After graduating from St. Francis School of Health Sciences in Mukono Namataba, Mathias Ssekabira felt a strong urge to apply his knowledge. As he began his professional journey, he aimed to serve the community. Joining the Work Readiness Programme (WRP) seemed like a strategic way to achieve this goal.  

Ssekabira was fortunate to receive coherent instructions in his laboratory practice, particularly soft skills, from the Kyamaganda Community Development Organization (KCDO) in Lwengo District. Now, he is impacting the lives of community members as a Medical Laboratory Officer. KCDO is a local Community-Based Organization that advances the lives of vulnerable communities through socio-economic empowerment.   

At KCDO, Ssekabira's theoretical knowledge of laboratory operations has been put into practice through phlebotomy, which involves collecting samples from patients, examining them, and passing them on to the technician for an informed diagnosis.  

He has embraced the WRP opportunity to visualize his future aspirations. “I have acquired communication and problem-solving skills and can now communicate to patients, counsel HIV persons, persons suffering from syphilis among others,” says a gratified Ssekabira, adding that he has a dream of managing his own facility, which he hopes will improve health outcomes in the country.  

The programme has also helped Ssekabira realize his potential to handle the challenging task of delivering unpleasant news to patients about their HIV status. "When a person tests positive, you have to first prepare them before telling them their status," he says. He has learned to take the necessary time to gently prepare patients to receive any kind of news.  

He is proud that his work has significantly helped to reduce the patient overload at his facility, and teamwork has been his main takeaway from the six-month placement. Grateful for the opportunity to work with KCDO, he gladly endorses the Work Readiness Programme to fellow graduates.