This is not the last you have seen of Hope Kamukama( a story of self discovery).

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p>It all started when a friend of mine told me that Digital Opportunity Trust (DOT) Rwanda was recruiting Interns. I was just another fresh graduate hunting for a job, so I rushed to a cyber café and began the application process. I would go back everyday to check my email, hoping and praying to be an Intern. A week later, I was thrilled to receive an interview invitation. I also did an exam, and moved into the 5-week training. Every single training module we went through blew me away. Sharing our pride stories and identifying our passions and strengths let me discover a part of myself I never knew existed. All of a sudden, I had a strong desire to uplift women, one that I couldn't shake off. When I was a little girl, I was fiercely competitive. I couldn't understand why the boys in my class would always do better than the girls. I worked tirelessly to prove that a girl was just as capable of being at the top. Despite this, the girls in my village continued to drop out of class at alarming rates. As I was working hard to illustrate the value of girls, we were becoming fewer and fewer in the room. Most dropped out of school altogether because of pregnancy. As a child I felt helpless. I couldn't control a problem as big as teenage pregnancy! In high school, my best friend dropped out of school and this became personal. My heart was broken for yet another girl who would miss out on opportunities because of an education cut short. Unfortunately, even after joining campus, things didn't look any better. Many girls in my university were struggling to balance life after falling pregnant. The thirst in me to do something was more than ever, but I didn't know where to start. After joining DOT and going through the training, I finally saw the light at the end of the tunnel. I felt more empowered and confident to become a change maker and youth leader. I ran in a youth leadership election and became part of the Youth National Council as a Secretary. The DOT programming, which taught me how to present myself, build a plan and follow through, were key in getting me elected. I am now able to meet with community leaders and speak on behalf of youth. I have the opportunity to raise pressing issues like unwanted pregnancies among youth and school drop out rates. As a leader in my community with access to decision makers, I provide a space for youth to create solutions. I have the confidence to motivate and mobilize young women to empower themselves and stay in school. I love what I am doing, and the helpless child is gone. I have learned that young people don't need just money to survive. We need a support system from family and authority figures. We need to know that our failures are learning opportunities. We need to be taught basic soft skills, be listened to, and encouraged. DOT provided all this to me, and my goal is to do extend that to others. This is not the last you have seen of Hope Kamukama.