February 28, 2026
Deep in Matugga, Uganda, stands Enlight Vocational Institute — a place where hands are being trained, skills are being sharpened, and destinies are quietly being shaped.
What touched me most was not just the training in electrical installation, fashion design, catering, and hair design — but the journeys behind the faces in that classroom.
Some of these young people have travelled from as far as Kenya. Others came from Lira in Northern Uganda, Mbale, and Tororo. They left home carrying hope, sacrifice, and the silent prayers of their families.
When I asked them about their dreams, many had not yet looked very far ahead. So I challenged them:
“Where do you see yourself in 20 or 30 years?”
“What do you aim to have achieved?”
There was a pause.
You could see them stretching their minds beyond today’s lesson, beyond tomorrow’s assessment.
One or two spoke boldly.
One said he wants to make a lot of money and support youth from his home area to access education.
Another said his biggest dream is to buy his mother a house.
And in those simple answers, I saw something powerful.
Dreams do not always begin grand and detailed. Sometimes they begin with gratitude. With love. With a desire to change one life — a mother’s life. A village’s future. A community’s opportunity.
But here is the truth:
If our youth do not learn to think long-term, they may only work for survival instead of significance.
Vocational skills are powerful. They open doors to income and independence. But vision is what determines impact.
At Enlight Vocational Institute, I was reminded that our responsibility as trainers, mentors, and leaders is not only to teach wiring, stitching, baking, or styling. It is to stretch imagination. To provoke purpose. To help young people see 30 years ahead — not just 3 months ahead.
Because one day, that electrical student could own a company employing hundreds.
That fashion student could build a brand exporting designs across borders.
That catering trainee could run a chain of restaurants.
That hair designer could create a beauty academy training others.
Every big achievement begins with a question:
“What do I truly want my life to stand for?”
May we continue to challenge our youth to dream beyond money — toward legacy.
Beyond survival — toward transformation.
Beyond today — toward generations.
“What do I truly want my life to stand for?”
May we continue to challenge our youth to dream beyond money — toward legacy.
Beyond survival — toward transformation.
Beyond today — toward generations.
The journey has started. Now the vision must grow.
