The Shikodo Eight Doors Coaching Program is a solutions, strengths and skills-based program helping young people to become empowered and achieve their goals. While education, vocational training and employment opportunities are an essential part of a successful life journey, Shikodo found that there was a critical missing link – Mindset. Without a Growth Mindset and without psychological skills to navigate the challenges that life invariably throws at us the door to a bright future often remains closed.
Beginning our journey as a not-for-profit organization in2020 in Sydney Australia our work quickly became known and we were approached by two organizations in Uganda Africa to work with young women. Eve, joined our program.
I clearly remember the day I asked Eve what her Dream was. Eve hesitated. There was a brief silence as Eve contemplated the question. Dream? Can a woman have a dream? Women from poorer backgrounds cannot even dare to dream. Eve told me her favourite subject at junior secondary school was writing. She had found a special power in words. ‘But women are not supposed to be writers’, Eve came back at me. ‘Besides I can’t make money from writing. Women in Uganda just aren’t writers’. Who says? Often, entrenched societal beliefs become road blocks.
Fast forward and Eve has learnt to question unfounded assumptions. She has learnt how to navigate when the going gets tough. Eve knows how to use ‘Intentional Adaptation’ to move around road blocks. Today, Eve is a talented flash fiction writer.
We are proud of Eve’s grit and determination as she has crafted gut hitting words to tell the story of women’s survival in Africa. It is not an openly told story but it is a story that needs a voice. Eve’s work can be found at: https://medium.com/@evemuyanja/portrait-of-a-young-ugandan-creative-writer-in-search-of-soul-a2e9b7817f78
Eve has lived with a morass of thoughts hounding her through most of her life. Now these thoughts can no longer harm or limit her. She knows now, it’s not what you think; its how you think. She has unlocked the doors.