Hello, I am Advocate Brownie Ebal
I am a legal Practitioner, Venture Capitalist and Philanthropist.
Welcome to my site.
I love life, travelling, food, beauty, the law, leadership and meeting people from diverse backgrounds. I hope to inspire each one of you with my various articles as I share from my experiences around our beautiful world.
I live in Kampala, Uganda.
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Article 21: Memoirs from a time spent in Holland
Memoirs from My Time in Holland
Written by Advocate Brownie Ebal
Edited by Kasi Editorial Services
This is a piece from the thoughts in my head, during my two-year residence in Holland.
Crazy day. The cultural shock overwhelms me! This is my state of mind every day.
Quiet streets of Holland, but of course, with cyclists In Holland, the weather is always rainy. Too often, lunches consist of sandwiches. How much bread can one take?
I miss my home, Uganda: the chaos, the madness, the ability to find food at any time, whether night or day, whether walking on the road or ordering from a local vendor; the bus/taxi stops we can find along (and sometimes in the middle of) every road.
In Uganda, a taxi can stop at any location (including the gate of any home) provided it can pick up a passenger! Who needs an Uber, right? Ha-ha-ha!
I miss the uniquely Ugandan ability to speak, shout, or start a conversation about the government in a bus (or any public means for that matter) while; the conductor’s voice shouts, “Kamwokya, Bukoto, Ntinda” or “Maaso awo!”
Famous chicken on a stick,”Namawojjolo” Holland is a quiet nation. No speaking in the train or tram; no food by the bus stop. To get food or a drink, you have to go to a designated shop. There are no roadside vendors to bring services closer to you, the Ugandan way. No roasted chicken on a stick or “gonja” by the roadside. I miss Uganda: the hollers taxi conductors direct at you as you walk; the zealous people trying to sell you a piece of maize or chicken, the boys standing in the streets, or running after vehicles to sell you children’s toys.
In Holland, everything closes by 7:00 pm on weekdays. Unlike Uganda where businesses, especially bars, stay open 24/7, Dutch citizens respect their working hours.
Ability to access food at 12:00 am is the norm in Uganda. There is no need to check the taxi or “boda-boda” schedule. To board public transport, you simply stand by the roadside and wait. In Holland, the trains, trams and buses are scheduled. Punctuality is the key to survival.
Oh well, this is the price of living in a developed country. Everything is time-tabled–scheduled to the last minute. As a result, people naturally expect you to come on time– a miracle in my country!
(Note to self) The traffic jam excuse for being late to any appointment will not work in Holland. Buses and trams have their own lanes after all.
In Holland, the ability to cycle to and from work amazes me to this day. It is commonplace to see people going about their business cycling in the rain as though it were nothing. You do not need to dodge cars as you cross the road as I was trained to do in Uganda. Holland has a serene atmosphere; you can walk across a road without having to yell at some reckless driver for breaking the traffic rules.
I miss Uganda’s nightlife. In Holland, a house party is a call to sit or stand and talk for ages about work, the weather and your plans. It is not an occasion for dancing, loud music or food; just lots of drinks and snacks.
At Ugandan parties, you can reach fashionably late, arrive when it is time to eat, and dance the night away. In fact, you can honestly go to a party on an empty stomach and come back full! Sandwiches are not categorized as food to be served at a party.
I am seriously missing Uganda’s crazy quirks.
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Article 20: A youth’s perspective on the meaning of leadership
A Youth’s Perspective on Leadership.
By Adv. Brownie Ebal
Legal Practitioner, Venture Capitalist and Philanthropist
Editors: Kasi Editorial Services
To get a better perspective on what an ordinary 23 -25-year-old believes leadership to be, I asked my close friends what their thoughts were.
Eve, a female lawyer in Uganda, told me that leadership involves leading people to accomplish tasks by inspiring, motivating and encouraging one’s teammates to do better. I agree with this definition because leadership involves leading others to enable them to reach their greatest potential.
Sidney, who is currently undergoing a leadership course, believes that leadership is the ability to sell your vision to people and cooperate with them to achieve a common goal. This definition is accurate to the extent that one cannot be a leader without people following them. To be a greater leader, you must convince others to follow you. However, I disagree with the definition to an extent because I believe we are our first followers. We must believe in ourselves first before anyone joins us.
Martin, a procurement officer, considers leadership as a situation where someone physically, emotionally, spiritually, and socially leads by example. This definition resonates with me because it encourages each one of us, in different fields of life, to employ leadership. It suggests that we can all be leaders.
From my experience, leadership means putting yourself above others and fighting for a greater cause. I believe that the ability to put your own needs aside and fight for something that brings good is leadership.
Whatever your definition of leadership may be, I urge you to be the best version of yourself. This is the only way to become golden daily.
If you have any insights, or would like to write an article or collaborate, please email me on:
infowithbrownie@gmail.com or contact: 0701353592
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Article 19: Young Ugandans impacting lives of the less vulnerable, one book at a time
Written by Adv. Brownie Ebal
Legal Practitioner, venture capitalist and Philanthropist
TRIGGER MOMENT:
As a World At School Global Youth Ambassador for Education in Uganda, I was honoured to be able to attend the Youth Assembly at the United nations . There was a 15 year old girl who started her own NGO called pencil foundation that donated pencils to children in Africa. I was challenged by her bravery and wondered why I kept holding myself back giving excuses of not helping the world because I was too young or had no money.
Attending the UN general assembly Motivated by this young lady, I sat down with friends and we decided to set up an NGO. We named it “Kitabu-Buk” project which means Kitabu-Book in Swahili and Buk- Book in Luo, my mother tongue.
The NGO collects used and new books from Ugandans who have excess and distributes them to schools to help with their learning. We also provide children with career guidance at our donation events.
GETTING BOOKS FROM OUR HOUSE
I then went back home and decided to help with the resources that I had. We had books in our house and thereforeI realised that we needed to donate them to children who couuld not afford such books.
FIRST DONATION EVENT
This was organised with the help of a group of friends. They were able to come share their experiences with the students and also help with carreer guidance for children to stay in school.
At the first donation event with some of the students who received books DONATIONS
We were able to get donations from various people. MK Book Publishers donated books, World Vision donated over 2000 text books to the cause. Nabisunsa Girls’ School, Bwerangi Gilrs’ schools all donated to the materials to be given to various schools. Pepsi Uganda aslo donated sodas to some of the schools we went to.
Students from Bwerangi Girls school who donated their excess books 
Kitabu- Buk Project team receiving a consignment of 2000 text books from World Vision NEWS PAPER ARTICLE
The leading news paper in Uagnda, New Vision wrote an article about the work we do as Kitabu-Buk project and this inspired many young people to join the NGO and make a change in the lives of children.
FUNDRAISERS
Kitabu- Buk Project carries out different fundraisers, but the most significant ones were the door to door fundraisers where we collected books and also sold various African materials to raise money from people’s homes.
Volunteers at the door to door fundraiser DONATION EVENTS
Since inception we have impacted the lives of over 2 million Ugandans and we have donated over 100,000 text books and 3000 scholastic materials to 25 schools in the country.
We have donated to the most vulnerable in society which include the deaf and those in war torn areas.
Donation event at Uganda School of the deaf 
Some scholastic materials that were donated BEING NAMED A HERO
One of the articles named me as a hero in Uganda because of the work Kitabu-Buk project was doing to change lives of children.
QUEENS YOUNG LEADERS AWARDS
I 2016, I was chosen as a Highly Recommended Runner’s up Queen’s Young Leader’s Award for the work Kitbau- Buk Project has been doing.
Kindly visit our website for more information.
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Article 18: A lawyer’s guide to becoming an excellent leader
Written By Advocate Brownie Ebal
Legal Practitioner/ Venture Capitalist/Philanthropist
On Monday 19th December, 2022, the Young Lawyers mentorship Series was privileged to host The ULS President Emeritus, SC. Pheona Nabasa Wall.
The Young Lawyer’s mentorship Series is an initiative by the Uganda Law Society which is platform that was established to enrich the knowledge of young legal practitioners in Uganda. This platform enables the young people gain insights on how to make it big in the Ugandan legal field and emerge as respectable persons of society.
These are the key insights I picked from her talk:
According to Pheonah, leadership is a calling and not a career as anyone can be a leader. In this light, each one of us should strive to walk the talk so as to inspire others to be the best version of themselves.
The ULS President emeritus tasked young people to embrace leadership. Leadership is not in a title but how you carry yourself. She encouraged all young people to strive to be relevant in this digital age and innovate new ways to solve problems. She encouraged the youth to grab the opportunity that social media brings and use it to positively impact the lives of others.
She further highlighted that one’s success depends on one’s daily routine. She encouraged members to wake up early and discussed her morning routine which starts at 5 am. This, she said, has helped her reach office early and dedicate an hour to complete her pending work on time without the interruptions that come from office interactions.
The Guest Speaker further encouraged members to take up the spirit of volunteerism. She said that giving back to your community and those less privileged than you will open doorsthat you never knew existed. Acts of service are a blessing to all. As the Bible says: “It is better to give than to receive.”
She challenged members to create a brand for themselves so that they are known for something positive. She stated that one way to achieve this is through being consistent and keeping your word. This will enable people trust you and give you more responsibility. “If you cannot be trusted with little, then you cannot be trusted with much, “She reiterated.
Key tips on how to progress in one’s career
She stated that each one of us needs to know what we want and work towards it. Sometimes, life can throw various challenges at us but we need to keep steadfast and on track in order to accomplish anything.
She encouraged members to keep learning, retooling and reskilling in an area that interests them.
Key tips on dealing with difficult bosses
She encouraged listeners to read “The 48 laws of Power by Robert.” It will provide insights on how to deal with power.
She encouraged members to pick their battles wisely. Always ask yourself, is it worth it? Also, always remember who is the boss, respect and understand your boss and ensure that they are happy. A happy boss will always vouch for you.
Key tips to keep motivated
She advised members to always put God first. She challenged members to have accountability partners who will keep them on track especially with their faith. This will keep one centered and motivated to keep doing good as Jeremiah 9:11 states:
“I alone know the plans for you, plans not to harm you but plans to prospers you and give you hope and a future.”
Parting shots
She told members not to be afraid to fail as it is part of the leadership journey. You can only learn by trying, not by spectating.
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Article 17: Key highlights from the launch of NWSC Leaders Are Learners Club
Written by: Brownie Ebal
Edited by: Kasi Editorial Services
On the 5th of August 2022, enthusiastic staff of National Water and Sewerage Corporation (NWSC) gathered together at IREC Victoria Garden in great anticipation and celebration of the launch of “The Leaders are Learners Book Club”. The club seeks to enhance motivation and growth amongst the staff. Its core values of the Club are professionalism, teamwork, innovation, results orientation, integrity, reliability and excellence. To achieve NWSC’s goal, the management of NWSC believes in empowering everyone to be leaders of themselves and others. NWSC strongly believes that in order to grow as an organization, we must keep learning. The book club is an initiative to model new leadership for NWSC staff and encourage continuous learning and productivity. This background gave birth to Leaders are Learners Club which was created to enhance staff motivation and growth.
Over 50 people attended the launch with The Managing Director of NWSC, Dr. Eng. Silver Mugisha as the Chief Guest of this progressive reading movement. He was accompanied by the Director of Engineering Services Eng. Alex Gisagara and the General Manager Kampala Water, Eng. Mahmood Lutaaya.
A swearing-in of the Committee and Patron of the club kick-started the event. Distinguished members of the National Water shared wisdom and a wealth of experience with the rest of the team.
Activities for the day.
As President of The Leaders are Learners Club, I started off the event with a welcome address and an outline in which I introduced the Book Club. I shared that the club was an opportunity for people to challenge themselves to learn different things, for example, public speaking, a journey I have embarked on. My address was then followed by the inauguration of the LL Club Executive Committee.
Synopsis of the vision of the LL club.
The Patron, General Manager-Kampala Water Eng. Mahmood Lutaaya shared how the book club can boost productivity and engagement and encouraged staff to embrace this avenue of growth. Upon his invitation, the Senior Manager Legal Department shared a touching story about how the club’s inaugural book The 5AM Club by Robin Sharma helped her to engage her daughter in productive life and work models, such as waking up early, doing tasks on time, and planning.
She intimated that shortly after her daughter read the book, she picked up some of these habits and has reformed her personal and work life. Eng. Gisagara agreed, sharing stories of how waking up early has been part of what has kept him and many of NWSC’s Top management team alert and efficient in emergency works and other management duties required of them.
In depth analysis of 5AM Club and Panel discussion by NWSC employees.
During this event, five participants presented their perspectives of the popular The 5AM Club, sharing their lessons and also validations of habits they had already been practicing. Jackson Wasajja, an Electrical Technician and Winfred Maiga a legal officer shared an anecdote from the book, “Treat people with respect regardless of how they look. They might provide the solution to your problem.” Kakaija Doreen shared how waking up early has enabled her to accomplish more in her work day.
Perspective from Managing Director – Dr. Eng. Silver Mugisha.
He tasked the audience with questions like: Who is a leader? As a Leader what does one want to be in 10 years? He stated that a leader is not born one. He is simply one who knows where he wants to go. He further laid out the qualities of good leaders as: good communicators, planners, emotionally intelligent individuals, mobilizers who influence team members positively, encouragers of teamwork, and persons who choose the right people to work with. Tomorrow’s leaders, he believed, should be resilient, optimistic, with a strong value system, punctual, good concept analyzers with a clear conscience, speedy workers who are confident and risk-management oriented. He pledged his full support to the club.
The guest of honor shared insights about the requirements of today’s leaders to thrive in the workforce. “Leaders conceptualize,” he said, “ are technology-driven, embrace work-life balance, and are risk managers.”
In his words, today’s leaders need to be able to continue to learn in order to keep up with the technological advancements happening worldwide. It is also the way to recognize problems and risks within their work and contribute to solving them. He also shared the importance of having corporate objectives for the book club and individuals who are part of it. In this way, progress can be measured for both the individual and the book club.
The Leaders are Learners Book Club was crowned with two musical performances from staff, Isaac Ezama, a Software Engineer and Maurice Ayoo, a Civil Engineer.
The event closed with a sumptuous meal of meats, juice, tea, cake and a karaoke evening where staff bellowed their lungs out.
Some of the managers of NWSC at the Launch 
The President, Leaders Are learners Club swearing in 
About Me
I love reading, writing, attending events, learning, leadership and meeting new people.
I hold a Masters Degree in International Law and I am passionate about life.
If you are interested in learning more about self discovery and becoming the best version of yourself.
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