08.04.03 How Being Progressive and Development-Oriented Works in Our Marriage

How Being Progressive and Development-Oriented Works in our Marriage

My Personal Experience

My husband and I share a strong commitment to progress and development, which has shaped many of the decisions we have made together. During our courtship, his dedication to improvement played an important role in the success of our cosmetics business at the time, as I was unfamiliar with running an enterprise in Kampala City.

In our marriage, being progressive and development-oriented enables us to actively support each other’s advancement through different seasons. For instance, my husband stood by me during my postgraduate studies, enabling me to navigate life as a student, mother and wife all at one and the same time, moreover in a foreign country far from home. Another example is seen in our work today. We now run a thriving consultancy firm together, and he continues to demonstrate unwavering commitment and encouragement.

In the same way, progress and development are reflected in how my life has evolved since the day we got married. First and foremost, I have the joy of being a mother, and that is one of the greatest milestones I could mention. In addition, I have added further qualifications to the bachelor’s degree I had at the time, which came through my husband’s support. His partnership has been significantly instrumental in my journey as an author, amongst other things. Through his tremendous encouragement, I have been able to perform excellently, write books, songs and produce films. I also know that if it was my husband writing this book, he would have a lot to share regarding how he has progressed and developed since we got married.

Progress and development have also shaped how we manage our ventures through learning and experience. My mind goes back to the first family business we had, which grew to the point of importing cosmetics from the UK, and how it all ended mainly due to neglect, partly after I got children. At that time, we did not have any formal training in business. However, after undergoing business management training, we were able to successfully run our consultancy firm. This has contributed to a greater sense of direction, security and reliability within our relationship.

Being progressive and development-focused enables us to handle changing circumstances without losing stability. As we gain knowledge, experience and perspective, we have become better prepared to adjust to new demands. A good example is when we found ourselves in Uganda for longer than initially intended, and the high moral decadence that confronted us from quarters we least expected. Had we not been committed to progress and development in such an environment, we would have easily gone under. However, we were able to navigate that transition with clarity while continuing to re-establish ourselves together in our home country.

In the same way, progress and development enable us to coordinate our efforts and work toward common goals. A good example is the Smile Project that we jointly established in Arusha, where we were assisting in the education of children living in a nearby slum area. My husband and I led a team of other professionals to bring a noticeable impact that would not have been as successful if we had worked individually. Our contribution was recognised by the Regional Commissioner.

Finally, our readiness to progress and develop shapes how we plan our responsibilities consistently and intentionally. We know that progress and development are not automatic. Through planning, we are better prepared for the demands that come with long-term commitment and shared responsibilities. A good example is a training programme which we had sold as a one-day engagement, only for the client to request that it run for over a year. Although that assignment pushed our capacity to a whole new level, planning and long-term commitment were necessary in order for us to run the training successfully. I must say, the client was very pleased with our performance.