Dear Femme Forte Uganda,
Where does time go? How is it possible that one can blink and time is gone ? I remember yesterday so vividly, excited young people , no office space, no money , dreams so heavy they could have broken our backs, or maybe they did …….and so much energy and determination to change the world. How is it five years already? How did you grow up so fast ? I have enjoyed watching you evolve into this beautiful soulful space. You have become a little more comfortable with independence, not needing so much baby sitting and oh, how you enjoy the company of the bigger sisterhood. I have watched you test and push boundaries, do so many things your way even when you were frowned upon, i have watched you dare.

As you grow older, i still believe that a small group of people acting locally and using creative approaches can make a huge difference. I still admire your commitment to serving women and helping them foster effective resilience to break barriers and reach new heights for themselves. I look forward to a time society will afford equal opportunities to both men and women but until then, i am proud of the gospel of feminist theories and principles you continue to preach
You have grown in patience and learned to manage other emotions that constantly creep up on you. The tantrums have slowly faded away and you have gained better comprehension of the world around you. I have watched you fall and fail, some falls more brutal than others , some failures i was afraid you wouldn’t recover from but oh, how proud i am of you today!
Five big years of courage, of strong will, of curiosity, of outgoingness! I have watched you do things very afraid but still trusting that the universe would hold you and ground you in good measure. My heart could explode right now from the emotions and feelings i am catching as i pen this down, so i will go ahead and say it before i ruin everything with tears and waterworks.
Happy fifth birthday my beautiful. As you transition into this new year, I speak five things over you.
1. Trust – one of my favorite scriptures is Habakkuk 2:2-3 “ write down the vision, for it awaits an appointed time, and if it seems like it is delaying, wait for it, for the vision doesn’t lie” i have totally paraphrased it but in all you do, trust the process. It may seem impossible, it may be painful sometimes, learn to trust!
2. Consistency – Build everyday, add a brick , be patient , be true to your call – consistency is a reward for
3. Hunger – whatever you do, remain hungry, whatever you lose , don’t lose your curiosity. Keep finding avenues to grow and to learn, invest in those avenues.
4. Know your craft – be a master of your craft, grow, learn and spread the gospel according to feminism from a place of knowledge, understanding and experience, and when you think you have mastered all, find ways of repacking what you know and rebuild.
5. Empathy and responsibility- you have been called to serve, when you fail, take responsibility for your actions, when you are winning, lead with compassion and empathy
Our future is bright because of our people, our purpose, our values, and our commitment to feminist Praxis. Thank you to our people, the ones who have stayed to clean up even when the party is over , the ones who have been in the trenches with us, shouting our name in spaces we couldn’t access, we are because you care. And now i must really stop before i get ahead of myself, knowing full well you have to go and celebrate this day , this milestone, this new year as you deserve to.

I love you. I am honored to carry you and steward you.
Penelope Sanyu