Meet the Youth Council 

Here to keep the youth involved and excited about the community 

BATENGA KIBONEKA

Youth Representative

About

Tacoma Science and Math Institute '17
​Age: 18
Interests/Passions:  I love dancing, singing in choir, traveling, spending time with people I care about and meeting new people.
What I like about the community:  I appreciate how support the community is in times of celebration and true hardship. People can depend on someone being their to have a good conversation with, laugh, cry and bring good food. 
What I want to gain: I want to learn how the organization works and cater it towards the youth while also improving my leadership skills and bring people together. 

MARY SEMAKULA

Council Member

About

​Auburn Riverside '17
​Age: 17
Interests/Passions: Listening to music, cooking, shopping, taking pictures and socializing
What I like about the community: I like how most of us have grown together and know each other well.
What I want to gain: I want to learn how to better incorporate a variety of ideas ad meet new people. 

MIRIAM KAYONGO

Council Member

About

Rogers High School '20
Age: 15
Interests/Passions: I enjoy choir, singing, shopping, traveling and going on adventures.
What I like about the community: I like that PNUAA is so welcoming and you can meet new Ugandans and have a place to socialize with other Ugandans.
What I would like to gain: I would like to get more leadership skills and create more unique and fun activities that incorporate the youth of PNUAA. 

EVENTS

YOUTH OF THE MONTH

Each month there will be a new youth of the month. Here you can learn more about them,  who they are and what they are doing/invovled in. If you are interesred in being youth of the month please contact Batenga Kiboneka.

March 2017

MIMI MUKASA

​Westmont freshman ‘20
Where/What are you doing or involved in currently?
In my life I am currently figuring out where I fit in this puzzle piece of life. My favorite phrase, be the change you want to see in the world causes me to want to bring people together and show the bigger message of love. When I attended the Women’s March I saw kids, women, men, and families and as a collective we were spreading the bigger message that we are all humans with the same goal and want the same things. No matter the leadership of this nation we the people stand together. There is beauty in standing up for what you believe in and I strive to create a place where my sons and daughters can walk together in love, peace, and justice with hope and faith.
I joined the US Army, in 2016. When I was younger I would see people in uniform and it would spark this excitement. There is something so honorable and jaw dropping about doing something worth fighting for. Having such great purpose in what you do in life that nothing can stop you as long as there is that purpose, drive that strives you to come in day in and day out and fight for freedom because isn’t really free. We have the privilege to have someone in the background fighting for us, the unseen battle. I later asked myself, why that couldn’t that be me? Fast forward to a few months ago I attending boot camp and job training for five months in the South, preparing myself to be a part of the Army Reserves. I lived in a bay with 54 other females and every aspect of that life was on the go, from taking a shower to eating a meal, we moved with a purpose even without knowing the purpose. Our drill sergeants had our best interest and were now training the next generation of soldiers to be better than the last.
Every day was different but the things we always had were food, church on Sunday and a phone call from family. I didn’t just want to get by but I lived and enjoyed every aspect, even the hard parts. So I was open to meeting new people, learning how to be a leader and a real solider. I learned to take the army values; Selfless Service, Loyalty, Respect, Duty, Honor, Personal Courage and Integrity and then incorporated them in my every day life. It felt so too easy to do so because we had such great leaders, our drill sergeants. They were our teachers, with so much responsibility they truly embodied selfless service.
I started school this January at a small liberal arts Christian college in Santa Barbra. I plan on double majoring in Sociology and Religious Studies. I want to study and understand people and how they interact in relation to society. It ties in with social justice and something I can do in the future. With religious studies, I am interested in furthering my knowledge in the history and foundation of Christianity while exploring my passion and interest in ministry.
What do you appreciate about PNUAA?
I appreciate the family, relationships, and the culture. It is somewhere I never fail to get that family advice and support from a community that has my best interest. It is about family being together and being in community. You can always count on finding people to laugh and smile with.
What do you like and want to change about the community?
I want the youth to be seen more, to have a voice. Designated events for the youth that is funded by PNUAA. I want a Youth Committee or organization that is specific to planning these events and I would love to be a part of that. I feel that it is important that we invest in the younger generation. I feel that the adults do a great job of showing us what community looks like. We see in the community that people are happy and staying in touch which is beautiful to see our culture still thriving. In the same way that the adults host events they should also allow the youth to organize events to continue on the culture with each generation by teaching the youth how to put their thoughts into action. We want to have a voice.
What is your dream destination?
South Africa, interested in the history during the apartheid, meet people, hear people’s stories and be immersed in their culture.