AFIRD HISTORY STORY SERIES - Musisi Alipio
My experience as a staff of AFIRD
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My name is Musisi Alipio, and I have worked with AFIRD for ten years now. I am very honored to be part of the process of documenting the history of AFIRD, including sharing the experiences of both staff and beneficiaries. I believe this will enable us to look back at where AFIRD has come from, and therefore use the lessons to better our work.
As a person, I got to know about the existence of AFIRD when I was a young boy through my mother who is a former beneficiary. During my vacation, however, a job for general duties opened up. I got to know about the job from a friend of my sister, originally, I was not ready to take up the job but eventually figured it would be a good place to earn some money for watching movies, this was my main reason for taking up the job at AFIRD in 2011.
During my period here, I have learned a lot from my colleagues and the different supervisors that I have had through the years. My first supervisor was Madam Nakiwala Annet, she was the organization’s financial manager by then.
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She mentored me and taught me a lot about good management and dealing with difficult situations, she also encouraged me to take on further studies. Under her guidance, I enrolled for and completed my diploma, after which I enrolled for and am now in the second year of my degree in Business administration. When Madam Nakiwala left in 2013, she was replaced by Mr. Mayega Samson as a financial manager of AFIRD and also my supervisor, from him I learned a lot about accounting and accountabilities. From these two people, I developed almost 70% of my skills in financial management, and I was promoted from general duties to administration level, the positions I am still holding up to now.
As a person, I have benefited greatly from being staff here, I have been able to meet a lot of influential people, growing my social capital to up to ten folds., from when I first joined, it is from AFIRD that I got the motivation to go for further studies, make my own business and be part of a family that I believe works day-to-day to improve the lives of other people. The challenges and experiences I have encountered in and/or with AFIRD have been a big stepping stone toward my growth and a better understanding of life as a person.
I consider AFIRD’s biggest achievement to be the one of acquiring a home of its own, this gave me great joy knowing that even after 10-100 years, I could still find AFIRD at the same location which had not been the case before.
I strongly believe AFIRD is destined for a bright future. Despite all the daily struggles that may exist, our team is dedicated to improving for the better. In so many years to come, I see AFIRD as one of the prestigious organizations in the country, and I want to be a contributing factor to that so I wake up every day geared to play my role as best as I can towards that as my personal goal.
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Narrated: Musisi Alipio
Written: Nakiwala Gloria
