Andrew Ssentongo
Discovering Purpose
Andrew Ssentongo
TREK COHORT 2 | UGANDA
“I thought life was about academic excellence and me. I was so selfish that I was not bothered about other people’s concerns and needs. I was full of selfish desires, unforgiveness, comparisons, and self-doubt. But God had a plan for me,” says Andrew.
That plan included the next step: joining the Trek program at the Kurumbuka Leadership Hub. He says, “I was so touched by courses like Keys to Freedom, Lead Like Jesus, God’s Will, and Self-Leadership. Through Trek, I got to connect more with God, and my life changed.”
During Trek, for the first time, Andrew really thought about why God created him. “I found God speaking so much into my life, especially about other young people. So many are affected by HIV, teen pregnancy, and other challenges. They need someone to talk to. I realized that I needed to do something, so I started a program called Teens Talk to advise teens on how to make better choices and help them with resources to stay in school.”
If you’ve been part of a startup organization, you’ll know it is not easy, especially for a teenager. “Most of the funds are from my own pockets,” says Andrew. “I believe that if I can provide even three packets of sanitary pads or a few notebooks for a young girl, I can help her continue with school. If God was so good to me, helping me become who I am today, it’s also good for me to give back the little I have. That’s how God can use me to build his kingdom.”
Andrew is studying in the evenings and on weekends to become a medical laboratory technician and volunteering at a hospital in Masaka, Uganda, to gain experience. As the youngest of five with a single mom, poverty prevented him from studying until he won scholarships to attend primary and secondary school.
As he says, “Kurumbuka saw something in me, when Uncle Mike Richardson met me. Then Uncle Sam (Birondwa) and Uncle Denis (Akandwanaho) called me. God and our leaders had a plan for me before I knew.”
“Many people I know don’t have hope - to go to school, to get a job, to be someone in life,” says Andrew. “I realized that my story can be another person’s solution, and God needs to use it to benefit others.”
“It’s through Trek that I was able to realize the potential of what I can do for God. I am so proud to be part of the Kurumbuka family.”
Andrew’s Prayer Requests: “pray that God will use me for what he wants me to do. Pray for the young people of Africa living without hope because I came from that life, and if it wasn’t for God’s grace to put these leaders in my life, I don’t know where I would be now. They gave, for my sake.”
