Franklin

Thank you for sharing this powerful story with us. Could you tell us about what inspired you to write it? I chose this topic because this is something that has happened to me in my life and I know that it happens to other people too. Someone proposed to me that he loves me and I didn’t feel the same. He showed me money so that I would have lust for it and agree to have a romantic relationship with him. Through that experience, I decided to write this story to advise people, especially young men and women, that lust shouldn’t guide you to do something that you don’t like or to do something that doesn’t come from the bottom of your heart. Whenever you do something because of lust, not because you like it, know that there is a negative consequence. I hope people will benefit from hearing this story. What messages do you hope your readers will take away from your story? I hope my readers will learn how to say no to things they don’t want, resist bad influences and make choices that are good for them so they won’t regret their decisions later in life. What, from your perspective, is the point of storytelling? Why do we tell stories, what do they do for us, and what purpose do they serve? Storytelling helps us to share, connect and learn from each other over experiences, ideas and events through spoken word or written text. Stories also inspire, teach, heal and bring people together, making our experiences more meaningful and relatable. Storytelling helps connect with others and feel less alone. Did your story change over the course of your participation in the storytelling workshops? How? Over the workshops, my story changed a lot. At first it was a basic and emotional account of what happened. But through the workshops I learned to add more details that made my story more interesting. I learned to tell my story more clearly and to describe things so that the reader could picture them. I became more confident in sharing my personal story. I’m proud of how my story turned out. How does your story offer an alternative path, point of view, or way forward? How does it speak to the possibility of an otherwise? My story shares a powerful lesson that saying no to what is wrong can mean saying yes to a brighter future. It shows that you don’t have to give in to temptation or pressure, even when money is involved. Most importantly, it highlights that love shouldn’t be tied to money, and that making choices that align with your values is crucial. My hope is that readers will be inspired to think carefully about the choices they make.

A group of students and I recently attended a graduation ceremony in Kampala for online gig workers. Our journey began April 24th, 2025 on a Thursday morning as we prepared to travel from Nakivale to Kampala. There were 27 of us, including two trainers, and the founder of Her Dreams Count, Anny Sybile. Since most of us were in Nakivale, a coaster was arranged to take us to Kampala, with plans to meet at the Taxi Park at 8:00 AM and depart at 9:00 AM. However, due to delays, we ended up traveling by taxi from Nakivale to Mbarara, where the coaster would meet us. Henry, another participant from Mbarara, joined us at the Taxi Park in Mbarara. After a call to confirm everyone’s presence, we noticed Gedeon wouldn’t be joining us. We boarded four taxis and headed to Mbarara’s Taxi Park, where we would meet the coaster, with a stop earlier made to pick Anny Sybile in Kabingo. As we traveled, everyone was quiet, focused on their phones. Upon reaching Mbarara, our taxi broke down, and we walked to the Taxi Park to meet the others. When we reached the taxi park around 1 PM, we felt hungry and informed Jean Munguzo, who then called Lorna, a team member at Start Hub. After a few minutes, we were each given 10,000 shillings for lunch, and we went to buy something to eat. With our hunger satisfied, we waited for the coaster, which arrived at 1:45 PM, and departed Mbarara at 2:00 PM. During the journey, some participants dozed off, and we stopped in Masaka for another break of 10 minutes. As we approached Kampala, we encountered traffic jams, but finally reached Buziga hostels around 10 PM, thanks to Google Maps. As we finally reached Buziga hostels around 10 PM, thanks to the help of Google Maps, we were relieved to have arrived after a long journey. None of us knew the exact location of the hostels, but Sybile used Google Maps to guide us. Upon entering the hostels, we were allocated rooms, with some participants sharing rooms. I slept in one room with my friend Milton. After we were all given rooms, we were called for dinner, which was a welcome relief after a busy day of travel. We went for dinner and then retired to our rooms to rest. The next morning, I woke up to the sound of my alarm ringing at 6:30 AM. After saying my prayers, I went to bathe and prepare for the day. We all gathered for breakfast, and after eating, we packed our bags. At around 9 AM, the car was ready to take us to Speke Resort Munyonyo for the graduation ceremony. As we arrived at Speke Resort Munyonyo, I was impressed by the beautiful surroundings. The green grass was neatly cut, and colorful flowers bloomed everywhere. The pathways were clean and easy to follow, making it simple to move around the compound. The atmosphere was cool and refreshing, with a gentle breeze that carried the sweet scent of flowers. I saw many flagpoles holding different flags, which added to the festive atmosphere. As I looked around, I noticed a beautiful swimming pool, where some people were swimming and having fun. We passed through a metal detector, where we had to put out our phones. We registered, entered the beautifully designed hall where we met fellow participants from Kampala and mingled before the ceremony began. I sat near an Eritrean woman called Samri. The ceremony included a Kahoot game, and despite some technical issues, it was a wonderful experience. After the Kahoot game, the Master of Ceremonies delivered opening remarks, setting the tone for the celebration. We then watched testimony videos showcasing the impact of the online gig work training on our community. These stories highlighted the positive changes and opportunities that had arisen from the program. Following the videos, we had a panel discussion where esteemed guests, including government representatives and development partners, discussed unlocking online gig work opportunities for the refugee, youth, and host communities. This discussion provided valuable insights into the potential of online gig work to empower these groups. The ceremony reached its highlight when participants who had excelled in the program were awarded laptops. These individuals had demonstrated exceptional dedication and skills, completing impressive projects and earning money through online gig work. It was a great honor to see participants from Nakivale receiving laptops, showcasing their excellence in the program. Although I wasn’t among the recipients, I was proud to see my peers achieve this milestone. After the awards, we gathered for a group photo with representatives from ILO, StratHub, and all the participants. This memorable moment captured the spirit of our collective achievement. Following the photo, we received our certificates, marking the official completion of the program. To celebrate our achievement, we cut a cake and enjoyed a delicious treat. It was a sweet way to cap off an exciting day. With certificates in hand, we proceeded to enjoy a well-deserved lunch. I was surprised to see a lot of food. It was my first time seeing such a variety of dishes. I enjoyed a variety of delicious food like chapati rolls, fish, fried chicken, and many others. The food was tasty and satisfying. We also had snacks, including cakes, which were delicious. Everything was great, and I was happy to try new flavors. After lunch, we helped ourselves to some fresh fruits. Once we’d finished eating, we gathered near the bus, which was parked nearby. Not everyone was returning to Nakivale, as some participants had other plans in Kampala. Those of us heading back to Nakivale boarded the bus, and we set off on our journey home. As we departed for Nakivale, the clock read 3:30 PM. The journey back was quiet, with most of us dozing off in the car. When we reached Kabingo, Anny Sybile got off, heading home. We continued on our way until we reached the police checkpoint, where

I was coming home from football training one brisk January evening when I met a tall, brown man with dreadlocks on his head. He was wearing a white shirt and a jacket. He spoke in a high voice, like a woman, but anyone could tell that he was only pretending because of the deep bass of his voice. He greeted me and introduced himself. He said that his name was Kelly, and that he was gay. Kelly was very open to me about the fact that he was a gay because he knew that I had already recognized him through his dressing and his voice. I also introduced myself, and after speaking for a while, I asked Kelly what made him become gay? Kelly laughed at me and told me that he was born this way. He said he didn’t think any person could change himself to become gay. I told Kelly that I know a lot of men, some of them my friends, who are now gay, but they were not before. A lot of men have become gay, specifically in Nakivale Refugee Settlement, because they heard that gay people were being supported and relocated to Sweden. Kelly listened to my story. Then he told me that despite my observations, there are people who are born with homosexual feelings. I listened to Kelly’s thoughts very carefully and I came to understand his perspective. Then I asked Kelly why he had called me and stopped me. He said this was not his first time seeing me. “I have been seeing you passing here and I have been really attracted to you and the way you behave,” he said. “You are a very polite boy,” he added. I asked him how long he had been watching me and learning that I’m a well behaved and polite boy. “I have known you for a long time,” he said, “I have been studying the way you are. And I realized that you are a polite boy.” I thanked him for the compliment and told him that I should go home. He said no, he had not finished. The reason why he had called me was that he wanted to be in a romantic relationship with me, he revealed. And if I agreed, he said, he would take charge of me. Then he showed me a bundle of money. As I looked at the bundle, my heart started having lust for the money, and I started hearing a voice in my heart telling me that I shouldn’t skip that money. But I heard another voice telling me that love doesn’t cost money. So I started fighting with the two voices in my heart and I eventually defeated the voice of lust. I told Kelly I was not ready to be in a romantic relationship with him and I went home running. When I reached home, I was very quiet. My mother asked, “Franklin why are you so quiet today? What is the problem?” I told her, “I don’t have any problem. I’m just wondering how I performed in the exam and our results are soon coming,” I lied. My mummy said, “are you not sure on how you performed?” “I’m very sure that I will pass, but I can’t miss the fear,” I told her. I did not tell my parents or my friends what happened to me because I feared if I told them they would force me to go and report Kelly to the police. I never wanted this. Kelly once told me that he lives alone and he doesn’t have relatives nearby. I thought if I reported him he would be imprisoned and have no one to take care of him. That is what made me have mercy upon Kelly. After three months, when I had forgotten about the incident, I saw Kelly on the way to the library. He called to me, “Franklin, come!” I approached him. “How are you Franklin? Long time. Where have you been? I have been really missing you.” “I’m just around bro, and I’m fine.” “I had been seeing you passing here every day, but since we last had a conversation, I no longer see you passing this way again,” he said. “That day we had a conversation,” I began to explain, “you proposed to me that you love me, and you said you would take charge of me if I agreed, and you showed me a bundle of money. I honestly don’t want to be in a romantic relationship with you, but if you kept on showing money I was afraid I would agree because of lust for the money. That is why I no longer pass this way, because I fear I will agree to what I don’t want.” “There is a proverb that says prevention is better than cure,” I told him. Kelly laughed at me and asked why I don’t want to be in a romantic relationship with him? I told him that I’m still a student and I’m first focusing on my studies, and I continued on my way to the library. I went to the library thinking that now Kelly will never persuade me again to be in a romantic relationship with him because I was very open to him about my feelings. The following day, early in the morning at 7:00 AM, when I was in a running marathon, I heard a voice calling me from behind.: “Franklin, Franklin.” I looked to see that it was Kelly calling me. I didn’t say anything. I kept on with my marathon. When I reached home I was very stressed and scared. I was asking myself what Kelly wanted from me. I avoided traveling the way I used to travel because of him. I was very clear that I didn’t want to be in a romantic relationship with him, but he didn’t stop following me. I felt scared and insecure because he didn’t listen to my request. I decided to