Comfort Dogs and Guide dogs

By Wanambwa M. Rogers

Courtesy photo

The notion of a comfort animal is relatively new especially in African countries, however, animals have been a part of human lives since the beginning of humanity.

I became intrigued by how an animal can be trained to cater and care for a person to the extent that it becomes an extension of the person themselves. In essence, reaching a time where if the animal were to be taken away, the person may even become devastated. The animals have also been proven to go through trauma when their human abandons them(whether voluntarily or not).

My fascination with the subject of comfort dogs in particular(which by the way have been man’s best friend forever) started with a documentary I saw on NBS TV-Uganda in which a community in Northern Uganda was using comfort dogs to help people cope with their problems that ranged from deafness, blindness, lameness to even depression. Many of these people’s problems stem from the LRA war that ravaged the place in the ’90s-early 2000s.

Apparently, these dogs give better comfort than people to these people who need a lot of comfort, isn’t that ironic?

Anyway, I was wonderfully surprised at how much the individuals had assimilated each other’s company(here I mean the dog-human symbiosis) and how each benefited from the other in a way that is not an ordinary attachment of such creatures.

The humans registered significant improvement in their lives due to this partnership and of course the dogs benefit by having a companion and benefactor.

This kind of thing is not unique to the people of Northern Uganda though, the military has been known to use comfort dogs to rehabilitate battle ridden soldiers and veterans who suffer from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder(PTSD).

Guides dogs on the other hand are fairly common especially in the Western world where they help people navigate the busy cities. I guess they’re fairly known so I won’t talk much about them.

Cecil Williams, 60 who is blind with his guide dogs

In the end, I believe both animal and human from the relationship.

Fathers On The Sideline

By Wanambwa M. Rogers

Case: Amos Wekesa

This is one of those articles whose content and title seem contradictory but are in fact in sync. So I follow a great man on Facebook and I take him as a role model for men and as a matter of fact, women too, his name, Mr. Wekesa Amos, who doubles as founder and CEO of both Great Lakes Safaris and Elephant Plains Logdes Ltd.

His achievements and work however are not the reason I am writing this article though, it is his dedication to his family, and particularly to his children that I’m going to be focusing on.

Mr. Wekesa has three children, a daughter, Aliyah Wekesa and two sons Kylan and Zion Wekesa, Kylan being the eldest of the three. Mr. Wekesa is married to one wife with whom they celebrated 16years of marriage this year on World Tourism Day; something that is a big deal to him since he is very passionate about tourism(to me, he is the most passionate Uganda when it comes to tourism).

The Wekesa Family

Back to the topic at hand, I’m always impressed when it comes to how Mr. Wekesa is grooming and raising his children. Let me explain:

You see he has enrolled all of them in different co-curricular activities. Of course although I keep referring to him alone, all decisions are made after agreeing with his wife(I guess she prefers not to be in the limelight since he appears more than her). Again, my focus today is on the men, the fathers.

Why is this action significant?

Well, he always makes it a point to be present at their practice sessions and their competitions and presentations, this also goes for all school engagements. He is very active on Facebook and so all this is very evident in his posts.

Zion being cheered on by Kylan who was injured and couldn’t participate

He also invests heavily in the activities. For example, both his sons, Kylan and Zion are motor bike racers, and they’ve competited in different rallies in Uganda, Kenya and other countries. He always goes with them to show his support.
All, three children are also engaged in basketball, football and other things like music for Kylan and netball for Aliyah.

Kylan playing a guitar

Kylan ready for a race

Away from the sports(I talked about it first because I’ve already shown its potential in the world on this blog), let me talk about his daddy-son, daddy-daughter dates. Yes, you have read that right, he goes on dates with them.

Amos with his daughter, Aliyah

Amos and Kylan on a date

Every now and then, he’ll go with one of them and they spend an entire day together. From his work place, to any other place he’ll be going to, to out of office meetings and also to food places(which they genuinely love). Fascinating, right? To me it is.

Amos with his son a boat cruise

These among other many things have made him to me, one of the best fathers of these times in the world and one to emulate in this generation of the “male crisis” that is seeing men lose direction more and more.

We deserve such men to show the way, to hold the torch for the male species and lead the way.

A true father on the sideline of his children’s play field, cheering on their efforts and work.

The Consequence of Being Effective: Famous

By Wanambwa M. Rogers

After 5 crew

For some many people think that they’ll achieve fame without being effective at something. A break out artist with any known art will demand attention using any means possible, and by “any means possible,” I mean even through bad means.

This unfortunately, is not unique to artists like musicians and actors and actresses, it cuts across to all sorts of people.
However, we ought to know that we can only achieve genuine fame through being effective.

Effective people don’t look for people, they’re sought after. You see, you’ll be sought after in the area you’re known to be good(effective) in.

It is a natural thing for people to gravitate towards effective people. The ones that solve what needs to be solved.

In essence, you need to find what you are good at and become effective in it. You need to become so good at something that whenever they ask about something(in your field), your name comes up first.

And that’s what being effective does, it makes you famous.
You need to become the Google.com of search engines, the Microsoft Windows of computer operating systems, the Amazon.com of digital markets, the Facebook.com of social media platforms.

Facebook Logo

However, with great honour(read fame) comes great responsibility and expectations from the people that revere you and those that believe in you. You must rise up to the occasion of your effectiveness.

Again, you must also know your limits and work within them. Do not sell yourself out of stock or to depletion and consequently, into depression.

Many people are stressed and depressed because they away too much of themselves, essentially, short-changing themselves; making themselves and their loved ones sometimes miss out on them. That is if all this over-giving of self is not to said “loved ones.”

As a person, know when to stop. Know when to also stop giving and ask for yourself. Do not end up like Robin Williams, or like Tim Berling(DJ Avicci). May both their souls rest in peace.

Robin Williams

Desert Island Days(Exile)

By Wanambwa M. Rogers

In life we all have those days in which we seem to be all alone in the world. The days when no one is allowed to talk you, the days when you’re on a ‘virtual desert island.‘ The purpose of writing this article is to encourage you to never lose your faith in such days, because, there’s always a silver lining in every cloud.

I’ll quote Ecclesiastes and tell that those times will surely come but that doesn’t mean that it is the end of your happiness or that your life has come to an end.

To everything there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven.

Ecclesiastes 3:1

KJV

Sometimes God will send you to an exile to protect you. For example, He sent Elijah to exile to protect him from Ahab’s wicked wife, Jezebel who wanted to kill him. You may be content in an environment that is toxic to you or that is full of your enemies, by getting you into an exile, you’re actually protected and live to tell another day.

And when he saw that, he arose and went for his life, and can to Beersheba, which belongeth to Judah, and left his servant there. But he himself went a day’s journey into the wilderness, and came and sat a juniper tree: and he requested for himself that he might die; and said, It is

enough; now, O Lord, take away my life; for I am not better than my fathers.

1 Kings 19:3-4

KJV

Interestingly, he went to see Jezebel and her followers die after this incident. You see, even mighty men get scared sometimes but it doesn’t mean that you should just give up. Instead, it should give you more courage to persevere.

In other situations, your spiritual life is so depleted but you’re too content in the flesh to seek spiritual rejuvenation without leaving your normal environment. In such cases a self imposed exile on a desert island is the only thing to do. In any case, the universe, or as I know, God will put you there to sort out your spiritual life.

Even Jesus Himself had to go through his wilderness alone. What is interesting though is that he came back stronger and ready for His ministry.

So before you procrastinate and despair about being left alone, know that the best ideas also came and still come from places of isolation.

Isaac Newton was sitting alone under an apple tree when he discovered Gravity, the force. Many artists and musicians create their best work in isolation.

Again, companies like Microsoft, Google, Amazon(all are hundreds of billions of dollars in net worth) came from garages in isolation.

Again your desert island days, those days that everyone leaves you, embrace them, because that’s where your best is being manufactured from. That’s where you’ll know who is your true ally, who your true friend is, and who was wishing the worst on you is. Your enemies, especially those that disguise as allies show their true colors when they think you’re done for.

When you come from it, you’re stronger, you’re ready to take on the world.

Embrace your exile.