I Changed How They Do Their Things

My name is Beckham Asiimwe. I have always wanted to go to school but did not have money. I dropped out in Senior Three, because when I got to Senior Four, I failed to sit for the final exams due to lack of school fees. I’m still a teenager, only eighteen years old, though people do not believe that when they see me. I look older, and I think like an adult. I had to grow up very fast and to plan for my life. In this world, everything you come across, you take it, and then you plan to see how you can earn a living. I think if I get money, if I manage to put my company on track and it earns me something big, I’ll go back to school because I’m still young. But since that option is not available, I have to plan for my life.

I always liked films, and I always wondered how they make films, especially special effects in science fiction. This is what first drew me to media. So, when I heard about this training, I took the chance, and mostly because it was the best opportunity for me to gain skills that I can use to earn a living. I must say I have put what I learned to good use.

In my church, I’m head of the media team. I do the camera work and edit church videos. I had basic knowledge about media production but after learning the professional way, I changed the way the church does its media. You see, I’m a born-again Christian and I want my church to grow like other churches, and one way to do this is through social media. The church did not have a YouTube channel, and I created one. It’s getting subscribers, since I put out videos with a good quality of picture and sound. 

I have also made for myself a job, and I’m starting my own company. It started in a funny way. I used to work for one of the big wedding video companies in Kabale, but this guy would take more jobs than he can manage, since weddings happen on one day of the week. He would then subcontract other people, including me, to do some of his jobs, and he would give us something small. So, I shared my contacts with a person who was the Master of Ceremony (MC) at a certain wedding, and later this MC called to complain that my boss had delivered poor quality work. At that moment, I got an idea, and I told this MC that I do not work for my boss. That I have my own company. I made up a company name to convince him. Since he plays the middleman for brides and grooms, getting for them people to cover their weddings, he gave me a chance. I made a loss on that first job. I hired other people with their cameras to film and I did the editing, but the client was so happy that she added me some money. She was amazed that a young boy like me could do such work. So, though I made a loss on that first gig, I made a name, and since then I have gotten jobs here and there. I’m not yet very good, and some people still don’t trust me, but at least I’m on the right track.