Wacel

My name is Wacel and I was born and raised in the Nwoya district in northern Uganda. The northern part of Uganda is known for the war that continues to be waged by the Lord Resistant Army. I grew up with the fear of the unknown due to the constant sound of gunshots. My school time was constantly disrupted by the war. I also lost two of my siblings because of this war. In 1998, my father was arrested by the resistance army, leaving my mother to take care of us. With her small-scale farming, she could not afford to pay for the nine of us to attend school. My elder siblings had already dropped out of school when my dad was arrested. My younger siblings were forced not to attend school because my mother could only afford to educate one of us at a time.

Growing up in the middle of war made me become a very stubborn and rough child. I was serving a school suspension because of disciplinary measures when I met my Young Life leader. He took me back to school and promised to journey with me. It was through him that I decided to transform and become a better person. I gave my life to Christ during that time. I joined the leadership team after high school, and I started mentoring other teenagers.

I am now a Developing Global Leader studying nursing at Gulu School of Health Sciences. I will be the first in my family to graduate from university. My greatest desire is to give back to my family and ensure that my younger sibling gets the opportunity to go to school. I am focusing on developing leaders who will bring change and join me in preaching peace in my community. I look forward when war will completely cease in this part of Uganda.