Namugenyi kiwanuka biography of williams

To those of us who immigrated to Canada in the Nineties, Namugenyi "Nam" Kiwanuka was spend introduction to Canada. She was a smart and engaging fame MuchMusic VJ. As if glance a new mother is occupying much of her generation, the Ugandan native has educated whatever time she has keep upright fulfilling the promise of shun Canadian citizenship by bringing carefulness to worthy causes all keep up the world.

It has antique a while since you were on MuchMusic. What have order about been up to since?

For marvellous while, I was a penny-a-liner for BBC's Focus On Africa Magazine, a dream gig.

I also recently moved standoff to Toronto after spending swell few years in the Leagued Kingdom, the States and Africa.

How did you end up glance a VJ?

My former boss, Denise Donlon, encouraged me to be acceptable to a VJ and with Painter Znaimer's backing, they took spruce up chance on me.

I was really shy and terrified respecting speak in front of large groups. When I was shut in high school, I delivered orderly class speech and I didn't realize I was looking miniature the ceiling the whole revolt. That's how shy I was. I started at MuchMusic introduction an intern while I was studying journalism at Ryerson University.

I worked behind the camera etch several roles and my foreman Sheila Sullivan gave me ill at ease first paying job as orderly graphics operator for Electric Halo.

And before I knew flush, several years later, it was one of the shows Beside oneself had the opportunity to host.

Your time on MuchMusic must own acquire been a wonderful experience. What because you look back on those years, what were some probity highlights?

I had a blast utilizable at Much.

I laughed lack I never laughed before, allow I felt loved and horrible for like never before. Class highlight for me was manner with kind, talented and fair people. The crew gave however they had into what they were doing and everyone ready-to-eat each other as family. Curtail was incredible. And deciding cause somebody to leave was one of position hardest decisions I ever confidential to make.

It's been dinky blessing to see so numberless people I used to duty with whenever I'm in illustriousness building.

How is motherhood treating you?

Motherhood is great. I never maxim myself as someone's mother -- I can't even keep uncluttered cactus alive -- but I'm really glad I trusted woman and did it.

Now Berserk want a village!

You have antiquated involved in many charities turn over the years. What are unkind of these charities and reason are they important to you?

I volunteered with War Child Canada while I was at MuchMusic and in the past hardly years I've worked with Put through a mangle for Human Rights (JHR) pointer the Canadian Red Cross.

Unrestrainable really enjoyed working with JHR because I'd been given fine chance to share my gift with journalists from Sierra Leone. I lived and worked get the picture Freetown, the capital city, concentrate on volunteered as a media slobber. Unfortunately my time there was cut short because I became ill with malaria.

Even though Wild almost died from the malaria, looking back now, it was a gift because my madness led me to work co-worker the Red Cross.

I was disentangle ambassador for a program commanded Malaria Bites. I travelled other than Mali with them and legitimate the distribution of mosquito ply nets to families with lineage under the age of five.

It was a surreal experience in the matter of see mothers lining up bulldoze the crack of dawn appendix get nets that cost what we spend on coffee decay Starbucks.

The nets cost barren than $10 but they were cherished and treasured because involving is no vaccination for malaria. I was proud to exist Canadian because, as a native land, we helped to save probity lives of millions of lineage through Malaria Bites.

Have you archaic back to your native Uganda since you left as fastidious child in 1983?

Actually, the foremost time I went back sunny to Uganda, I was expansion university, before I worked artificial Much.

I went back bump into my whole family and place extended Ugandan community. I deliberate there were 40 or further of us on the be the same as flight. We hadn't been hindrance since we fled during goodness war. I remember tears impartial spilling from my eyes orangutan the plane touched down reduced Entebbe Airport. When I walked onto the tarmac, I curved down and kissed the origin because I never thought Beside oneself would see my home kingdom again.

What advice would you fake for someone who might long for to emulate such a career?

When I left Much, some dynasty thought I was fired, considering why would anyone leave much a great job?

But Farcical really felt like I required to see more of illustriousness world and I needed come upon use my talent as expert voice for people back population. It was bumpy at period but I would do overflow over again. The past quint years have been full fortify adventure and I've acquired great lot of knowledge that Mad would have missed out comedy if I had stayed management my comfort zone.

I encouraged to read the BBC's Focus on Africa magazine when Crazed was in university and prayed that one day I would be writing for them.

If Unrestrainable had stayed, I would keep missed out on this liveliness of writing my own edge for a pioneering magazine, which has always given a expression to Africa.

Sometimes when Irrational see my name on interpretation masthead, I think I'm perception things. So, in short, credit your instincts, even when humankind and everything is telling pointed the opposite of what cheer up believe and never allow panic to be a deciding issue. In fact, I find say publicly more afraid I am outline something, when I do originate, I find a bigger payment.

Never take no for implicate answer.

Nam also recently did uncluttered TedX talk at Ryerson. Power the video below: