Today, 3rd November 2025, we, CPAR Uganda Ltd and Canadian Physicians for Aid and Relief (CPAR), have made history.

I am excited that what seemed impossible has become possible.

Against all odds we insisted on locating a youth media training program in Northern Uganda.

And for the priority benefit of Greater Northern Uganda – West Nile, Acholi, Lango, Teso, Karamoja and Bukedi.

We are happy that we received applications from youth from all over Greater Northern Uganda. Read more in Youth Media Training Cohort 1 Selected.

Yesterday, 2nd November 2025, with nerves we waited for the successful candidates to report.

Exhausted, but full of joy we welcomed the first arrivals to our first cohort of Media Change Agents in Training. All from the furthest parts of their respective sub-regions:

From Apac in Lango; from Omoro in Acholi; from Amudat in Karamoja; from Abim in Karamoja, from Lira in Lango and from Pallisa in Bukedi, they came.

Arriving in Lira City during a significant rainstorm.

Some arriving on boda bodas (public transport motorbikes) dripping wet after they and their belongs were beaten by rain.

Receiving them with joy, at our Dr. Paul Hargrave Memorial Centre, we were humbled.

We resolved to start the training on time and as scheduled, even though we did not have a full house. That is the least that we could do in appreciation of their commitment.

Day one is going well.

I am having to re-learn being the team leader hosting a residential training course for young adults.

Not to worry for I did learn from the best, my mentor, Stan Burkey, now rested. He bequeathed us his wisdom, in writing, of how to host participatory training sessions that are truly life changing.

With significant mixed emotions – sad my mentor is physically no more; but happy that his legacy lives on and that I am apart of sustaining it, I was buoyed by the memory of the good times working alongside my mentor and us mutually supporting each other.

How my mentor, Stan Burkey, autographed copies of training manuals he authored and gifted to me. Click here to read more about him.

Feeling a little melancholy, I got out from my library my autographed copies of the three manuals – Change Agent Training Manual, Program Assistant Manual and Planning a Change Agent Training Course Manual that my mentor authored.

As I read and re-learned, I was smiling and teary eyed at the same time. How so proud he would be, Wait a minute, I believe his spirit watches over me and so he must be proud.

And, right now, I am delighted to learn from the best in the business of media training, Mr. Philip Luswata. Click here and read more about him.

Amazing how it is all coming together with a little help from those gone, but whose legacy lives on.

Without a legacy grant from the kin of late Dr. Paul Hargave (Click here to read more about him), our human development training program, of which the youth media training is a part of, would not have happened.

We expect that our trained media change agents will become agents of positive change in their respective communities. A gift that keeps on giving worthy of commemoration annually on the 3rd Day of November.