mary hid her interest in boxing from her parents who didn’t consider the sport fit for women. A year after starting to train Mary competed at the Women’s World Boxing Championship and snagged a silver medal. The next year she moved on to gold and has consistently brought home a medal in almost all the competitions she has entered since. The story of Mary Kom, from the sleepy part of the Indian northeast, is one that inspires the nation. Her commitment and excellence and to her twin sons Rechungvar and Knupneiver is a story that will go down in history. After almost not qualifying for a place on the Indian Olympic team for women’s boxing, Mary hopes to continue her winning past and do herself and her country proud.

SATYA BHARTI ADARSH SENIOR SECONDARY SCHOOL CHOGAWAN Mirror inspires me. According to me, mirror always shows truth. With this, I’m good at being truthful. Secondly, it is very helpful to improve confidence. I daily stand in frot of mirror for 2 minutes and try to talk with myself. Thirdly, it is my partner. It is my best friend. In the morning, I plan my whole day with mirror. I share my thoughts with it. I think it is a true friend. Introspection is my habit and I try to introspect with mirror. Sometimes, I feel bored with my daily routine. At this time, I stand in front of mirror and feel relaxed so it is also a stress-reliever for me. Moreover, I share my sorrows with it. It always shows the reality of my life.

SHARANJIT KAUR

SATYA BHARTI ADARSH SENIOR SECONDARY SCHOOL CHOGAWAN ‘People used to say that boxing is for men and not for women and I thought I will show them some day. I promised myself and I proved myself.’ – Mary Kom Mangte Chungheijang Mary Kom, or simply Mary Kom (1983), is a boxer from the Indian state of Manipur. The 5-time gold medallist in the World Boxing Championships is also a mother of two. Mary was previously a track and field athlete but switched to boxing after being inspired by the 18

SUKHMANPSEET KAUR

SATYA BHARTI ADARSH SENIOR SECONDARY SCHOOL CHOGAWAN My favourite fictional character is ‘ANT’. This small creature encourages us to work hard. Ants are hard workers. They also teach us the importance of working in a team as they always stay in groups. This resembles its strength which should be possessed by every other creature. The ant also teaches us that we should protect ourselves in case of danger. The ant is among one of the oldest

creatures living on the Earth. Ants are the only creature which have a bigger brain proportion to their body. Everyone has read the story about ant and grasshopper in which ant used to carry food for winter and on the other side grasshopper became lazy in summer and didn’t collect the food for himself and at the end grasshopper had to borrow food from the ants. The qualities present in ants are: - - -

Never give up Think about the future Be honest towards your work

Winners aren’t people who never fail, But people who never give up

SUKHPREET KAUR

SATYA ELEMENTARY SCHOOL, MOHIE ‘Bravery is the capacity to perform properly even when scared half to death’ – Omar Bradley ‘Success is not final, failure is not fatal: it is the courage to continue that counts’ – Winston Churchill India’s youngest brave heart Neerja Bhanot is a 22-year old Indian air hostess, who helped hide 41 American passports aboard a hijacked plane. She died shielding three children from gunfire and was awarded bravery awards from Indian, Pakistan and the US. She was a part-time model, fulltime flight purser and a life-time legend. Neerja Bhanot’s actions 28 years ago saved hundreds of lives - except hers. Saved 360 lives, of the 380 aboard PanAm flight 73 when it was hijacked at Karachi. Neerja will always remain in our hearts. Neerja sacrificed her life two days before her 23rd birthday to save passengers. She could have been the first to jump out when she opened the emergency door, but she decided not to. Neerja defined in three words: courage, commitment, compassion Like Neerja, I need to be strong. No matter what, just face your fears, overcome them and be strong, confident and never tolerate anything which is wrong for me or others. I will try to escape every situation. ‘Never criticise anything too strongly that you yourself face trouble in accepting in times of ‘no options’. I would work hard with full determination to achieve my goal in our life. I want to motivate others, appreciate all their work

and give them confidence that they are creative like others. I try to fill courage in my soul and never give up to any situation. ‘Be Brave. Take risks. Nothing can substitute for experience.’ We should choose courage or comfort, but we cannot choose both. To fulfil our aim and ambition, we should choose courage. Being deeply loved by someone gives us strength, while loving deeply gives us courage. These such statements bring out the courage in our life. This courage plays an important role to get to our aims and ambitions. I want to develop our country, for this I help people to overcome any difficult situation. Every difficult situation can be handled due to confidence, courage and tolerance. It is easy to take someone’s life but very courageous to give your life to save others. I showed courage and bravery for a better world. Fight with every situation and give lessons to others.

HARMANDEEP KAUR

SATYA ELEMENTARY SCHOOL, MALSIAN BAJAN (LUDHIANA) ‘Don’t compare your life to others, there is no comparison between the sun and the moon. They shine when it’s their time.’ ‘What you think of yourself is much more important than what other people think of you’. ‘Handicaps are mindsets. Whatever it is that stands in the way of achieving something, that’s when it’s a handicap. I prefer to see them as obstacles or challenges. This is how I’ve been living my whole life. I don’t know any different. I just live my life through my feet.’ – Jessica Cox O F F I C I A L A W A R D S M A G A Z I N E 19

Jessica Cox always said: “You only live once, but if you do it right, once is enough.” And she herself proves this wording of quotation. Born in 1983 in Sierra Vista, Arizona, Jessica has learned to live her life with her feet. There were many questions at the time about whether Jessica would be able to live a ‘normal life’. However, Jessica’s father has said he never shed a tear about her birth condition. He had full confidence in her potential. With the support of her parents and family, Jessica became confident in herself as an adult and continued to explore the world with her feet. After graduating from High School, Jessica attended the University of Arizona where she earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Psychology. During college, Jessica found an ATA Martial Arts Club and resumed training in the sport of Taekwondo. The instructors created a curriculum that would be accessible to any future armless students. Jessica then became the first armless person to earn a black belt in the ATA. Jessica’s most famous accomplishment was learning how to fly. It took three states, four airplanes, two flight instructors and a discouraging year to find the right aircraft. A 1946 415C Europe Airplane. She received the Guinness World Record for being the first person certified to fly an airplane with only their feet. She always inspires me with her courage, confidence and positive attitude. Here I would like to share one of her life moments when she presented her performance. Even her teacher denied her the opportunity in that particular performance. It happened when she was studying in dance class in her home town. When the first performance arrived, she asked to be put in the back row. Tentatively she took the stage with the other students and performed her routine. When she finished, the applause from the audience gave her encouragement and confidence to continue dancing for 14 years. Jessica’s parents eventually met a Taekwondo instructor named Jim Cunningham. His response when told about her birth condition was that she would be more than physically able and that only her attitude could take her back. At the age of 14, Jessica earned her first black belt in the International Taekwondo Federation. She has many other qualities that inspire me, like Jessica has even learnt to write with her feet, and after abandoning prosthetic limbs at a young age 20

she has learnt to use her feet to do things like clean her teeth and even play the piano - she uses her feet like most people use their hands. In the end, I must say that she has proved that she can do anything that people with arms can do. *** As I am living in the outskirts of a village, one day I was going with my grandma for an evening walk. I saw a girl, living in a temporary home, who was crying in front of her mother. I went closer and came to know that she wanted to go to school but she was rusticated, because she did not deposit her school fees. Her mother was convincing her that she will not go to school. But I gave them hope. Next day I took that girl to our Satya Elementary School, Malsian Bajan, where she has no need to deposit money or anything. I am very keen to observe problems and sort them out. Now she is studying in our school. Whenever I see her happy, I also feel happiness. I hope when she grows that she will also help other needy and helpless students.

KAMALJIT KAUR

SATYA ELEMENTARY SCHOOL, BAGGA KHURD ‘I cried when I had no shoes, but I stopped crying when I saw a man without legs’. – Shakespeare ‘In the middle of every difficulty lies opportunity’ – Albert Einstein I, Kamaljit Kaur, at the age of two years was diagnosed to have orthopaedic impairment. I always find my life problematic. But when I read about ‘Stephen Hawking’, he really inspired

open a free sports academy for the poor. The academy would be named ‘Shaheed Chandra Shakhar Vikolang Khel Academy.

RICHA

SATYA ELEMENTARY SCHOOL, LADHOWAL ‘Never wait for an opportunity, create an opportunity like this’

me. As he never gave up or surrendered to the miseries of his life. He lived a great and successful life in the surroundings of adverse situations. I want to be a teacher, or more precisely a special needs teacher. I want to get training in teaching children with diverse needs. If I got an opportunity to work with ‘Bharti Foundation’, it would be an honour because the Bharti Foundation is working for underprivileged and rural children’s education. My vision for a better world is ‘opportunities for all’. Equal opportunities in Education, Employment Resource Distribution, irrespective of one’s age, race, religion, gender and any kind of disability. ‘Equal opportunity means everyone will have a fair chance of being competent’ – Laurence Peter

KOMALPREET KAUR

SATYA ELEMENTARY SCHOOL, MAHIL ‘My inspiration has always come from my failures’ – Sudha Chandran My inspiration is Arunima Sinha, who was born on 20 July 1988. She is the first female amputee to climb Mount Everest and was a national level volleyball player. Before she was pushed out of a running train by thieves in 2011. One of her legs had to be amputated below the knee as a result. In hospital she was not low on confidence but she took a decision to become a mountaineer and prove herself. Her aim: climb all the continents highest peaks and hoist the national flag of India. She has already done 6 peaks. Arunima Sinha is now dedicated towards social welfare and wants to

I am inspired by Sir Mukesh Ambani. He was born on 19 April, 1957. He lived in Bhuleshwan until the 1970’s. I have read many stories of his childhood period about how he struggled in life to achieve his target. I am inspired by his thinking power and optimistic views. His father was a drunk and he sold the empty wine bottles of his father when he went to sleep. With those bottles, Ambani earned some money. After saving money he bought a bicycle and sold newspapers, milk bottles, tea, etc. Despite this, he didn’t miss his study. Thus labour work shows that a small town child can establish a big empire in the whole world with hard work, confidence and the eagerness to do this.

GURPREET KAUR

SATYA ELEMENTARY SCHOOL HATHUR ‘Success is not a matter of being the best and winning the race, it is a matter of handling the worst and finishing the race. Be positive’ Anand Kumar is an Indian mathematician and a columnist for various journals and magazines who was born on the 1st January 1973 in Patna. His father was a clerk in the postal department in Patna. Due to the poverty of his family, Anand enrolled in the Hindi medium School at his village in Patna. He was very good in mathematics and developed his deep interest in maths. After the school was over, he sold papads in the market to support his family. During his graduation, he was teaching to students and started his own coaching classes. After his graduation, he rented a room in Patna and starting a coaching Institution with 2 students. Within a time-span of 1 year, student numbers increased to 30 and after 3 years they reached 500 students. Every year he conducts a competitive test to select Top 30 students from the weaker section O F F I C I A L A W A R D S M A G A Z I N E 21

community. Many students take the test and eventually he selects 30 of them. He prepares them for Joint Entrance Examination (JEE) for the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) and also provides learning material for their easy preparations. His mother helps him preparing food and his brother helps him with the administration. Until this date, a total of 391 out of 450 students made it to IIT’s. In 2010, all his 30 students cleared the IIT JEE exam and created history. He has no financial support from the government and private bodies. He manages from tuition fees only. He wanted to sustain his Super 30 program through his own efforts.

things. I can never forget her sacrifice and always try to follow her. Neerja Bhanst youngest recipient of India’s highest bravery gallantry award Asthok Chakra. In the following years, India’s post released stamps in her name in 2004.

JASHANDEEP KAUR

SATYA BHARTI ADARSH SENIOR SECONDARY SCHOOL RAUNI My role model is Neerja Bhanst, a young and dynamic air hostess who died at the age of 22 while saving the lives of 300 people stranded with her on a hijacked plane. I always try to follow her. Neerja was also a successful model. She was born on 7th September 1963 at Chandigarh Punjab (India). Later on her family moved to Mumbai, she was married in 1985. The pressure from the bridegroom’s family was increasing and led to a spoiled relationship. After some time Neerja decided to join Pan Am as an air hostess. How she saved 360 lives: four heavily armed terrorists entered at the Pan Am flight 73 and hijacked it when it was parked on the airport in Karachi, Pakistan. The terrorists aimed to kill the Americans. Neerja was the most senior officer in the plane. Terrorists advised Neerja to collect passports of all the passengers and help them identify the Americans. She hid the passports of all Americans beneath the seat, under the dustbins and bags in order to avoid identification. She opened the emergency door of the flight and let as many people escape as she can. She decided to stay back and help everyone on the flight and let as many people escape as she could. She had to take an array of bullets when trying to shield three kids from the bullets of the terrorists. How she inspires me: first of all her sacrifice inspires me. She arouses patriotic feelings in me. I want to become like her, someone who can sacrifice her life for others. I also like myself being a patriot. I learnt from her that we should always be ready to help others. I learnt a lot of lessons from her. If I was in her place, I would do the same 22

HARSHDEEP SINGH

SATYA BHARTI ADARSH SENIOR SECONDARY SCHOOL, RAUNI ‘If you judge people, you have no time to love them’ – Mother Teresa ‘Intense love does not measure, it just gives’ – Mother Teresa Mother Teresa said that ‘I am nothing’. She said this because she was trying to get other people to talk about the poor, not her. She was a great woman and famous as ‘one woman, one mission’. She took a big step to change the world and was a lady with strong faith and trust in God and in humanity. Mother Teresa was full of peace and love. She helped a lot the poor people of Kolkota suffering from leprosy. Mother Teresa is packed full of truth. It is not complicated. It hits the nail on the head when it comes to making the most of every day. She said towards this: ‘Yesterday is gone. Tomorrow has not yet come. We have today; let us begin.’ These words of Mother Teresa have inspired me. I think that we are also told that women can do anything, by giving example of Mother Teresa.

I had an inspirational moment, when my father passed away and the strong thing that was produced in my mother. She never cries and has confidence to solve our problems and does her duty on time from morning to midnight. So at that time I made strong faith in my mind, which was to help my mother to do the work. This is my inspirational moment when I learnt to do hard work and be helpful. It is well said that vision is our mission. Having vision in our life makes our life very exciting and challenging. My vision is ‘healthy people and healthy world’. Health is our wealth. It means that health is everything. It’s important to maintain one’s health, because if one’s able to maintain one’s health, he/she gets everything in life very easily. If we are not living in discipline and following nature’s rule, we can never become healthy and never reach success. A healthy body leads to physical growth and mental growth. Health is our wealth. Remember and always eat healthy and fit food. Avoid fast food. Health also increases our lifespan on earth.

GURKAMAL KAUR

SATYA BHARTI ADARSH SENIOR SECONDARY SCHOOL, RAUNI APS Abdul Kalam was the 11th and most loved President of India. Though he was a scientist who made our country proud with his missile defence programme, his favourite job was teaching. And he always wanted the world to remember him for that, and shockingly he died doing what he loved best.

Everything about him inspires me; his thoughts, aims, journey and nature.

GURJOT KAUR

SATYA BHARTI ADARSH SENIOR SECONDARY SCHOOL, RAUNI My inspiration is: Anshu Tamsenpa, who is a mountaineer and mother of two daughters. She is 38 years and from Bomdilla, Arunchal Pradesh – she is the first woman to break the record in the World to scale the mighty Mount Everest twice in one season and that too in just 5 days. She was born in Dirang, a remote town in the North-East of Arunchal Pradesh. She wanted to become a journalist but life took another turn. She was married at 21 to Tsering Wange, who is the President of All Arunchal Pradesh Mountaineering to Adventure Sports Association. Someone advised her to take up mountaineering as a career. She was trained 2 years before climbing. In 2011, Tamsenba summited the Everest on May 21. She subsequently made a single summit in 2013. On May 16, 2017 she had climbed onto Everest twice. She is my inspiration - despite being the mother of two, she controlled her emotions and her heart’s grief, and she neglected the comments of society. Her willingness, persistence and endurance inspires me most. She is determined enough to face the unfavourable weather conditions. She is a role model for all of us!

In 2010, taking in consideration his love for students and focus on promoting education, the United Nations declared his birthday 15 October as Worlds’ Students Day. Abdul Kalam has done his education with a lot of hard work and a scholarship. I also want to study with my scholarship money and not by making a burden on my parents. His journey in becoming a great Indian scientist inspires me a lot. His understanding of culture, religion, people, places, emotions and country has influenced me a lot. Despite the fact that he became President of India, he was still very down to earth and was always smiling and an inspiring person, even to the opponents. He called every student of any age a FRIEND - I also have many friends of every age in school as well as at home. O F F I C I A L A W A R D S M A G A Z I N E 23

KOMALDEEP KAUR

SATYA BHARTI ADARSH SENIOR SECONDARY SCHOOL, RAUNI ‘I never dreamt about success, I worked for it’ ‘Don’t count on the days, make the days count’ A politician Arvind Kejruwal, chief minister of Delhi has inspired me. Before becoming chief minister, he was an IPS officer. He is very kind hearted when he was doing his job. He listened to some news that in Punjab, the death rate of adults is increasing because of trade of a drug called ‘white powder’. It is a very dangerous drug. It had made Punjab very weak and undeveloped. He was very shocked. So he decided to leave his post of IPS. Then he participated in elections but he did not succeed because the people of Punjab didn’t believe in him. I am inspired by his character because he is very kind and selfless. He had left his job and salary just for the people of Punjab.

KAMALDEEP KAUR JHANNERI

‘We are not here for any position but for a responsibility’ I’m inspired by our Prime Minister Sri Navendra Demodardas Modi, who has a different way of thinking to do work for common people and for the welfare of society. His biggest and common welfare project is Swach Bharat, through which he tries to make people maintain a healthy lifestyle free from diseases. He gives due emphasis and importance to the progress of the country and his every move has definite impact on the country.

He introduced his one big plan, demonetisation. He does this to enhance the equality in society. He has introduced many eco-friendly projects. He is a motivated and creative person. He is my role model because I also want to do something for society like him.

KUSUM KAUR JHANNERI

‘If you fail, never give up because fail means: ‘First Attempt In Learning’’ APF Kalam, the 11th president of India and scientist also known as ‘Missile Man’ is the one who inspires me. His positive attitude after being rejected by the Air Force and becoming a missile man thereafter is really a matter of turning his luck from stone to gem. He inspires me because of his achievements, humanity, sincerity, hard work, positivity and spirit of never giving up. This teaches that Life is ready to throw challenges at different stages but a true winner is the one who does not become vulnerable to unfavorable situations and keeps on finding ways to beat the challenge and fight right up to success.

KARMVEER KAUR KAMALPUR

Swami Vivekananda inspires me as I read much about his philosophy and practical nature. I’m describing an incident that inspires me most. Swamiji loved to climb a certain that tree and dangle head down from its branches. One day his friend’s grandfather saw Swamiji playing on the branches of the tree and was afraid that the child might get hurt if it fell from such a great height. He said, “Never climb on that tree again”. Vivekananda replied, “Why?” Grandfather said, “Because on that tree lives a Brahmadaitya (ghost) who wanders around that tree at night and also breaks the neck of anyone who climbs on that tree..” As soon as the grandfather of his friend left, he started to climb that tree again. His friend asked him to come down saying that if he doesn’t come down then ghost will come and catch him. Vivekananda laughed and replied, “Don’t believe everything because someone tells you…! If that story were true, my neck would have been broken long ago.”

KIRAMPREET KAUR KAMALPUR

‘Struggle is always fruitful’ Bhim Rao Ambedkar inspires me because he had very courageous nature. I would like to mention the struggle of his father while he was studying at school. He and his brother engaged a cart and continued their journey. After some time, the cart driver pushed both of them to the ground as he knew that they are Mahar caste. He shouted at them and scolded them as he pleased. They were very thirsty as it was afternoon but no one gave them water. A few days passed. One day Bim felt unbearable thirst. He drank water from a well and a few people gathered and beat them mercilessly. With all these bitter feelings, he went to high school but here also, he was not allowed to read the Vedas.

use for us, we never go to any village or town. We always stay here in jungle. If you offer us a meal, we will accept it…” Then Nanak Ji and Bhai Bala went to nearby village to get a meal for hermits and with remaining money he purchased clothes for them. Nanak Ji offered all that to the group of hermits and left for home empty handed.

SUKHMANI

SATYA ELEMENTARY SCHOOL, KAMALPUR ‘Invest in good deeds’ Shri Guru Nonak Devji inspired me because I heard a lot of stories related to him. I got most inspiration from his story because I learned that earning more money can be profitable but true profit lies in doing good deeds and helping others. Guru Nanak Ji’s father knew that Nanak Ji like to communicate with people. So he decided that if Nanak Ji was to learn anyway to earn money, it can be done through trading. So one day, Guru Nanak’s father gave Bhai Bala twenty rupees and said, “Go with Nanak and buy some goods from the market and then sell them again at a profitable rate”. So Bhai Bala and Nanak went to market to buy some goods and as they had passed ten miles from their village, they come across a group of hermits who were sitting under a tree. Seeing them Nanak Ji stopped Bhai Bala and said that his father asked them to make some profitable transaction and nothing can be more profitable than to feed these hermits. I can’t go forward leaving such great opportunity to make true profitable transaction. Nanak Ji took all the money from Bhai Bala and offered that money to them saying, “I offer this in your service. Head of that Hermit group replied: “Son this money is of no

MAHA LAKSHMI AKAPALLI

My inspiration is Dr B.R. Ambedkar. Some people are not allowed to do what they want like get an education because of discrimination. Dr Ambedkar was the first union law minister of India, and wrote the constitution. He was born into an untouchable family and there did not used to be any education for untouchables. Even when he was at school, people avoided sitting near him, but he did very well and went to school in England where he read all the books in a large library. Later, he fought against caste discrimination and untouchability.

CHOKKAM DEEPTHI AKAPALLI

“If you like me, I am in your mind, if you hate me, I am in your heart.” - Swami Vivekananda I am inspired by Swami Vivekananda, who was born a normal person but became great in the world. He is like a father figure, who taught us unconditional love and how to be a better person. He said that all of the powers of the universe are O F F I C I A L A W A R D S M A G A Z I N E 25

already ours. He developed concentration through meditation and motivated society towards a good future.

V NIROSHA AMBEDKAR NAGAR

I’m inspired by Swami Vivekananda, who started as a very poor person selling tea and became a disciple of Ramakrishna. Later he went to America where he gave many speeches and became well known as a spiritual ambassador from India. My vision for a better world is giving and receiving respect, keeping your dreams alive, growing plants and not cutting down trees as well as saving water.

NEHA BHAT

ARMY GOODWILL SCHOOL, HANZIK ‘I want to say to the world, you must try to get an education because it is very important. If the new generation is not given pens, they will be given guns by terrorists.’ - Malala Yousufzai Malala Yousufzai inspires me because of her bravery. As a teenager, it is easy to get lost, to be swallowed up into the mob mentality and lose your voice. We’ve all been victims of that – anyone who says they haven’t is either lying or under the age of 13. And so when a teenage girl undertakes such an incredible task of courage - one that adults cower from doing – the event takes on the utmost significance. This is exactly what Malala did. She stood up for herself and for her education and for fundamental rights when confronted by a fearsome terrorist group. She has created a chain of light and hope for girls across all continents. I plan to continue my education so that I can fight for those who cannot. Malala has encouraged me to study politics, social justice and peace so that I am equipped with the tools to help others, tools that so many girls are not given. My vision for a better world, beginning with my own country, would be a government that builds schools faster than it builds bombs, and attends first and foremost to the demonstrated needs of its citizens as its primary responsibility.

FALAK FAYAZ

ARMY GOODWILL SCHOOL, HANZIK ‘In running it is man against himself, the cruellest of opponents. The other runners are not the real enemies. His adversary lies within him, his ability with brain and heart to master himself and his emotions.’ - Dr Glenn Cunningham Once, a small boy was caught in a fire accident at his school, and it was assumed that he would not live as the terrible fire had devastated the lower part of his body. But the brave boy wanted to survive and did not want to be a cripple. To the amazement of his doctor, he did survive, but had no motor ability from the waist down. His thin legs dangled there, lifeless. But his determination to walk was indomitable. At home, when he was not in bed, he was confined to a wheelchair. One day, he pulled himself from the chair and dragged himself across the grass to the picket fence. Every day, he dragged himself along the fence and with iron determination and resolute persistence he gradually developed the ability to stand up and walk unaided. He began to walk to school, then run to school, to run for the sheer joy of running. Later, in college, he made the track team. Then in February 1934, this young man who was not expected to survive – Dr Glenn Cunningham – ran the world’s fastest mile at Madison Square Garden. An epitome of positive thinking, and inspiration and brilliant testimony of how one can bounce back even when all the odds are stacked against one.

become a pilot, but finished ninth out of 25 when there were only eight vacancies. As a scientist, he became famous for his missile defence system, being known as the missile man of India.

ABHISKEK

GBSSS, GTB, NAGAR ‘Every child is an artist. The problem is how to remain an artist once we grow up.’ - Pablo Picasso

SAHIBA MANZOOR

ARMY GOODWILL SCHOOL, HANZIK ‘Be kind, for whenever kindness becomes part of something it beautifies it. Whenever it is taken from something, it leaves it tarnished.’ ‘The best one among you is one who does not harm others with his tongue or hands.’ ‘A good man treats women with honour.’ ‘The greatest of richness is the richness of the soul.’ - The Prophet Muhammad The Prophet Muhammad as a role model on how to be of exemplary character – kindness, compassion, mercy, gratitude, abundance, fearlessness and self reflection and an unwavering belief in his mission.

As an artist, I have always looked up to M.F. Husain as my inspiration. He was born in 1915 and was the flag bearer of modern art in India. Early in his career, he painted cinema posters in Mumbai. To earn extra money, he worked for a toy company designing and building toys. He also produced and directed classic films like Gaja Gamini (2000) and his highest selling piece fetched $1.6 million at a 2008 Christie’s auction. As an artist, I want to have the same courage as M.F. Husain in displaying his vision on canvas. His artwork is a display of depth and creativity. My vision for a better world is based on my observation that the world can get better if people have a culture of helping unconditionally. My kind of world will be enriched with people who don’t hesitate to help others. This world is full of empathy, helpfulness and compassion.

BEAUTY KUMARI KOLRIDIH

HEENA GULZAR AGPS, RAJOURI

‘If you fail, never give up as fail means ‘first attempt in learning’ ‘End is not the end, as end means ‘effort never dies’ ‘If you get no for an answer, no means ‘next opportunity’ - so let’s be positive’ - Dr A JP Abdul Kalam I am inspired by Dr A JP Abdul Kalam, a scientist who became the 11th president of India between 2000 to 2007. His father was a boat owner, and he began by selling newspapers after school in order to support his family. He initially wanted to

‘A dream does not become reality through magic.’ There are many people who inspire me in my life, but in particular a story about a villager called Visnu, who used to work in the paddy all day and hardly had enough to eat for his family. So after that he decided to grow vegetables instead of rice, a decision that changed his life and enabled him to earn more. This inspired other villagers to do the same, and they were able to sell their vegetables in a nearby town. This shows that hard work and a good approach lead to achieving your goal. Rainy season is just ahead, so I can encourage people to boil water for drinking so that their health does not suffer - in rural areas drinking facilities are very poor. O F F I C I A L A W A R D S M A G A Z I N E 27

NITESH KUMAR MOEL TOWN

‘Self belief and hard work will always earn you success’ - Virat Kohli in an interview The person who inspires me the most is Virat Kohli, who is captain of the Indian cricket team. With his grit and perseverance, he has achieved more than his counterparts. With the quality of his performance and ability to accomplish objectives, he was made captain of the Indian under-19 team, which he led to victory in the World Cup in Malaysia in 2008. Since he has been playing in the Indian team, he has continuously proved his grip on batting, of which his records are living proof. As an aspiring cricketer, I look up to him as the benchmark I want to achieve in my career. His class, perfection in shots and ability to form and lead a team are my anchors. I want to work hard and achieve the desired level of reading skills, just like him. Virat Kohli is a man who plays with full commitment, which I really like. The achievement I’m proudest of is hitting three sixes in a row for my team at a critical stage in the match.

living, and am inspired by his renunciation of his knighthood as a protest against the Jalimwala Bagh massacre in 1919. As a whole, Tagore’s work and value-based life inspire me as I have a firm belief in a principled life and enriched thoughts.

ANSHIT SHARMA AGPS, RAJOURI

‘When something is important, you do it, even if the odds are not in your favour.’ - Elon Musk The person I admire is Elon Musk, who is working for the common good and taking high risks. His goal is to change the world for the better and ensure the survival of the human race. When he studies a topic, he enters a coma–like state. He is just so focused on whatever he is absorbing and learning that he ignores everything around him. He works something like 100 hours a week when most of us work 40 and we are exhausted. He disrupted the car industry with electric cars, and has privatised space travel. I want to become a man of action rather than a man of words. I want to become someone who is present for others in times of joy and sorrow. Motivating others will remain my goal, so that everyone can achieve success in their lives and contribute to a better world. I aim to be an army officer with an opportunity to lead others in times of hardship and failure. My vision for a better world is that people should realise that Planet Earth is their mother and not a mill full of resources - and life does not just mean human life.

ATEEK UL REHMAN

PINEWOOD SCHOOL, HAMIRPUR

KISHAN MOEL TOWN

I’m really inspired by India’s greatest poet and writer, Rabindranath Tagore. Born in the preindependence era in 1861, he contributed to the freedom movement and was first non-European to win the Nobel Prize for literature in 1913. He had written many inspiring books and songs, as well as our national anthem. I like his value-based 28

The person who inspires me most is Dr A JP Abdul Khan. One of the most important features of a role model is never to give up hope. Life is ready to throw challenges at different stages, but a true winner is one who does not become vulnerable to the unfavourable situation and keeps on finding ways to meet the challenge. My childhood resembles Dr Khan in some ways as a poor farmer’s son, but I draw inspiration from his life if I’m frustrated.

GAGAN

RANA PRATAP BAGH ‘If you don’t really have a dream, you can’t really push yourself; you don’t really know what the target is.’ My inspiration is M.S. Dhoui, who served as captain of the Indian cricket team. He started with a job in the railways to please his father, but decided to pursue his dreams as a cricketer. For me, he is a person who has evolved through adversities and proved his dedication, commitment, honest intention and hard work through his results. He is a quick decision maker, which is a skill I’d like to acquire my life. The most important things to me are respect and equality.

MAROJU SHIBPRASAD ZPHS RACHARLA, BAHAPOAR

TANU BHARDWAJ SHALIMAR BAGH, DELHI

My inspiration is Jasmine Sandlar, a famous singer and music director who started making films at 16 – she is now 25. Her family moved to California when she was only five, and music was her passion. She had to wait outside clubs in order to make recordings at a low cost as she had no money at the time. She suffered many defeats, but said: “how can I allow the strangers to destroy my dreams in one second?” and never lost hope.

B KALYANI

ZPHS GHIVANAGAR, SIRICILA My inspiration is Mother Teresa. She was a great humanitarian who spent her entire life serving the poor, which I would also like to do as a doctor. The great quality I admire is that she treated everyone with equal respect, and there are also many poor people in my country.

MUMAR MUKTIYAR ZPHS GANI, KURNOOL

‘There is no other shortcut than hard work.’ Satya Narayana, my IAS officer, is my inspiration. He is confident, hard-working, patient and never gives up. He encourages me to be fearless and work with courage.

‘Children dream yourself, but make that dream come true.’ - Dr A JP Abdul Kalam The person who inspires me is Sir CV Raman, who was born in 1888 and was the first Indian scientist to win the Nobel Prize in physics. As the son of mathematics and physics lecturer, he was exposed to an academic environment from the very beginning was a topper in his academic career. He was deeply interested in research, and would often stay up all night to discover new things. He was intrigued by the blue colour of glaciers and exposed light in liquids, observing their character.

SRIRAMOJI SHRIYA ZPHS RACHARLA, BAHAPOAR

‘Our path is basically the path of the heart, not of the mind. How can we bring the truth out of its prison cell? I have to say it is through love. Love for whom? Love for God. And who is God? God is the highest illumined part of us. God is nothing and nobody else.’ - Sri Chinmoy (1937-2007) Sri Chinmoy was an Indian spiritual teacher who combined the best of Eastern and Western cultures and promoted peace. He advocated meditation and selfless service as a path to inner and outer peace. He taught a philosophy of self transcendence – the effort to make continual progress, spiritually, physically and integrally. In his later years, he favoured offering concerts of meditative music rather than lectures, giving 700 concerts as well as lecturing at universities O F F I C I A L A W A R D S M A G A Z I N E 29

COMMONWEALTH RESULTS SCOTLAND

Bridge of Weir PS – Alice Ferguson Boroughmuir High School – Lena Haas, Eilidh Macintyre

AUSTRALIA

Aquinas College – Blake Davies

BANGLADESH

Scholastica School – Tanushka Samara

CAMEROON

Enko Bonanjo International School - Jenny Leana Ngompo Fosto

INDIA

Chittagong Public College - Sidratul Muntaha SATYA SCHOOLS Rauni – Jashandeep Kaur Chogawan – Arshandeep Kaur Ludhiana East – Harpreet Kaur Ludhiana West – Sukhpreet Kaur, Ranjeet Kaur Sangraur – Karpreet Kaur Jhanneri – Kusum Kaur

INDIA GOVERNMENT SCHOOLS

Akapalli – Maha Lakshmi Ambedkar Nagar – V Nirosha Army Goodwill School, Hanzik – Falak Fayaz, Neha Bhat Army Goodwill School, Rajauri – Anshit Sharma GBSSS, GTB, Nagar - Abhiskek Kolridih – Beauty Kumari Kurnool – Umar Muktar Moel Town – Nitesh Kumar Pinewood School, Hamirpur – Ateek Ul Rehman Rana Pratap Bagh - Gagan Shalimar Bagh – Tanu Bhardwaj ZPHS Ghivanagar, Siricila – B Kalyani ZPHS, Ambedkarnagar – A Hemlatha ZPHS Racharla, Bahapoar – Manju Shibprasad

MALAWI

Thalawi Primar y School – Capital Wallen

NIGERIA

Dreams Learning Solutions - Gabriella Okoh Zlvee Har vard Montessori International School - Nwaisoma Chimdindu

SOUTH AFRICA

Ikusasalethu High School - Mbatha Nokubonga

UGANDA

Kampala Quality PS – Kasozi Chanelle Martinah Mothercare – Nakyobe Erinah Luggya Nabisunsa – Malinga Milly Ketty St Savio Junior School – Mudde Muwanguzi St Joseph – Musasizi Zoe Mali Kaliza Andrea St Joseph – Laker Winnie Lagamber St Joseph – Alal Faith Mildred Seeta High School - Ber yl Bridget Ayoo Sir Apollo – Gale Emmanuel Godfrey

throughout the world. A teacher is a person who guides us in a proper manner towards wellbeing. From Sri Chinmoy we can learn how to be peaceful in hard situations. Through meditation with music we emphasise the centrality of love to higher states of consciousness.

MALAWI CAPITAL WALLEN THALAWE PRIMARY SCHOOL

The Wise Chief â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Chief Namazoma was a leader in her village, well-known for her wisdom. She liked protecting the rights of children, and also wanted them to become educated. However, many children in her area were not going to school. Some parents sent them to work in their gardens or on their farms. Some children worked as house servants at the nearby trading centre. Other parents forced their children into early marriage, and all this made Chief Namazoma sad. One day she called a meeting with parents and asked them why they did not send their children to school.

NIGERIA GABRIELLA ORIEKAJAH OKOH DREAMS LEARNING SOLUTIONS

My inspirational figure is Ben Carson, who is a true example of a determined person - an accomplished neurosurgeon and a great human being. Born to a peasant family, he grew up in hardship. His mother was an illiterate, his father had left the family and his grade school classmates considered him stupid. He even struggled with a violent temper. In every respect, Ben Carson had harsh circumstances which he grew up in, which only seemed to point to a harsher future and a bad end for him, but that didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t define him. His mother, though an illiterate, recognised that education will always create a way out of hardship and poverty and that everybody has a brain. His mother applied this principle to his life and Ben Carson rose from his tough life to one of amazing accomplishments and being

internationally renowned. He learned that he had potential, he learned how to unleash it and he did. I choose Ben Carson as my role model as he shows all the qualities of an extremely successful man, he decided to dream big and he had the will and determination to pursue it. He also shows the spirit of compassion as he has touched the lives of numerous school children through his NAO, the Carson Scholars Fund. To me Ben Carson is an example of a true responsible global citizen. My greatest achievement was helping my mum in her NAO, volunteering to work there. It is my greatest achievement because it has been my dream to help the less privileged, to put a smile on their faces and to help them get back on their feet. Volunteering to work there brought me a step closer to achieving my dreams and it also helped me achieve an aspect of it, even though I intend to do more, I know it is a start. I would want to be a source of encouragement and inspiration to others, especially the less privileged in society. I would also want to work for scientific research to help visually impaired people in society, especially those who are unable to fund their treatments. I would feel more satisfied if I could do something better for people through my acts and deeds, and when I grow older I would want to be taken as a role model to the younger generations. My perception/vision for a better world is one without prejudices, racism and corruption, a world where there is peace and tranquillity. A world with equity, justice, where there is absence of poverty and a world where we uplift ourselves as I believe that the main purpose of existence is to uplift one another through our actions and deeds. Although

such a world seems a bit far fetched, out of reach and impossible to attain, I remain positive and hopeful that in the near future such a world will be achieved.

transforming their hearts and minds towards a positive future.

OLIVE AHAMEFULA CHIZOBAM K

2. Where there is respect, understanding and tolerance in all human relations

ZLVEE HARVARD MONTESSORI INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL

“Man is made by his belief, as he believes, so he is” – Bhagavad Gita I am proud of my project called ‘Shining Candles’. In my school, this project implements programmes designed to educate, empower and integrate youth and children in nation building and sustainable development. Today, we have at least 500 students, youth and children benefiting from this project. What I need is support from schools and organisations.

NWAISOMA CHIMDINDU

ZLVEE HARVARD MONTESSORI INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL

My vision is to see a world: 1. Where all people celebrate the joy of life

3. Where people communicate openly and in a spirit of equality and goodwill. 4. Where governments as representatives of their people are committed to their well-being 5. Where human rights are respected and upheld and the dignity and integrity of people is assured 6. Where all people have equal opportunities to realise their potential through an educational process that has human, moral and spiritual values at its heart 7. Where social, economic and political justice is ensured through honesty, responsibility and respect for the rule of law.

“In a flat world, you can’t run, you can’t hide. Life your life honestly, because what you do, whatever mistakes you make, will be searchable one day!” – Thomas L. Friedman I’m inspired by the former president of Nigeria, President Goodluck Jonathan. He is my role model. He lost out in a National Election and he did not seek vengeance. He was full of hope, not hate and he is a man who is able to forgive his people. He is a man of great character and great leadership abilities. He practises a style of leadership which emphasises listening to everyone’s views, hearing from everyone and taking decisions together as a people. He is a man full of the values of service, decorum and good conduct. He learnt how to survive in extreme conditions. He is a man of inclusive approach and open-mindedness. His life is based on the values of openness, humility, critical reflection and commitment to justice. He is my inspirational figure. I am proud of the improvement of the livelihood of the people in our school, especially children under my pet initiative ‘Heart Matters’. “Heart Matters” is an after school literacy program for vulnerable children from poor families, helping them to learn how to read and write as well as O F F I C I A L A W A R D S M A G A Z I N E 33

AMÉLIE MCKAY-BIRLEY BRIDGE OF WEIR PRIMARY SCHOOL

“I heard them coming as the crowd got louder but I managed to keep running, I think this is the biggest win of my career”

SCOTLAND ALICE FERGUSON

BRIDGE OF WEIR PRIMARY SCHOOL Malala promoted education for women and became the youngest person to receive the Nobel Peace Prize. Malala now does speeches around the world and inspires not just me, but others to fight for their rights. She is a Human Rights Activist who inspires me because even though the Taliban forbad her to go to school, she still fought for her right for education. Before that though, Malala was a happy, bright, ordinary girl who loved learning. She went to an all-girl’s school, one of several schools that her father owned. Her father encouraged her to learn more and told her that she could accomplish anything. Malala dreamt of being a teacher, a doctor or a politician and learned languages; Pashto, English and Urdu. She inspires me here because I want to have the ambition, determination and love for learning that she has. Her family practised the religion of Islam, but when the Taliban took over the region where she lived, they forced everyone to follow the Islamic Sharia Law. They demanded that girls and women were to stay at home and girl’s schools were shut down. A masked man drove Malala’s school bus and shot her because she had spoken out. No one expected her to survive. I think that her good fighting spirit helped her to survive. I was proud of myself when I swam a mile for Sport Relief and even when I was getting really tired, I kept thinking positive thoughts and swam on.

“It’s tough but combining my studies with running has been good for me”- Laura Muir Laura Muir made her debut in 2011 at the European cross country championships when she was part of the Great Britain junior women team that won gold. At the end of that year she was nominee in the Daily Record young athlete of the year awards; and has now gone on to compete for Great Britain in the 2016 Olympic Games. I admire Laura’s courage and perseverance because being an athlete and training to be a vet must take a lot of that. She inspires me in every possible way, whether it’s knowing that you can do anything you want as long as you work for I or just being so determined to do what she loves even if it means having to spend half her time studying and the other half training and competing. I would like to go to medical school but I also love athletics, especially running. I would never have thought of doing both until I saw how successful Laura Muir is. She is definitely my inspiring person.

JENNIFER CREENE

BRIDGE OF WEIR PRIMARY SCHOOL ‘Some day you’ll be old enough to start reading fairy tales again’ – C.S. Lewis C.S. Lewis has inspired me to write my stories. He is very creative just like me. And I love his quote. The fantasy theme he had gave me loads of ideas for my books. I fell in love with ‘The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe’. Then I thought - why should I read other books when I want them to read mine! So now he has inspired me to become an author. C.S. Lewis’ favourite author is Beatrix Potter and he was friends with J.R.R. Tolkien. In WWI he fought for the British army and in WWII he ran a popular BBC Broadcast. And speaking of WWII, ‘The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe’ was inspired by kids who evacuated from London during WWII!

AMIE CARSON

LENA HAAS

Ariana Grande inspires me through the songs she writes because I would like to be a song writer. I became inspired by Ariana Grande after her reaction to the Manchester terrorist attack in which she says “I don’t have the words, I’m just broken by the news of the casualties”. I thought it was really nice because she went to see some people who had to be taken to the hospital for operations and treatments after they got hurt at the concert. At the age of 13 she became serious about pursuing a music career, though she still concentrated on theatre. So I hope that when I’m 13 I will be as lucky as her.

My favourite fictional character is ‘Anne’ from ‘Anne of Green Gables’ by Lucy Maud Montgomery. I admire her because she knows she is not perfect and she always bounces back from a setback, she also always tries to correct her errors even though she is very stubborn. She always learns from all the mistakes she makes, even though it may take a while to get over. She always puts her friends and family before herself. Anne taught me that you can see the beauty in everything and anything, you just need to look deep enough into yourself or them or just simply give them a chance. She also taught me that it’s really rewarding to see people smile after you have done absolutely anything, big or small to help them out in any way. Finally, she has shown me that you can find fun in any situation if only you want to find it - there is always a reason to stay happy or positive even if you are in a truly horrible situation.

BRIDGE OF WEIR PRIMARY SCHOOL

In 2008 Ariana Grande was cast in the supporting role of cheerleader Charlotte in the musical 13 on Broadway, for which she won a National Association Award (I would love to win loads of awards from being a singer). As a child she performed with the Fort Lauderdale Children’s Theatre, playing her first role as the title in Annie. She also performed in the musicals ‘The Wizard of Oz’ and ‘Beauty and the Beast’. I would love to be in films and musicals because I love a lot of different kinds of movies and musicals. At the age of 8 she performed at a karaoke lounge on a cruise ship. I wouldn’t be very good at that because I do not do very well on boats. She made her first national television appearance singing ‘The StartSpangled Banner’ for the Florida Panthers. She just made a brand new song that came out on the 20th of April and it is an amazing song.

BOROUGHMUIR HIGH SCHOOL

The person who inspires me is a Russian investigative journalist called Anna Politrkovskaya. When the second Chechen war broke out she began to focus on the terror that took place in the Southern Republic of Chechnya. She documented and wrote articles about attacks and people who got tortured. She recorded many of accounts of how brutal Vladimir Putin was being in Russia, how he was making Chechnya suffer and what life was like during the war in her book: “A Small Corner of Hell: Dispatches from Chechnya.” Politkovskaya spent a lot of her time in a hospital, more than she did on a battlefield, so that she could gather accounts of those that had witnessed or been subject to terrible things. Her articles showed frequent stories of robbery and the horrible cruelty of life in places that many other people would not have even thought about. What Anna was doing was incredibly dangerous and frequently put her life at risk, as she was opposing Vladimir Putin with her articles. She was most well known for the information that she gave Russia about the Chechnya conflict and how Vladimir Putin was doing nothing good, and even though Anna was banned from appearing on television (this was how most Russians got their news) she still tried to notify people by keeping on writing for her newspaper company; eventually this caused her to be murdered in 2006 with four

O F F I C I A L A W A R D S M A G A Z I N E 35

bullets. Anna knew that she was in danger but she kept on doing her job - what drove her to keep going was her need for justice and how she believed that the nation should know what was really going on, not distracted by the blanket of lies that Vladimir Putin was throwing over the whole of Russia. The message that she conveyed is that you should fight hard for the truth, even if there are many dangerous obstacles in the way, if you believe that something is not right, you really must fight for it… hard. Anna Politkovskaya is inspiring because she knew exactly how much danger she was in but she kept on risking her own life and getting brutally tortured so that she could fight for justice for innocent people, she gave up her own life so that the real truth could be heard and that people were actually aware of the real things that were going on, the ideas that I would like to realise myself from Anna Politkovskaya is that if you believe in something very strongly and you believe that it is correct and that it will have a positive impact on someone that you should keep going, not being stopped by any kind of obstacle that stands in your way until you achieve what you want. I also admire in Anna Politkovskaya her confidence - she knew that Putin and the Russian army were after her, but she didn’t completely go into hiding, she just carried on her life as normal, she would need a lot of bravery and confidence to be able to do that, knowing they were after her life. My vision for a better world is that where the world isn’t so completely swamped in litter, chemicals and other such junk, where astounding natural spaces are made dull, dirty and uninviting because of the destruction that we are inflicting on the planet. Where more people begin to care more about the harm that we are causing to our planet. Where we can find a fair compromise so that we can live as we do now but where we are also taking proper care of our planet. Another vision that I have for a better world is that we find peace and where there aren’t as many wars as there are now, where people living in conflict right now because of a heart-wrenching wars can live in countries that are peaceful and so much safer than they are now, where they can wake up in the morning without any fear that their city will be the next one that’s bombed, where they have no fear of sending their children out of their own home because they are scared that they won’t ever come back again. Where people have their own voices without being criticised for an idea. Where 36

people can live a proper life - it’s not fair what is happening to them now, so many refugees die on the way to safety because they are forced to flee from their homeland because of a war that they can do nothing to prevent. The world can also be a better place if the people who currently live in poor countries such as Africa have access to proper supplies like fresh food full of nutrients, where they have water that runs continually so that they can have water at any time of the day or the year, where they have proper clothes and shoes that won’t hurt their feet, where every child or adult is given a chance to have an education and to have a chance in the world. I also imagine a world where we are all equal, where racism is basically non-existent, where anyone can receive the healthcare that they need to live without paying too much so that it becomes unaffordable to the lower-middle class. Finally, I want to live in a world that we love and cherish and that, in return, loves and cherishes us.

EILIDH MACINTYRE BOROUGHMUIR HIGH SCHOOL

‘I think one’s feelings waste themselves in words; they ought to be distilled into actions which bring results’ – Florence Nightingale Florence Nightingale is considered the founder of modern nursing. She was an English social reformer and statistician, and personally I find her very inspiring.

She served as a nurse during the Crimean War, caring for wounded soldiers and she managed a whole team of nurses who she had trained herself. She gave nursing a good reputation, and became an icon during the Victorian era. This is what got her started, but it was not her greatest achievement. After the war, she established her very own nursing school in London. It was the first nursing school in the world that was directly connected to serving a hospital, St. Thomas’. I admire her very much for the social reforms which she managed to put in place, such as improving healthcare for all sections of British society, advocating better hunger relief in India and helping to abolish prostitution laws that were over-harsh to women. She also published writing with the aim of spreading medical knowledge. I find all these things so inspiring and impressive. The fact that she had the courage and strength to spend sleepless nights looking after soldiers. The fact that she opened the first ever secular nursing school in the entire world. The fact that she spent time and effort writing books solely so others could have the knowledge that she had. The fact that she achieved all these social reforms (i.e. things that make the world a better place) and all these things as a woman in the Victorian era really blows me away. She is someone who will always be respected and remembered. She worked extremely hard and all her work was for the benefit of others. That is the kind of person I aspire to be. Florence Nightingale truly does inspire me. Social levels are something I have only recently become aware of. There are so many different ways of life, which don’t get me wrong, is a good thing, but I also think it can be harmful. I am a white, middle class young girl who is very privileged and lucky to have the things I have, but my life just seems like normality to me. Others know a completely different lifestyle. This isn’t a rich/poor conversation, but just due to different cultures, families and opportunities people can be living completely oblivious to what is outside their normality. This baffles me. People are so quick to judge or have certain feelings towards others just because of what they have been taught to believe. Being naive about social levels can make certain people just seem crazy but I have begun to understand it has made me a much more open minded person. My vision, although fairly unrealistic, is for everyone to be able to see

outside their little bubbles. If everyone could understand this concept, the world would have a lot less hatred and a lot more appreciation.

HANNAH DOUGLAS-WALKER BOROUGHMUIR HIGH SCHOOL

‘There are still many cases worth sacrificing for, so much history yet to be made’. - Michelle Obama Michelle Obama was the first African American lady in the White House. I think that she is very inspiring as she is not afraid to speak her mind or show her displeasure and she has amazing self confidence and style. Not only this, she has also done some amazing things for feminism including supporting women, standing up for African American women and has made some really very empowering speeches, including her famous line ‘there is no limit to what we, as women, can accomplish’. I think that this quote really sums up her as a whole and shows how inspiring she really is. I really value Michelle Obama for who she is and think she is an incredible woman. I hope that one day I live up to her incredible self-confidence that so many of us truly admire. ‘Life tried to crush her but only succeeded in creating a diamond’ – John Green

O F F I C I A L A W A R D S M A G A Z I N E 37

SOUTH AFRICA NOKUBONGA MBATHA IKUSASALETHU S. SCHOOL

The person who inspires me is Dr. Patience Mthunzi, a South African scientist. Patience is a scientist at the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR). She was recognised for her pioneering work in the area of biophotonics, a field of science that enables microscopic study of biological molecules, cells and tissue using laser. At her early age she always looked up to her aunt who was the first person in the family to obtain a master’s degree. Patience’s interest in science developed when she joined the CSIR in 2004, as a biochemist. “I didn’t even know what a laser was”, she recalls. She was encouraged to do a PhD in laser physics and natural sciences. Patience became the first South African PhD student at the school of Physics and Astronomy of the University of St Andrews in Scotland.

hard-working, determined and enterprising. I see myself in her. Just because I also love learning more about science. I also want to make a huge difference in my country. She motivates me to be persistent and also work hard to become a better version of myself and be an excellent role model to other looking up to me. “Young people need mentors to inspire them towards their dreams” said Dr Patience Mchunzi. It makes me realise that I should look up to a person who achieved his/her goals so that I could achieve mine. I want to become a doctor (dermatologist). A lot of diseases are located on our skin, for example skin cancer. Skin cancer is one of the most lethal diseases. I want to travel around the world and cure people from all their sicknesses. I want to become the first youngest black African doctor to find the cure for skin cancer. I want to reduce the rate of people dying in each year around the world.

She says Biophotonics is an emerging area of science in SA. Patience explains that it is a versatile, multiple disciplinary field that applied to find solution challenges in areas such as medicine, agriculture, environmental and life sciences. She’s leading a project to determine the possible medical applications using laser technology. “The field has applications for any disease”, she says. They are working on a research to separate cancerous and non-cancerous cells. In April last year, she was honoured by President Jacob Zuma with the order of Mapungubwe in Bronze, one of the country’s highest national awards, for her local and international contribution in biophotonics. This order is awarded to South African citizens for excellence and exceptional achievement. Dr. Patience Mthunzi hopes that in the future biophotonics will become an established discipline and will be established locally and be taught as a degree. She also mentions that South Africa needs more scientists that will contribute towards the development of scientific capacity and awareness in South Africa and promote science at all levels of education. I’m so deeply inspired by her because she is 38

UTHANDO NDLAZI IKUSASALETHU HIGH SCHOOL

“Strive for success and never hesitate to go forward” Dr Zweli Mknize is the Chancellor of the University of Kwa-Zlulu Natal. He is the TreasurerGeneral of African National Congress. Dr Mknize inspires me emotionally and also physically. He’s so caring and a good role model in South Africa. So humble and kind. I’m sure he doesn’t even have

enemies the way he is. He values other people’s opinion. He is not loud and forward. He inspires me because he didn’t grow up with a silver spoon in his mouth and yet he’s done it. He is so successful. He tries his best to help other black South African citizens not to live the life that he lived back then. He represents his people the way it is. He’s not choosy, and also he loves young kids as much as he loves himself. My vision for a better world would be to see young people or youth being successful, caring about their education and future, because education is the key to success. If it was in my hands, I would reduce teenage pregnancies, especially in schools. There is a high rate of teenage pregnancy and it is killing their future. Drugs are another impact on youth, there are so many people addicted on drugs and the worst part is that they influence each other with these bad things. For a better world, we need to reduce all these bad things happening. If we can influence each other on striving for a way forward, in that way teenagers and peers will stop all these norms.

Robben Island. F.W. De Klerk released him in 1994. Nelson Mandela did not give up, he still made it his priority to free his country. Nelson Mandela became the first fair ruling president in South Africa. After 1994 South Africa had a voice in everything. South Africa has equal right all thanks to Dr Nelson Rouhiahia Mandela and his associates who died in the struggle for freedom. Nelson Mandela passed on the 5th of December is 2013. Nelson Mandela’s memory still lives to motivate South African Future leaders. Rouhiahia was a kind, persistant and selfless person. Tata Madina’s words inspired me when I lost my mother and I thought the world had come to an end. That moment discouraged me but when I thought of the struggle of Nelson Mandela, I told myself that even I will rise above it all. I never gave up in life and I don’t intend to now. I received an award of being the best student in school.

JABULILE NTSHANGASE IKUSASALETHU HIGH SCHOOL

Nelson Mandela was born in eMthatha in Emvezo village on the 18th July 1918. His father was a king and he named him Rouniania, a yhosa name. His family moved to Eastern Cape at eQuna. He attended school at the age of seven. He was the first person in his family to attend school. His family was very poor and could not even afford to buy him a school uniform. He was named Nelson by a teacher who could not speak rsixnosa or pronounce his name Rouhiahia. His mother taught him to be kind and his father taught him to be brave. He lost his father at the age of nine. After losing his father, his life completely changed. He moved to live with his father’s friend Mr. Tongintaba. Tongintaba treated him like his own son. When he was 16 years old, Tongintaba took him to Clarkbury High School. After three years he went to Heartdown High School. When he was 21 years he went to Fort Hare University. He then realised how much his country was suffering. So he went into politics and fought for his country’s freedom. He was imprisoned for 27 years by the Boers and was locked away in the prison of O F F I C I A L A W A R D S M A G A Z I N E 39

UGANDA MARTINAH KASOZI CHANELLE

country. She ends up saying ‘I know I have the body of a weak and feeble woman, but I have the heart and stomach of a king, and of king of England, too.’

KAMPALA QUALITY PRIMARY SCHOOL

‘Continue to work on your dreams’ – J.K. Rowling J.K. Rowling inspires me. My aunt bought history books for me and I read J.K. Rowling. Harry Potter was so adventurous. She writes books and in her history she kind of has some trouble with school, her boyfriend and writing her books, but J.K. Rowling isn’t the kind of person who throws her dreams away, she continues with them. She inspires me, because she is so confident about everything, she is enthusiastic, loving and kind. J.K. Rowling went through what I’m going through; boys bully me and people bullied her too. But like her I stand up for myself.. I’m also working on a book. I haven’t set a title yet but I think it will be great.

LYNETTE NANKUNDA

KAMPALA QUALITY PRIMARY SCHOOL When Sheebah Karungi is on stage, she brings out this confidence of hers. There is a time when I saw her performing where she had so much energy and passion for what she was doing. On TV they always say that people are talking about her, but she never minds, she never loses hope in what she is doing because she knows and always says that those people writing and talking about her aren’t the ones who told her to start singing. I would love to be like her because of her confidence. I think she has achieved success because she is very hardworking and passionate about her work.

ROXANNE PRISCA NAKABUYE KAMPALA QUALITY PRIMARY SCHOOL

Queen Elizabeth I inspired me because when they were going for a battle, Queen Elizabeth I went with her soldiers even though they told her not to. She said ‘to live or to die amongst you’, meaning that she was going to fight whether she would live or die, as long as she fights for her 40

ERINAH LUGGYA NAKYOBE MOTHERCARE PREPARATORY SCHOOL

‘The early bird catches the worm. The means that if you play in class, you will not succeed. If you pay attention, you will pass and succeed.’ The person who inspires me is an archaeologist called Dr. Louis Leaky. He discovered the oldest human skull in East Africa at Oldivai Gorge in Tanzania. I wonder how he knew it was there. He used a machine to dig it out. East Africa was called the cradle of mankind, because this skull was discovered in East Africa. Tanzania became a tourist country. Oldivai Gorge attracts tourists who bring in income. I learnt these things from my teachers. He is also remembered in East African history. He had the courage to do something and he was kind, honest, mindful and self-disciplined. He is my inspiration because he had faith and discovered the oldest human skull.

MILLY KETTY MALINGA

SHAMUSA NAKYEYUNE

‘Motivation determines what you do. Attitude determines how well you do it.’ – Albert Einstein

Wonder Woman is courageous, caring, generous, purposeful and persistent. When she was fighting on behalf of her people it showed that she was loving and caring and she was fighting a half god but she was courageous and determined until the moment when she defeated him. I learnt that we should always be purposeful, caring for our people, determined in whatever we do, and be selfless like Wonder Woman as she sacrificed her life to fight a semi God; we should be generous and committed so as to be able to achieve success in life.

NABISUNSA GIRLS’ SCHOOL

I find Albert Einstein inspiring because of the following; •

He was a world wide inspiration to multitudes of people out there who motivates and encourages people through his inspirational quotes as well as inspiration books and also airs out as a voice to many. I actually think he had ideals and values I can live up to for example;

•

He was persistent and never gave up on what he concentrated his mind upon, and achieved. Much as the storm was still, he focused on what he wanted and achieved the best possible.

•

He was also enthusiastic, doing things with all the love and passion with one heart. As an effect, he did things perfectly and thought about the consequences before he acted.

•

He was confident and managed to speak out his mind to multitudes of people out there.

•

He was open-minded and resilient, always talked out his mind on what was right or wrong irrespective of what the people around him thought of him.

In my opinion, he attained success by many ways I can say. For example, confidence, persisting and focusing on his dreams and goals. Inspiring talks to many people, his creativity and ability to get new ideas and innovations to improve on the life of people around him.

NABISUNSA GIRLS’ SCHOOL

‘Success is not achieved by never falling but by rising every time you fall’ – Nelson Mandela Nelson Mandela persisted in the fight for the rights of his people, he was caring as he saved people. He managed to forgive his tormentors despite all that they did to him. He was imprisoned for 27 years but he still refused to support the Apartheid Policy. He was tortured but he never gave up. He was a symbol of hope for the Africans and he never gave up on his people. He had political ideas that helped his country to prosper, he was a humanitarian, he always looked for equality for everyone, he was so generous and caring about the health and wealth of his people. He was selfless, principled and committed in fighting for freedom for his people and I would love to be like him. I think he was able to achieve success because he cared for everyone around him at all times, also after leaving prison and ascending to power. He managed to leave power at the right time even when he was the most popular leader, he forgave the people that tortured him, he believed in equality and cared for everyone around him at all times, which is why he managed to achieve success. The most inspirational moment of my life was when I was in my form three, and had a friend who was a drug addict and I managed to convince her to stop taking drugs. She accepted and went for rehabilitation and she is currently very fine and continued on with her life very well. This has inspired me to be a good lawyer in the future.

O F F I C I A L A W A R D S M A G A Z I N E 41

ANNA MAGGIE MUGALA

•

I find Ben Carson inspiring because he is a great neurosurgeon and is respected by the whole world, he is wise and willing to help others. He writes inspirational stories to encourage those who may be depressed about life. I would like to have those qualities. I think Ben Carson achieved success because he did not let the failure he encountered in his life to bring him down. When he was the last in class he struggled and found out where the source of the problem was, solved it and succeeded. When he was faced with racial segregation because of being black, he still ignored that and never at one moment let that put him down but always worked hard despite the segregation.

•

NABISUNSA GIRLS’ SCHOOL

JANAT LABALINDWA NABISUNSA GIRLS’ SCHOOL

•

She is a principled woman. Rebecca Kadaga is a hardworking woman, persistent, determined, purposeful in that no one can force her to do what she does not want to do. I would like to become hardworking, persistent, realistic, purposeful person. I think she is successful because of her endless hard work, her principled life and she is even a person who listens to others and through listening, solutions are attained hence success is attained.

One time I came home from school and my mum was not fine because our grandmother was soon dying. She decided to travel to Tanzania in order to see her mother in her last days. She left less money to sustain the home claiming she would send more reaching there, but she forgot. So we had nothing to feed on. Due to my saving culture, I used my savings to take care of everyone at home and I was glad no one complained about not feeding well. I am so proud of this, since I took care of my siblings for about half a month.

‘I am more than I appear to be. All the world’s power and strength rests within me.’ – Rebecca Kadaga

SHAMUSA NAKYEYUNE

Rebecca Kadaga is a woman who has really striven her way to the top to unlike others who only sleep their way to the top.

Michelle Obama inspires me because she likes to influence people in a positive way and the fact that she broke the monopoly of First Ladies of America, who only occupied the post since they were so dormant. Michelle Obama is selfless; even though she was the First Lady of America, she also used to donate funds to organisations in Africa to improve on our standards of living. She is independent regardless the fact that her husband was the President, she did not lag behind him, she also did things to earn her a status thus becoming popular around the world. People did not know her only for being a wife to the President but also as Michelle Obama. Michelle Obama is generous whereby she donates funds to the needy people for example after the strong storm that took place in the US, she donated funds to the affected people even though she was no longer First Lady by then. I always wanted to be a President of a club in my school, which is very difficult to attain if you are not a ‘cool kid’, referring to a show-off. My friends told me to give up because if I contested I would lose and that would be shaming on my side.

She is a woman who can make the whole court keep quiet yet they can be shouting like wild dogs. For example, there was once a discussion among the members of the parliament about increasing their payment. As they were shouting she stood up and banged the table and they all kept quiet. I feel like this is a kind of thing everyone should do.

NABISUNSA GIRLS’ SCHOOL

I decided to dare myself into contesting for that post in my fourth year in the school and 42

Ben Carson inspires me to be persistent in my education. He wasn’t a good and bright student in class but goes ahead to work very hard through revision work, prayer and through this he is able to attain his job of being a surgeon. This inspires me too to work very hard, do more practice so that I can acquire my career of becoming a lawyer and represent people.

surprisingly I won even though I was not a cool kid. Showing off in school is not the way to achieve what we want - our character also matters like how mine did. I want to be known as a principled person, purposeful, hardworking, selfless and trustworthy. I want to change the world into a better place through my dream of becoming a pediatrician as my parents always tell me to do something and become the best at it. I always get touched when I see children get hurt because they are innocent souls so through my dream I will ensure that children find the world a better place with no suffering and full of happiness. I want to participate in politics thus enabling myself to be a voice of the oppressed people. I will collect items from my school mates to donate to the more disadvantaged people in our society to promote equal distribution of wealth. I will donate items to an orphanage in my area called ‘Mlisada’. We have a club in my school for empowering girls all over our region so through it I will start on the emancipation of girls’ rights like a right to education and also donate some items like sanitary pads which up to now girls in rural areas can’t afford.

JAMILAH NANKWANGA NABISUNSA GIRLS’ SCHOOL

‘Do not live in the past but dwell in the present’ – Ben Carson

Ben Carson also inspires me through the way he saves people’s lives but all in all puts God first. I learn from him to pray before I do anything so as to be able to do my duties well. He inspires me through the different books he writes, for example ‘Think Big’. This inspires me to be more committed to my studies so as to achieve the best in life. In his novel there is a part in which Ben Carson joins a bad peer group but when his mother speaks to him, he changes for the better, which also inspires me to listen to my elders and to always do the right thing. In conclusion, from Ben Carson I learn to be prayerful, committed and persistent in order to get what I want.

MARIAM B. NASSANGA NABISUNSA GIRLS’ SCHOOL

‘Aspire to inspire before you expire’ – Ben Carson Bobi Wine Ssentamu Robert is a great musician because he puts aside his background and past life and puts his ideas into practice. He has shown creativity and courage to change the country to an outstanding and better country. Through his speeches and songs he shows integrity and vision for a better world. I think Mr. Ssetamu Robert is courageous, kind and determined. For example, his courage which had enabled him to become an MP, even though he came from the slums. I would like to have his courage and also be able to live up to it. In addition, he is also an educated man who has even gone further to explore knowledge beyond his country as he has achieved a degree from Harvard University. I believe he has achieved his success through his ideals, he does things regardless of the outcome, which has enabled him to attain success.

By not living in the past one is able to be determined, cheerful, open-minded and persistent in order to get their goal and to be able to move on in life.

O F F I C I A L A W A R D S M A G A Z I N E 43

SARAH AWORI

NABISUNSA GIRLS’ SCHOOL ‘You never know how strong you are until your only option is to remain strong.’ ‘A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.’ - Barack Obama Meaning that no matter how great the adversity before us, we must stay strong because WE CAN, and in order to reach our destination, we have a long journey but we start slow, one step at a time. Barack Obama inspires me. He was a black man but despite all racism and dislike, he went ahead to stand for President of the United States. He is very hard-working and committed. He truly showed the world that race does not matter. What matters is one’s ability. He tried his best to bring peace amongst the different countries around the globe. I would say he is very hard-working, because he managed to save America from the economic turmoil in 2008. He is very committed because despite the hectic situation of being President, he stood once again for a second term just to make sure he completed the work he started. He also encouraged and promoted racial equity around the world. I believe he has achieved success because he managed to recreate the bond between America and Cuba, countries that were once at loggerheads. He left behind a legacy that teaches us that race cannot stand in the way of one’s ability and success. His success, though being celebrated after his retirement, is shown in the way he promoted peace amongst Muslims and the Americans. This is portrayed in the way people are preferring him to the current President – no offence intended. My vision for a better world is: • To see a peaceful world, free from crime and inhumanity • A world in which all people feel secure and free • A world where we live in harmony with nature; environmentally pure. A green world. • A world that merges to form a global village where cooperation, inter-relations, peace, harmony, security and love are the norms.

DEUS KAIJA AGABA SEETA HIGH SCHOOL

‘I live each day to be better than yesterday’. It means I always fight hard to improve and be better than what I was the previous time. ‘Never give up’. It gives and installs in me the spirit of determination and persistence. ‘Always live to be the best’. Gives the courage to be the best in what I do. Nelson Mandiba Mandela was very courageous, determined, ambitious and hardworking. This made him lead South Africa to independence as well as liberate Africans from discrimination by the whites. He is my inspirational figure because he was loving, honest, tolerant and caring as well as purposeful due to his character. He achieved success because he persisted in fighting for other people so that they would be free from discrimination and suffering in their homeland.

EVELYNE LADO TAJI SEETA HIGH SCHOOL

I find Ben Carson inspiring because of his hard work, persistence, determination and hunger for success. He never feared to fault. When he had to carry out his first surgery despite the rejection from his supervisor, he followed his heart and believed that he could do it. When he separated the twins who were joined by brain, this also makes me find him so inspiring; also the efforts he puts in, in order to accomplish a task. He

never gave up. He worked with a team of other professional doctors who helped him during the surgery. This implied that he encouraged teamwork. He also encouraged selflessness and did all he could in order to rescue both the twins though it seemed so impossible. He cared for the live of others. He did this in order to save the twins and also keep the happiness of their parents. What I could live up to is his determination. This determination is portrayed when he struggled to maintain his scholarship while he was at university. He was declining and his scholarship was at risk. He detected this and he worked so hard, wisely and smartly. Through this, he attained good results that saved his scholarship. I think he has achieved his success because he never gave up. He followed his heart and was always optimistic. He was hard-working, caring, persistent and respectful towards God and others. He put God first and always inquired from him before starting up a day’s plan. He loved to uplift other people. He loved success, so he did his best in order to attain it.

BRIDGET AYOO BERYL SEETA HIGH SCHOOL

‘If you can’t fly, then run, if you can’t run, then walk, if you can’t walk, then crawl, but whatever you do, you have to keep moving forward for a better tomorrow. – Martin Luther King This quote explains that we should not live in the past, but we should maximise our potentials in the present in order to have a bright future.

his fellow Africans, he still remained a big-hearted man full of integrity. He fought for the oppressed rights of the Africans especially when it come to the rights for education for each and everyone. His main aim was to see that everyone was treated equally and fairly. He stressed the point of equality in his political career. In Uganda, my home country, most women are not educated and this has affected the progress of most communities. Most parents view the education of girls as a waste of money and time. Some men view women as bedmates and not development partners, which is the reason as to why many girls are forced into early marriage. In most families, social segregation is fully exhibited - for example parents will usually send all the male children to very good schools so that they can attain first class education and the girls are either taken to only elementary level schools or at times, they are not even thought about. This is an open way of suppressing the girl-child from the right to be fully educated. Nelson Mandela Madiba was an out-spoken man and he sensitised African societies about the need to be educated. He one day said ‘Education is the only weapon a person will use if he or she wants to fight poverty’. He opened up schools, universities and also set up organisations to offer free education to all people whether old or young, age was never a limit to education. He was a man who cared for others and that is the main reason as to why he was able to achieve success in his political career.

Nelson Mandela Madiba is my inspirational figure. He was a very prominent freedom fighter in the history of the Republic of South Africa. He was an open-minded, intelligent and powerful motivator who never at any point in his life time gave up on his ambitions, especially during the Apartheid policy period, where he worked tirelessly for the good of others by fighting for their human rights. What I admire most from the life of Nelson Mandela was the spirit of determination, commitment and persistence that he showed while he was building up his political career. Even though he spent 27 years in prison for the sake of O F F I C I A L A W A R D S M A G A Z I N E 45

I am very proud of having been elected by my fellow school-mates as a head prefect and I served a regime of one year. It was a major break-through in my life. It enabled me to discover the kind of person I am, for I was able to meet and interact with multitudes of people both within and outside my school on matters of social, economic and political development.

YVONNE NALUBEGA

SIR APOLLO KAGGWA ROAD PRIMARY SCHOOL Lendaya is a movie actress and a musician. She acted in one of my favourite movies called ‘KC Undercover’. She inspires me in whatever she does. In this movie, she is a teenage girl who thinks her parents are boring secretaries but she doesn’t know that they are spies. She was put to a test and passed so she became a spy too. Then she was given the name ‘KC Undercover’. She inspires me because she is brave, brilliant, hardworking and fearless. When I grow up, I want to be like her and if God gives me the chance, would like to meet her. She really inspires me a lot.

ALLIYYAH MUKASA

SIR APOLLO KAGGWA ROAD PRIMARY SCHOOL

EMMANUEL GODFREY GALE SIR APOLLO KAGGWA ROAD PRIMARY SCHOOL

I like Lionel Messi because he entertains me when playing and that also makes me more interested in doing the same and making people happier. This man has been playing football since he was young. He also loved sports and that also encourages me to love sport. Playing football is an activity that I do for pleasure and football needs physical effort or skills in a special area during play. I got the courage to be known as Lionel Messi world wide and I really want to perform that job for Africa. I want to make Africa popular and well known about me in the way that I play football. I like entertaining people to make them more excited before they see me scoring a goal. I love sports since I was seven years old. I would like my parents to encourage me to perform my talent that God gave to achieve success in the future.

Jessie the Flash inspires me because she is like my role model, the real actual flash (Beri). She saves people. She wasn’t struck by lightning from the speed force since she was from Earth Three. That’s where she got her powers from. I like her because she is a forgiving girl. She got annoyed by her father because she saw him killing a man because of her. But because her mercy she forgave her father. One day when they were attacked by Zoom, she did all she could to help the gang, because at that time, she did not yet have her powers.

JENNIFER MWANGA

SIR APOLLO KAGGWA ROAD PRIMARY SCHOOL ‘Don’t you give up in whatever comes your way or anything that makes you happy” – Selena Gomez Selena Gomez is confident in front of people, she is brave in both acting and singing. She knows how to build up her life. She is good at anything that inspires her. She works hard at what might be difficult. She dresses well. I like her way of life. I like the way she sings and dresses up. She never gives up – she doesn’t disappoint her fans. She is liked because of her love for her people and songs. She acts as if she is really meaning it, because she would like to make her films better for her world (love her). I mostly liked her movie ‘Wizards of Wavery Place’. She really inspired me how she used to make her magic whenever she needed anything. I would really like to grow up and be like her.

ZOE MALI KALIZA ANDREA MUSASIZI

ST. JOSEPH’S GIRLS SSS NSAMBYA My favourite fictional character is Alice (from Alice in Wonderland). She was determined to find her way back home. In addition to that, she was curious enough to drink some potions without knowing what would happen to her. She was also brave and kind. All of these characteristics encourage me to be more like her. She teaches me that determination is all I need to achieve all my goals in life. She also teaches me to be brave and overcome my fears. ‘The greatest glory in living doesn’t lie in never falling, but in rising every time we fall.’ – Nelson Mandela One of the most inspiring people I know of is Nelson Mandela. He was and still is an inspiration to many for a lot of reasons, like he fought for equal rights for blacks and whites in South Africa and he never gave up when it came to the struggle to end violence against blacks which showed determination, care, selflessness and thoughtfulness. Of all those amazing qualities, he was voted the first black President of South Africa, a country that was once run with the disease of racial discrimination but because of Mandela, it was overcome.

SHEILA MUKHWANA ST. JOSEPH’S GIRLS SSS NSAMBYA

I want to achieve academic excellence and become a lawyer. When I become a lawyer, I want to promote justice in the world, especially in Africa and Uganda in particular. I also want to promote peace and unity among people in the world, to show people how useless it is to segregate just because of differences in race and colour. I also want to promote environmental conservation in the world so as to end problems like deforestation, drought, famine, global warming in Africa and the world at large. My vision for a better world is to see a world filled with freedom, justice, peace and unity. I also want to see the world with politicians who are responsible enough to lead people. I want to see better health services provided to people, sound education acquired by all children both rich and poor. I want to see the environment glitter with nature of every kind; animals and plants. The vegetation helps in rainfall formation, provision of food, purification of the atmosphere and other uses.

He was also loved by many people due to his selflessness, for example when whites were using violence against blacks, Mandela decided not to use violence against the whites as revenge, but instead he talked to the white race to show them that what they were doing was wrong. He was a good leader and he led South Africa to a better future because of this, he inspired so many leaders to lead their own countries with care and in the best way possible. This man has inspired me to fight for my rights and for the rights of others and to appreciate the freedom I have today because not a lot of people have experienced the freedom I have. When I think about Nelson Mandela, I just wish I had had the chance to be in his presence and witness his wisdom first-hand. I also wish that I could have had at least half of all the amazing attributes he possessed. In conclusion, Nelson Mandela is one of the most inspirational figures in the world.

FLAVIA ACENG

ST. JOSEPH’S GIRLS SSS NSAMBYA ‘Failure is part of life’ – Bill Gates The person who inspires me is Bill Gates. To be honest I don’t really know his history but one thing I know is that he is the son of a carpenter. He created software called Microsoft. There was a time he was declared the richest man in the world. O F F I C I A L A W A R D S M A G A Z I N E 47

This is not the reason why he is my inspiration. He is my inspiration because he is enterprising and creative. He sits down and thinks of something that can change the world. He is also very hardworking. He came from nothing to something. A carpenter is usually known to have little money but no one expects his son to be someone great. He worked really hard to prove the world wrong and was successful. He is also a very simple man. Even when he was the richest man in the world, he never showed off at all. He continued to work hard and create more things. Every time I give up, I think of what the world would be like if he had quit. There would be no Microsoft. He encourages me to work hard and create things like him. The one thing I have achieved in my life was to help a stranger. I had completely no idea who he was but I gave him the little money I was left with. I’m not quite sure what he used it for but he left happy. That is enough for me.

BERNICE MARTHA ABANZA ST. JOSEPH’S GIRLS SSS NSAMBYA

My favourite fictional character is from Disney. She is called Moana. She is a girl who was determined to make her dream come true despite her parents who were always against her because they had something else in mind for her. She achieved her dream and also saved her village because she was caring, helpful and loving. She was very selfless because she risked her life to save her village. She teaches me that I should not care about what people say about me and if I have a goal, I should be determined to achieve it. I also learned that in some moments I have to be selfless and courageous just like Moana was. ‘Change will not come if we wait for some other person or other time. We are the ones we’ve been waiting for, we are the change that we seek.’ – Barack Obama My inspirational figure is the former President of the United States of America, Barack Obama. This is a man that many minds look up to, he inspires both young and old minds. He made a change in American History by being the first black president to rule America moreover from Kenya in Africa. There were many people who discouraged him but their negativity motivated him instead to stand for President. People had a negative attitude towards blacks but he changed that attitude by winning the election. Many people loved him so much that he 48

ruled for two terms and till now, people around the world still want him to be America’s President. He has shown all kinds of people around the world that they can do anything if they believe they can. I want to be a selfless person just like him. He was very determined to fulfil his dream and was committed to his slogan ‘YES WE CAN’. If I can set a goal and go for it, I can be just like Barack Obama. Since he was committed and determined to prove people wrong and achieve his dream he became very successful.

TRIFFINE MUJUNI

ST. JOSEPH’S GIRLS SSS NSAMBYA ‘If I win a Nobel Peace Prize it would be a great opportunity for me but if I don’t get this, it’s not important because my goal isn’t to get a Nobel Peace Prize but to get peace and see education of every child’ – Malala Yousafzai My inspirational figure is the youngest Nobel Peace Prize Winner, Malala Yousafzai from Pakistan. She is a human rights activist who fights for world peace, female education and against poverty and illiteracy especially in Pakistan. She inspires me because she doesn’t give up no matter what the challenges are, which included a failed assassination attempt in 2012 in Pakistan by a Taliban gunman. She won the Nobel Peace Prize at the age of 22 in 2014 after being renominated. She currently runs the Malala Fund that is aimed at promoting education. She is brave, gentle and determined and I would like to live up to her character. I think she achieved success due to her determination and bravery.

LAURENTIA DEBORAH NYANGA ST. JOSEPH’S GIRLS SSS NSAMBYA ‘Yes I can’ – Barack Obama Barack Obama inspires me because he did what no one thought he could; he became the first black American President of the United States of America. He inspires me because he is a humble, cheerful, kind and respectful person. He encourages me to do what my heart desires and not let what people say put me down. I think he has achieved success because he is a determined person and has his goals set on what he wants. I also think that he is successful because he always puts God first in everything he does. I also think Obama was successful because he had hope in himself that he could accomplish every mission he wanted.

HANNAH CHRISTINE KISAKYE ST. JOSEPH’S GIRLS SSS NSAMBYA

‘Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.’ – Martin Luther King ‘All our dreams come true if we have the courage to pursue them.’ – Nelson Mandela I am inspired by former Nelson Mandela. He was a courageous man and did not give up on his dreams of fighting against racism no matter what situation he went through. He was imprisoned at the Robben Island for 27 years but his dream for equal rights amongst both Africans and whites was not shattered as many young men were motivated and inspired by him so they kept on fighting. Nelson inspires me because he did not give up on his dreams, he kept on fighting and became the first black president of South Africa. Mandela was a selfless person. He did things for the good of others and not for his own benefit. As president, he ruled for only one term and refused to stand for the post again as he wanted other people to have a chance as well.

from people who are well off, they too had some difficulties like them. This was a great achievement in my life as I got to touch someone’s life and put a smile on their faces.

MARTHA MWINE KUSIIMA ST. JOSEPH’S GIRLS SSS NSAMBYA

‘We create our destiny by the way we do things. We have to take advantage of opportunities and be responsible for our choice.’ – Ben Carson Dr. Ben Carson is one of the most academic, spiritual and strong people. I know he has created a legacy for himself that most people can only dream of. Born and raised in a poor family, he still stood the test of time and decided he would not always be poor. He inspires me to look for the best in every situation and keep moving forward. He has also inspired me to love the Lord because no one else understands you except him. Dr. Ben Carson fought the disease of discrimination and pulled out from the ropes of poverty. But above all, he has taught me that it doesn’t matter where you come from, you just have to be committed to the legacy you want to create. ‘Just keep moving forward’ (his motto) has taught me it’s human to fail but everyone can reach their destination if hardworking. I want to start a sustainable development programme for young women and girls around the world, create jobs for young women, provide scholarships to young girls, specialise in aiding poverty and health stricken countries and have a programme that creates videos and posters that would encourage environmental sanitation.

I am most proud of the time that I was part of a 15-man-delegation of teenagers in my community who started a campaign to help the needy and disadvantaged so that they can also be happy. The campaign, under the theme, ‘Fighting for the best’ helped the needy and disadvantaged to know that they had nothing that made them different O F F I C I A L A W A R D S M A G A Z I N E 49

I would also like to get a scholarship from Harvard or Cambridge University which would enable me to achieve my dream of becoming a bio-chemist, who would improve the quality of drugs in the world.

Dale Carnegie was a tireless reviser of his own work during his lifetime. He wrote as he spoke in an intensively conversational way. He inspires me to use principles better in my life.

I strongly believe in a world where women are in charge of everything. Like top government agencies, the FIFA World Cup and so much more. It would be achieved by all women. A women’s world they would like to live in.

GERALDINE LAKOT

I also believe in a world where everybody is able to go to school and get an education. This would be achieved by increase in government scholarships and setting very strict laws upon education. Lastly, I mostly and strongly believe in a world that has no environmental/pollution problems. I believe that everyone can ‘GO GREEN’, if they choose to. This can be achieved by recycling (plastics), reusing (plastics) and reducing the use of plastics.

ST. JOSEPH’S GIRLS SSS NSAMBYA I’m inspired by a great lady named Winnie Mandela. She was a strong woman and was able to fight for the rights and wellbeing of the South Africans during the apartheid policy. Her leadership skills have inspired and encouraged me to be brave and never give up but leave the past behind and focus on the future. She taught me not to limit my thoughts. And she was a very beautiful woman indeed, who never looked back at what was going on but moved ahead to improve it. She was a nationalist and patriot of her country. She taught me to do very great things in the world and to create a big change. She gave the people of South Africa courage to fight against racial discrimination.

FAITH MILDRED ALAL ST. JOSEPH’S GIRLS SSS NSAMBYA

ISABELLE K. KLAAKISA ST. JOSEPH’S GIRLS SSS NSAMBYA

‘It is easier to make a million dollars than to put a phrase into the English language’ – Dale Carnegie Dale Carnegie inspires me - he wrote many books which became bestsellers like ‘How to Win Friends and Influence People’, which sold over 16 million copies. That book was first published in 1937 in an edition of only five thousand copies. In amazement the book became an overnight sensation. The book was translated into almost every known written language.

‘Don’t ever give up. Don’t ever give in. Don’t ever stop trying. Don’t ever sell out. And if you find yourself succumbing to one of the above for a brief moment, pick up yourself, brush yourself off, whisper a prayer and start where you left off. But never, ever, give up.’ – Richelle E. Goodrich This inspires me that even if things do not come my way, I should struggle until I succeed. The former President of Liberia Her Excellency Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf inspires me because she was the first ever female head of state in Africa. In Africa, usually the female gender is undermined and thought of as only for bearing children, taking care of household matters and bringing pleasure to their husbands. She stood amidst the unfair African cultures and gender inequality to contest for presidency in a war torn country like Liberia. It took courage, motivation, purpose, enterprise, commitment, tolerance and trustworthiness

friend or else I suffer the consequences of being silent. I was beaten but I remained silent to protect my friend and respect because I know she was weak and she could easily give in though she is innocent. This made me proud of myself.

to embark on such a decision especially in a continent like Africa where there are still struggles of child empowerment, especially girls. Her Excellency Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf inspires me to be a hardworking, courageous, motivated, purposeful, enterprising, committed, tolerant and trustworthy person. When her country needed a leader to end the wars, she rose up amidst all things and contested. Her enterprising self knew that she was the liberator of Liberia’s wars. She knew she was purposeful for her nation. She stood up and tried her best to end wars and make her country stable. She was committed to do her duty even in days of violence and bloodshed. She still fought for peace even when dangers like death were knocking on her door. She was tolerant even when people opposed her. She had the liberties to fight for peace. She was trustworthy, when her people needed her, she was there for them. Her Excellency Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf is a very ideal woman because of her courage amidst the male gender that overpowers the female. Her principles, confidence, responsibility and effective contributions to Liberia made her the ideal woman, making Liberia a no-war state. I would like to live up to her moral character, responsibility, confidence, success and effective contribution of motivation, persistence, determination, resilience, hard work, tolerance, selflessness, independence, sense of purpose and committment. I think that Her Excellency Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf has achieved success because she has made history by being Africa’s first woman of steel, putting her country out of war. She has inspired women to have a better vision of the world for themselves and she has won a Nobel Prize. I am very proud of myself of a time that I was in conflicting loyalty but I chose a side and didn’t regret it. When a bully asked me to tell on my

I have a vision for a world without wars, an equal society, free from poverty and disease. My vision for equality in this world where there is no racial, social and gender equality because once this is achieved the world will become a convenient environment for all people to live in without any worries of discrimination for a world free from wars, poverty and diseases. Once there are no wars in the world, people will live in peace and harmony. Poverty and diseases can be erased through a stable government and co-operative citizens.

PATRICIA NANYONGA ST. JOSEPH’S GIRLS SSS NSAMBYA

My favourite story is Voice of a Dream. It’s mainly about a young girl Nanfuka whose father died of AIDS and whose mother left, leaving her with four siblings. She was determined in that she cared for them, though her aunt mistreated them, she was cheerful in a way that she took part in sports, she was also skilled in a way that she wove mats and baskets which helped her be sponsored by whites leading her to greater heights. I admire her determination to learn and stay committed to no matter what situation may occur on my path. My inspirational figure is the late Moses Ssekiboggo also know as Mwozey Radio, who was one of the best artists in Uganda. He was the best literature student at Kiira College Butiki in Jinga district. As a literature student myself, I would like to achieve this as well. Moses was a caring man, for example he took care of all his siblings, paying their school fees and providing their basic needs, he cared for his wives Kebrina and Linllians, not forgetting his three children too. He was also creative in a way that he wrote two hundred fiftyfive songs and more. Moses was cheerful since he organised and attended concerts like the Neera concert, which made people happy and love him more, also making him happy.

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He was helpful in a way that he sponsored children including his siblings. He was committed to his work since he never gave up on it, worked continuously in determination and love which I would like to be. I easily give up and lose achievement since I lose interest, so I want to learn from him and be committed for the achievement of my dream; becoming an actress. I think he achieved success because he was prayerful, determined, committed, interested and worked as a team with people like Weasel. My vision for a better world is partnership in work where different countries will work hand in hand to achieve their goals. A world where people will not only depend on their educational qualifications but also their skills like weaving, talents like dancing, singing, running and acting and creativity like composing and writing novels, songs, poems, building houses out of bottles. A world where the brains of everyone are doing something or have done something, using their hands or their heads but all under teamwork, cooperation and unity.

CELINE CECILIA KARUNGI ST. JOSEPH’S GIRLS SSS NSAMBYA

I think Lupita Huongo has achieved success because despite acting in award-winning movies like “12 years a slave”, “Star Wars: The Last Jedi”, “Black Panther” and “Queen of Katwe”, she is the first Kenyan/East African/Black African to win a Golden Globe Award and an Oscar Award in the world. She inspires me to go ahead in fulfilling my dreams of becoming an actress because she works hard and struggles to keep up to the film industry’s expectations. Being surrounded by white actors and actresses, she was also motivated to be better than them and also be the best she can be. She is very enthusiastic about any movie role given to her, whether big or small and she also takes pride in her work. I was chosen among the girls to welcome presidents during CHOGAM in 2007 which took place in Uganda and I was the youngest among the girls to welcome the Queen of England and other presidents. Specifically, I welcomed the Former President of the Republic of Sri-Lanka.

MELISSA ANKUNDA

ST. JOSEPH’S GIRLS SSS NSAMBYA My inspirational figure is the late Winnie Mandela Madikizela. She has been described as a champion of freedom and development, a people’s hero, a mother and a defender of the down-trodden. She is also referred to as the ‘Mother of the Nation’. These characteristics truly inspire me because she was resilient and never gave up. She was motivated by her exceptional ability to keep the morale and her inexhaustible tenacity to keep busy. This encourages always to be enthusiastic and learn how to be resilient. Winnie faced a lot of suffering, starting with the 27 years of her husband’s imprisonment and then the harassment, intimidations, restrictions and continuous raids, but she always had hope and was enthusiastic about it. She continued to fight the government, and struggled for gender equality of races in South Africa which inspires me greatly. Her determination, persistence and commitment is truly touching as she never gave up and I would love to pick up such her characteristics. She was very resilient especially when she was in detention and her two children nearly died because they had no one to care for them. Winnie was strong, courageous, defiant and resilient; she refused to be broken by the imprisonment of her husband, the continuous harassment of her family, repeated detention and banning orders. Winnie challenged stereotypes and showed women that they could be leaders in their own right and not just be a companion to male

leaders. She achieved great success because South Africa would not be where it is right now because of her continuous struggle for gender equality. This commitment should make her inspirational figure and that is why she is that to me. I want to achieve great success in my life. I want to achieve a goal of raising the voices of women and standing up for their rights. I want to be able to stand in front of a huge crowd and empower women and talk about how we have value and we are the peak of creation. I want to achieve a goal where the men understand the purpose and value in a woman and know behind their success there will always be a woman. I want to achieve gender equality in the nation. My vision for a better world is the equal treatment of women and men. The outstanding performance of a woman. The people to realise the value and principles in a woman. A world of generosity, tolerance, selflessness and purpose which can change the lives of many. Putting a stop to the harassment and violence of women. A world of unity and compliance between men and women because ‘divided we fall, united we stand’.

SHEILA APIYO

ST. JOSEPH’S GIRLS SSS NSAMBYA Ben Carson is a neurosurgeon and works at John Hopkins Hospital in the United Kingdom. He inspires me because he is determined. He was determined in his studies even when he was the last in his class. He inspires me because he does not give up. He used to always last in class but he did not give up on studying. He inspires me because he believes in himself. He was asked to do a mathematics question which he was not sure of but he tried it anyway and passed. He inspires me because he is hardworking, he was among the surgeons who successfully operated the Siamese twins for twenty-two hours. He also inspires me because he is a neurosurgeon and I also want to become one in future. In Primary Seven Vacation, my uncle asked me what I wanted to be and when I told him I wanted to be a surgeon, he gave me a book written by Ben Carson a famous neurosurgeon for his success. The book is entitled ‘Think Big’ and it was about Ben Carson’s life. When I read his story, I

was so inspired because his life was first full of suffering but he is now a great person. My vision for a better world is reduced diseases and disorders of the body, for example complicated diseases like cancer, HIV AIDS and many others that people lack knowledge about. Education and employment for everyone, especially for the girls who are mostly subjected to torture like defilement and many others and also everyone at large. My vision for a better world is also to end global warming because it is leading to poor climate which affects the growth of crops hence affecting the health of the people. I will form a club called HEALTHY WORLDS and members of this club will promote cleanliness in the environment to reduce the diseases caused by poor hygiene like cholera, malaria and many others. This club will also help in sensitising the community about dangerous diseases that are well known, by researching them, their causes and prevention. The members of this club will also plant trees in order to control global warming.

MARTINA AYEBARE

ST. JOSEPH’S GIRLS SSS NSAMBYA Stephen Hawking is my role model. He inspires me because of his strong character. After all his nerves shut down, leaving him helpless in a wheel chair, he did not give up. His health deteriorated and he began using a machine to speak. He discovered and came up with many theories in science. His character inspires me because of his courage and endless hard work to reach what he wanted. He did so much that as a reward, a movie was released describing his life, his journey to success, entitled ‘The Theory of Everything’. I find

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him inspiring because his journey to success was like a walk through hell. He is inspiring because he was hard-working and committed to reaching his goal despite his disability.

Martin Luther King inspires me because of influence on the Black Consciousness Movement and his fight for racial justice.

I would like to live up to his success since I have a curious mind and love for discovery just like he did. I think he achieved his success through his persistence and perseverance.

Martin Luther King inspires me because of influence and martyrdom of Christianity of his people as remembered by the Episcopal Church of the United States of America.

RINAH MASIKA

ST. JOSEPH’S GIRLS SSS NSAMBYA ‘No matter the obstacles and opposition in life, Go Forward.’ – Barack Obama

ORGA URSULA MUHUMUZA

I am inspired by many people but I mostly look up to Barack Obama, who was the the fortyfourth President of the United States and a good leader because he encouraged people to stop discrimination and also provided free health care to the sick who were unable to pay their bills, through the Obama Care. His speeches inspired me as they were brief but with great meaning and they were inspirational. He inspires me to follow my dream of being the first female president of Uganda. His wife, Michelle Obama, also inspires me because she is one of the best lawyers of the world.

ST. JOSEPH’S GIRLS SSS NSAMBYA

‘Darkness cannot drive out darkness, only light can do that’ – Martin Luther King Martin Luther King inspires me because of his initiative for advancing civil rights through non-violence. He also inspires me because of his togetherness and peace through his struggle against segregation and discrimination. Martin Luther King also inspires me to be kind and have a generous heart, depicting your focus on opposition of poverty and showing selflessness and care. Martin Luther King inspires me because of the initiation of a group in order to harness moral authority making him a man of patriotism. Martin Luther King inspires me because of his organisation for black’s right to vote, desegregation, labour rights depicting his endeavour, love for democracy and anti-racism. 54

WINNIE LAGAMBER LAKER ST. JOSEPH’S GIRLS SSS NSAMBYA

‘Life’s battles don’t always go to the stronger or faster man, but sooner or later to the man who thinks he can.’ ‘Don’t find fault, find a solution.’ – Martin Luther King Martin Luther King inspires me because he was a Baptist minister and activist who became the leader of the civil rights movement, working on advancing civil rights through non-violence and civil disobedience. He sought equality and human rights for African Americans, the economically disadvantaged and all victims of injustice through peaceful protest. He was a driving force behind watershed events such as Montgomery Bus Boycott which helped bring about landmark legislation as the Civil Rights Act and the Voting Rights Act. Luther King was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. He attended segregated schools and campaigned against discrimination. I admire him and he inspires

me because I also want to become someone who works for justice, peace and equality.

FREDA SANDRA NAIGAGA

When I participated in the choir that welcomed the Pope into Uganda, I was privileged to be among the lucky people because I got to see the Pope.

‘You can do anything they can do, only you must try to do it better’ – Ben Carson

I learnt a lot because he preached about peace and unity, he also opposed wars, disunity, discrimination and segregation and he said that we should work hard for the heavenly kingdom and do the right thing. My vision for a better world is based on creating awareness between people, especially women. I can build schools for the poor, pregnant woman and segregated people, I want to build hospitals to give free vaccination and drugs against HIV/AIDS, I want to create awareness centres to educate youths about employment and show them that anyone can become a president, a civil servant who can change the whole world and advice about democracy and unity, not discrimination and segregation.

WHITNEY NYAKDOJO ANGELLA KARUNGI

ST. JOSEPH’S GIRLS SSS NSAMBYA

Ben Carson inspires me not only being a famous neurologist but also because of his enthusiasm about his job and being both an open-minded and determined person in all he does. He was considered stupid by his grade school classmates but he tolerated all these hardships until he shone one day after he had answered a question that defeated the brightest pupil. Ben Carson inspires me because even when he shone, he did not refuse to help his classmates who always called him stupid. He is a trustworthy and hardworking person because he tries to succeed in all he does. My inspirational moment is in my studies when I scored 72% in Mathematics and all my friends forsook me, some even laughed at me because it was my first time I got such a mark. But in my End of Term Exams I proved to them that I could rise up and I scored 96% and of course they felt bad but I was happy because it was my greatest achievement.

ST. JOSEPH’S GIRLS SSS NSAMBYA

‘It is not about being the centre of attention, it’s about doing what you love and taking part in it’ – Josephine Karungi Josephine Karungi is my role model. She is a news anchor at NTV. She inspires me because she has very fluent English and is very smart and neat. She studied a combination of history, economics, literature and ICT. She inspires me because after being divorced because of regular insults from her husband she wasn’t discouraged from continuing her journalism. She has a show on NTV called ‘PERSPECTIVE’, whereby she talks to different people and the youth about different issues and different opinions on how to settle the problems faced by the youth of Uganda and how to avoid such problems. Josephine Karungi is a very inspiring lady of integrity who is God fearing, selfless and determined in whatever she does.

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KAREN ELIZABETH ATWIINE

DICKSON KAJUBI

The late Makeba Miriam inspires me because she tried to change the world while still on earth. She expressed herself in many ways like singing; for example, the song ‘Malaika’ to show the white man that God loves all his creation including the black race of people. She inspires me because even if they, the Whites, tried to put her down, she still kept her ground and fought for the Blacks. She continued singing songs to express herself. She was a loving and caring woman and she was always tolerant and jolly. I would like to live up to her because she was always thoughtful and selfless. I too like to follow her footsteps and be like her. I think she has achieved success because she stood strong and continued praying because without God nothing can be done. I think she achieved success because she never minded what people said about her and kept doing the right thing.

Dr Milton Apollo Obote - although I was not there in his period I read many textbooks concerning him and it is said that he led my mother country (Uganda) to independence.

ST. JOSEPH’S GIRLS SSS NSAMBYA

‘The road to success is never straight’ This is because to achieve your goal, you have to face many problems and reach it.

ST. SAVIOR JUNIOR SCHOOL, KISUBI

He was a Prime Minister of Uganda and was overthrown by Idi Amin Dada but after the period of Idi Amin Dada Dr. Milton Apollo Obote returned once more and signed a constitution with the British allowing Uganda independence - Obote felt that Ugandans should truly be treated like the whites were treated. For example, whites could not even plant any cash crop but the Ugandans were made to grow all the cash crops. When it came to money, those whites were given more than the Ugandans who worked 24/7. Milton Obote saw this was a way of torture so he decided to proceed through step by step and achieved a lot through his journey.

LEARNER EVALUATION Geraldine Lakot St. Joseph’s Girls SSS Nsambya I learnt to take care of the environment and the features in it. Trees have to stop being cut down by people because it reduces the oxygen in the atmosphere. For example, in Uganda, many trees have been cut down and factories have been built. Factories that make plastics like plastic bottles and polythenes, also create industrial fumes and pollute the air and soil which can also affect the aquatic animals. Parent: Very innovative and responsible answers. She is an environmentalist. Well done Geraldine. Simran Kaur Satya Elementary School Khanpur Ludhiana I will become more confident and I will become more reliable and determined towards my work. I will become an inspiration for my peers and other children. Parent: I read Simran Kaur’s poster and now know about how she is inspired about her inspirational woman Savitari Bai Phuk. I am really feeling honour after reading this poster. Christine Hannah Kisakye St. Joseph’s Girls SSS Nsambya I learnt to evaluate myself and think beyond the ordinary for some of the questions needed self examination and research about oneself. Parent: This is great and can contribute greatly towards the development of the world we live in today. Triffine Mujuni St. Joseph’s Girls SSS Nsambya By taking part in this project, I discovered more about myself and what my friends think of me as they read my work. I also learnt that I can do something to improve the world.

Zoe Mali Kaliza Andrea Musasizi St. Joseph’s Girls SSS Nsambya I learnt that inspiration is easy to find if you look in the right places and that we should be able to share some of our ideas about how to make this world a better place to live in because those ideas could actually help to make this world better. For example: I learnt through writing this that I really want to inspire people to be kind and loving. Purity Abuze Martha Kampala Quality Primary School I have learnt how to help the world and be determined on what you do, because if you are not determined, you can never achieve in life. Christian Katongole Sir Apollo Kaggwa, Old Kampala This project has encouraged me to work harder to make this world a better place to live in. Mariam B. Nassanga Nabisunsa Girls’ School Taking part in this project has enabled me to attain self confidence and learn how to enhance my character traits so as to attain my goals and also on how to handle the things that I’m not good at. For example, how I should handle myself in order to be creative because I’m not good at it. Janat Nabalindwa Nabisunsa Girls’ School I have managed to discover my hidden qualities and possibilities through this poster in that I had never concentrated on knowing how curious I am. I have managed to elaborate my vision for a better world, a world where suffering for the hopeless can be minimized. Mbatha Nokubonga Ikusasalethu S. School I’ve learned that I can actually believe in myself in doing great work, for example if I dedicate myself to getting excellent result in school term, I CAN. I’m no longer afraid to try new activities because I believe in myself, and if I don’t believe in myself no one else will, so I BELIEVE I can achieve all of my goals. Parent: I’ve seen that my child is really determined to make a huge change in this world. I believe that one day she will really achieve all her goals only if she keeps this amazing attitude of her, by doing so she can do something great!

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Amelie McKay-Birley Bridge of Weir Primary School I learned more about myself, in a way that I probably wouldn’t have done without doing it, especially at the character attributes. Whitney Nyakdojo Angella Karungi St. Joseph’s Girls SSS Nsambya I have learnt and discovered very much about the lady who inspires me and that is Josephine Karungi. I have researched and collected very much information about her success in Journalism which has given me a way forward to be a journalist. Lynette Nankunda Kampala Quality Primary School I never knew I would write down how I feel. I would love to thank this organisation for bringing this exercise to our school. Thank you. Arshandeep Kaur Satya Bharti Adarsh Senior Secondary Scool Chogawan I learnt many things being a part of this project. How I can make this world better and pollution free. Parent: This poster is very good. With the help of this poster my daughter came to know her strengths. Lena Haas Boroughmuir High School I learnt that it isn’t always easy to answer what seems at first to be a very easy question. When I first started this project I thought that answering the questions in section 5 would be relatively easy and that they didn’t really require much thought at all but when I started to fill them out I began to realise that you really need to think hard so that you can really answer the questions properly, an example of this is the question that states: ‘What is your vision for a better world?’ I really had to think: if I were to design a world which was good for everyone to live in and which was a compromise between everything that lives on planet Earth, I found it quite hard to imagine it because everyone and everything is incredibly different so that they always require many different care (in a way), that something which was good for one type of species was bad for another and so on. So I really had to think hard on what would be the best world to create.

Eilidh Macintyre Boroughmuir High School This project has really made me think and it has made me realise how important it is to sometimes just stop for a bit of self-reflection. If has definitely increased my self awareness. Section 5 is probably the part of this project that I am most grateful for. The question “What kind of person do you want to be?” really made me stop and consider this. In the weeks and months to come, I will be thinking about what I have written down and I will try to put it into practice. Taji Evelyne Lado Seeta High School I learnt how to express my feelings towards things in the world. For example, when you asked for my vision I could apply the vision in order to see it at that level, this helps me bring out my opinion. Jenny Leana Ngompe Fosto Enko Bonanjo International School I think I have realized that I am more caring than I thought I was. Before I would be anxious to grow up and leave Cameroon and the rest of my origins but now I realize that I truly do want Cameroon to develop and that I love my origins and who I am. I also want to preserve my culture, I love travelling and due to globalization a lot of cultures have been lost. I speak my native tongue fluently and I hope that I can pass that on so that it as a whole never gets lost. Simo Takoulo Kevin Claude Enko Bonanjo International School This project was really useful to me because it helped me to know more about myself, take important life decisions, see the skills I have and those I need to improve on and setup new objectives to achieve. I will use what I learned when filling this survey to do better in school, at home and everywhere I will go. Bridget Ayoo Beryl Seeta High School Taking part in this project has enabled me to take a full journey of self-discovery whereby I have been able to fully internalise myself and got to know my future prospects and ambitions as well as setting a goal to accomplish them.

Jashandeep Kaur Satya Bharti Adarsh Senior Secundary School Rauni I got to know about my feelings, weaknesses, qualities. I am improving myself to become a noble person. It will add on my efforts in being successful. Thus, after doing this task, I come to know about my weaknesses after thinking about different qualities, especially from the first task. Gurkomal Kaur Satya Bharti Adarsh Senior Secundary School Rauni By taking part in this project I came to know my qualities, my goals in life. I came to know about my future plans. I came to know about myself. For example, before taking part in this project I didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t know my qualities in which I am perfect. But now I know my best qualities and in which field I am perfect and in which field I have to practice a lot to become perfect, so, THANKS A LOT! Falak Fayaz Army Goodwill School, Hanzik A spark of confidence and determination rekindled in me by taking part in this project. I came to know that I have a broader vision of the world through filling in the answers. Gagan Rana Pratap Bagh The project improved my level of self-awareness and helped me realise my true potential. Maha Lakshmi Akapalli In this project I learnt so many inspiring stories and about great people like Dr Ambedkar and Nick Vujicic. I was inspired by the project to think about my vision for a better world and how I can help. Chokkam Deepthi Akapalli By doing this project I learned how I am and questioned myself for the first time. I also learned how to achieve my goals.

Beauty Kumari Kolridih This project really helped me a lot, as I became aware of myself. Now I know what I have to work on and the same time what I could do for others. Kishan, Moel Town This project has helped me learn a lot about myself. Now I know that I need to do more practice and be more open-minded. I also wish to become a thoughtful person. Nitesh Kumar Moel Town This project is help me a lot in analysing myself as an individual. Before doing this project I was barely able to articulate my attributes, but now I definitely have the courage to define my real values, attributes and aspirations. Anshit Sharma AGPS, Rajouri Through taking part in this project I got some time to introspect. I got to know about my strong zones and where I should work to eliminate zones that are stopping me from becoming a good human being. Through this project I explored my mind. Maroju Shibprasad ZPHS Racharla, Bahapoar By taking part in this project I learned a lot about myself. I found my character and my mistakes. I will try to develop my abilities. I improved my determination a lot, and completed this project. Tanu Bhardwaj Shalimar Bagh, Delhi I learned how to improve my objectives towards society and how these objectives can be developed in a specific way.

Abhiskek, GBSSS, GTB, Nagar Through this project I have been able to articulate my life goals and aspirations as well as identifying my priorities. Now I know that Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m passionate to be an artist. I also learned that helping others is what gives me true pleasure.

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CHARACTER

EDUCATION SCOTLAND UNLOCKING POTENTIAL - INSPIRING PURPOSE