WHERE IT STARTED
Rehmah Kasule
Was born a village girl, but she refused to become a village woman in Gomba. That's where she draws her passion and purpose, to support girls and women to get a voice and agency to take charge of their lives and lead change in their communities.
From a young age, she understood that Education is the most powerful weapon one can use to transform the world." As an orphan growing up in rural Uganda, she dreamed of breaking the cycles of intergenerational poverty she witnessed in her community.
Rehmah’s determination led her to start her own Century Marketing business at age 26.
In 2009, after the exposure from the Fortune Global Women’s Mentoring Program in Washington DC and New York,
Rehmah shifted from building brands to shifting Agency – CEDA International with the mission of building a new generation of women leaders and entrepreneurs who are economically independent, socially responsible and politically active.
Rehmah is committed to skilling, linking, and engaging young women to support them in getting self-awareness and social awareness and becoming part of social change – one youth at a time. Her advice to children everywhere is that your background does not determine your destiny; you can change your future when you believe in yourself and develop a positive attitude.
“In 2011, at 14 years, Sandra Batakana was on the verge of becoming a victim of child marriage. The CEDA – Rising Stars Mentoring Program inspired Sandra to dream big. She achieved academic excellence and got a Mastercard scholarship to study at Duke University. Today, Sandra is an Investment Banking Analyst at Bank of America Merrill Lynch. She has paid it forward by investing back in her family and community. ‘Tumeruke’ – Let’s Blossom, a non-profit she founded in 2018, has trained 80 women to start small businesses in rural Iganga in Uganda.”
“As the firstborn in a Muslim polygamous family of 12 children, my father couldn’t afford to give us quality education. The hands-on experiences in micro-enterprise management and vocational skills ignited my passion for fashion design. With my savings and a small loan from my mother, I started making jewelry from local materials and sold them in my neighborhood. I paid for my university education and graduated as a lawyer in 2018. I continue to teach youth how to start and run businesses and gain financial literacy.”
“I have renewed hope for the future. The career guidance sessions from role models ignited my purpose and drove me to academic achievement. I got a government scholarship to study as a midwife at Gulu University, and my dream is to reduce maternal deaths in my district.”
“My mother sells second-hand clothes in Pakwach Market and used to keep her money in the house. After being equipped with financial literacy skills, I encouraged her to open a savings account at Post Bank. I help her with bookkeeping. Our business has grown, has better access to healthcare, and we no longer miss school.”