Book review 17:The Bell is ringing

Book title :The Bell is ringing

Subtitle:Martin Aliker’s story

Author :Martin Aliker with David Gibbs & Hugh Macmillan

Pages:251

Do you know what happens when you are next to an amazing photographer and have a great book? You`re right. An unplanned photo shoot happens😂😂😂. Slay queens mukikola muutya??Photo shoots are hard work.

I was introduced to this book by a one Benjamin Tumukunde ;who constantly recommends legit books.I sum this book up in one statement: Purpose = influence.

Martin Aliker is born in Acholi land to Lacito Okech in 1928,a prominent chief.As a son of a chief, he gets an opportunity to study at Kings school,Budo(now Kings college,Budo) a school for the royals and later joins Makerere University college -now Makerere University.

Because of his desire to travel to America for further studies,he goes to Need Munger and tells him, “Uganda needs trained people.I also mentioned that I enjoyed ,and was good at,science and that there was not one African dentist in the whole of Uganda.”

He gets into Northwestern University in Chicago which had the best African studies program in the US.He learns from the best in dentistry and later on meets,Camille, a black American woman.The two later get married and move to Uganda. They have four children together and have been married for 56 years.

He was so excited to come back home and practice but found archaic machines in the local hospital until he was advised to go into private practice. His private practice flourished and he was called upon to operate on Dr. Obote when he was shot in the mouth.

He grew in prominence ,it’s like God had ordained for him a path of influence. Heads of states knew him and top CEO’s wanted him to be on their boards.He was forced into exile in Kenya by Amin as a result of his chairmanship at the Uganda Argus-a local newspaper.He thrived in Nairobi and grew his dentistry in a foreign country.

He has a rich story,full of history seen through the eyes of a Ugandan. He speaks of all Ugandan presidents right from Kabaka Mutesa who on his opinion the only uncorrupt president to date because he had it all. Speaks of his growth from dentistry and later politics.

At one point,he was asked to be president but he turned down the offer .Museveni recruited him as a state minister for foreign affairs because of his diplomatic relations.He was sent to Libya to meet Gaddafi ,LRA to meet Kony and his men,UK,US on behalf of Uganda.

He ends the book with retrospection, comparing the Uganda then and the Uganda now. There are major differences,good ones at that and he exposes the gaps.

“I am a Ugandan who was alive and mature when this nation was born on 9th October 1962. It is not a perfect country ,but it is a beautiful country with mostly good people. It is the only country we call our own. Nobody can deport or expel us from this land of ours.”

I recommend this book to every Ugandan. You deserve to know the history of Uganda through the eyes of a Ugandan.You are guaranteed to learn so much about Uganda and the events that have transpired over the years e.g LRA rebel group, the untouchables, education,strong civil service,British colonial rule.

PS; Look at my hair mane.hihi

He brings the story home. This is Uganda’s book.

Photography :Jude Ochen

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Book Review 15: No Makeup On

Book title: No Makeup On

Subtitle:The Rebirth of Identity

Author: Hope Babigumira

Pages: 150

I got this book from a friend (Hey Prossy) and I promised her that I would be done within a week,little did I know that a week was too long for me to devour 150 pages. Hope Babigumira thank you for sharing your story with me. Here goes my review….

No makeup on is a transparent book with a grace-filled story.

Hope is born into a good family with father ,mother,siblings, a good house and good schools and so much more. Her parents care so much to give them a good education and therefore ensure they enroll them into the best schools in Kabale, because hey, the right foundation is important.

As with many Ugandan stories, death snatches their father away from them and the once well off family lands on a stranger-STRUGGLE. Her mother has to pick up what is left and fend for her babies along with other dependents ,who she had to eventually release because she was unable to help them any longer. As if the loss of their father wasn`t enough, death visited again and snatched away their little brother. It could have been Hope but as fate would have it, the brother sat in her place and boom,the wall hit him hard.

Hope on the other hand goes through her own struggles. She struggles to fit in, be cool, body consciousness and sensitivity, sexual abuse, drinking and partying, daddy issues, abortion.

Armed with a distorted self image, Hope ends up getting pregnant for the first man who treated her like a queen. Her perspective on love was what Mills and Boon had served her with, a handsome money with a body to die for, would meet you and you fall in love instantly ,have sex and live happily ever after. But this wasn`t the case, this handsome man got her pregnant and he wanted nothing to do with her. Stuck with a pregnancy in her Senior six, her friends advise her to abort and she goes through with it. This left her with a feeling of guilt only God can heal anyone from.

She  moves on to Makerere University, her cycle never ends, drinking, partying, and sex never stop. She graduates, starts the work journey but has no idea of saving or handling money better ,which is the case with many graduates and those still at the university. She is on a journey to financial freedom and writing a book is one of the chapters on this journey.

She meets her husband, they fall in love and move on to start a family. She comes back to her church roots (she was raised in a christian home with strong christian values) because she was tired of life as she knew it and needed to be better for her daughter.

A friend recommends her to a church-worship Harvest where she heard the gospel of grace. She could n`t believe that God wanted anything to do with her after her dark past, but indeed He wanted everything to do with her. God has dealt with her daddy issues, distorted identity, sexual abuse trauma, low self esteem and so much more. He has restored her to Himself and to her purpose.

It is evident through her journey that she has learned invaluable lessons, found her voice and her purpose. She is ready to live her life with purpose and impact the next generation of young ladies.

I recommend this book to every girl/woman out there, we all have issues we are dealing with similar to Hope`s.We need someone to tell a story we relate too/with and Hope does that in her book.You are guaranteed to have `AHA!!’ moments as you flip the pages.

To all the ladies out there, you are enough.You FATHER loves you deeply.He rejoices over you with singing. Be brave.Be you.

Get a copy of the book  at Aristoc -30,000 Ugx