My name is Levy Mukolwe, a dreamer, a digital craftsman in the making, and a proud son of Emunali village in Butere Sub-county, a place where the soil was humble but the dreams ran deep.
Born into a family of five, life wasn’t always kind. My parents had no formal employment. Most days, we danced between survival and sacrifice. The smell of a cooked meal wasn’t guaranteed, and the weight of school fees was ever-present. But even in that quiet struggle, I learned how to hope.
In 2011, I stepped into Ebubala Primary School with dusty shoes but bright eyes. Seven years later, I left with 376 marks in KCPE (an A- grade), a number that meant possibility.
I joined Butere Boys High School, a place that didn’t just shape my academics but carved new edges into my character. It was here that the universe tossed me a red rubber ball, literally.
The Red Rubber Ball Foundation entered my life with more than financial aid; it brought light, direction, and belief. I had imagined that with their support, I would walk straight into university after high school. Life, however, had other plans.
When I didn’t make it to campus, the silence was loud. I felt broken. I questioned everything. But then I remembered I was visible. I had little brothers in the village who whispered my name. I had fellow students who believed I was going somewhere. I had a responsibility, not just to succeed, but to continue.
And so, I did. I joined Butere Technical & Vocational Training Centre to explore ICT, and later moved to ICS College, where I’m currently pursuing a Diploma in Information Communication Technology. Along the way, I added a Cisco Web Development Certificate to my arsenal, sharpening my coding claws and awakening the innovator within.
But I didn’t stop there.
With my Tech knowledge and a burning need to express what life has taught me, I wrote an eBook about masculinity “The Unbreakable”. I also launched a side hustle in web development and system design, planting the seeds for something bigger: my future web development agency and a software engineering school for youth like me.
The Red Rubber Ball Foundation gave me more than support. It gave me a lens to view myself clearly. Every workshop was a mirror. Every story was a fire. One story that never left me is Bakhitah’s. Her strength, her voice, her fight, it lives in me now. She reminded me that discipline isn’t just about routine; it’s aboutremembering who you said you wanted to become.
To anyone reading this …
You will fall. You will question. You will feel small.
But if you hold your purpose tightly, tighter than fear, you’ll rise.
You are not just a name on a list.
You are a light waiting to shine.
You are a bounce waiting to happen.
I may not have taken the straight road, but every bend gave me a lesson. I caught the Red Rubber Ball and now I’m running, building, becoming.
Thank you to the Red Rubber Ball Foundation. Thank you for seeing me, believing in me, and giving me a reason to never let go of the dream.