Joshua Emmanuel Walusimbi: Innovating Reproductive Health Education in Uganda with Wekume

Tasha: [00:00:00] Good morning. Can you please introduce yourself and tell us a little bit about your nonprofit origin story?

Joshua: Hi. My name is Joshua. And I come from Uganda.

Joshua: I’m born and raised in a family of seven siblings. I’m the youngest. In 1999, I lost my sister. She was a student. She contracted AIDS. And times, as I grew older, I started interacting with my family members, asking them about, what had happened and everything. And I was told that actually it is kind of a taboo to talk about reproductive health, in, in our society.

Joshua: My mom she’s a little bit hesitant to talk about it, but then one time we had a discussion on it. So what happened? And then she told me, she’s passed on, she contracted HIV, she was very young, we didn’t have any help, by then there weren’t any kind of medication and all those kind of things, and the fact that reproductive health is like a [00:01:00] taboo here is this, it is highly stigmatized.

Joshua: So that was. And that’s, that also contributes to how people in the early days of HIV used to access the necessary services or help basically they needed. Yeah. So as a student, when I went to campus, I realized that the very same things that my siblings, that my sibling was going through or could have gone through the same things were happening.

Joshua: I had siblings, I had sorry, I had fellow classmates that dropped out of school. that got pregnant. I had a friend that, they’re just casual dating, then the girl was pregnant. There was a phase in these ends when there were this type of condoms that were substandard, but nobody knew.

Joshua: So all these students were getting pregnant, but they didn’t know why they’re getting pregnant. So that kind of pushed me, to think of something to do, with years of experience in reproductive health, I was like, okay. Maybe I could use my knowledge, to think of something.

Joshua: So I started [00:02:00] up something that’s called Wekume. Actually Wekume means to protect yourself. We believe that students hold an individual responsibility to protect themselves first. And Wekume is focusing on preventative approaches. You know what, if you don’t want to be sexually active, that’s okay.

Joshua: That is one form of protecting yourself. But if you choose to be sexually active. You have to protect yourself, use contraceptives, have one partner, constantly go and check. And these are things that actually, these are things that are valuable in our society, but the fact that they’re stigmatized, it makes it harder for students to access such services.

Joshua: So that’s how, so that’s the genesis of Wekume and how it came about out of a personal experience, with my sibling and now to this day. It’s

Tasha: amazing. I love it. That’s so great. And I know we, We talked and you hadn’t launched yet. This is fairly new and it’s been a project you’ve been working on a long time, but just in February was [00:03:00] your launch.

Tasha: Yeah. That’s February

Joshua: 14th.

Tasha: February. It’s a great Valentine’s day gift, right? Yes, exactly. I love this. And what’s your favorite what’s your favorite part of being in the nonprofit industry? What do you love about this work?

Joshua: It’s. It is very interesting because most of the nonprofits that I’ve engaged with, that I’ve worked with or that I’ve interacted with when I speak to their founders it come it has been a personal experience, that pushed them to set up something.

Joshua: When we went to the minister of health sometime last year and we were like, this is what we are doing. This is what we want to do. The minister of health was like, you know what, guys, this is something that nobody has done anything about. So you are the first people. to be in this space. And when we went again last month to again to try to chat with them, they’re like, we won’t guarantee your funding, but we know what you’re doing is really important because the ministry doesn’t have any funding.

Joshua: So, with the [00:04:00] U. S. pulling out, the U. S. I just actually today, listen, and the U. S. Is was saying they’re not going to be funding any preventative approaches in reparative in HIV related issues. So we are in a very interesting space right now. So Something that really interests me is that having the capability to, to drive change in my society and be able to fill in a gap that I did not, will exist anyways, but we’re just coming at the right time when people need it, to me, and the fact that this is a non profits that are also being innovative these days, I’ve always liked to be innovative.

Joshua: I always wanted to be entrepreneur. And these are these things that we’re doing, so being able to, have space to be innovative, to be entrepreneur, to be able to, impact other people’s lives, cause I don’t think a student should be able to drop out of school just because she got pregnant or because impregnated somebody’s daughter, maybe because you [00:05:00] contracted HIV or any decision that, that might, that, they might come out of miscalculations as a student.

Joshua: I think that students deserve more. So being able to drive that kind of impact, be able to contribute to somebody’s life, I think to me that is something I love about nonprofit world.

Tasha: Yeah. And I think you said something really special because you’re looking at nonprofit as a place to be an innovator.

Tasha: And so often people look at nonprofits and think. They don’t think of the word innovation, which is so sad because I think nonprofits do have a lot of power to be innovative. But we have to step into that role, we have to embrace it as innovators.

Joshua: Definitely.

Joshua: That’s very true.

Tasha: I love it. I think so. Such a cool offering and what you’ve created is incredible. As you’ve been starting to build out with Kume and it’s now launched, what are some of the challenges you’ve experienced on the way to creating this nonprofit? [00:06:00]

Joshua: Oh man, quite a, quite, quite a lot. But one thing that I have recently experienced was burnout.

Joshua: I completely got burned out and I I didn’t know what was wrong. I I just felt ill. I didn’t know what was happening. And this was days after the launch, when we launched our piloting. I burned out and, like, I just felt ill for a week or two. I didn’t know what was the issue.

Joshua: But while I was talking to one of my team members, they’re like, maybe that is the issue, like the anxiety, the excitement, I mean. My team has grown to over 39 people. It’s amazing. In just like three months in, just three months, we have people from Asia that are working with us, people from Europe, from Africa, from North America.

Joshua: We have so many people around all around that are working with us. And I think that whole, experience, having to be at the center coordinating, be in every meetings, try to keep tabs on everything. I think that [00:07:00] is where I got banned, but later on, I, I’m also realizing the other things as a, as an entrepreneur, that you’re facing in the, being in a, an non-profit world or specific at Wame I remember when I was starting out Wame, I, it was just me with a friend standing on, on one of the highways, it’s called Int Roads.

Joshua: It’s the highway from the airport. We are just chatting about it and then I’m like, oh, maybe we could do this, and then boom, but, and then I got, and then another friend jumped on and then, people have been coming on and off. I think another challenge I can think of is having people that are attracting talent and retaining talent.

Tasha: I think

Joshua: That is another issue because when things are hard, you don’t have, you don’t have anybody to pay. Everyone is just using their talents. People will live in a society where people there, it’s like we are living hand to mouth, if you don’t work today, you’re not going to eat.[00:08:00]

Joshua: So being able to find somebody that is willing to be on the team has been a really challenge. It has been a big challenge for me, but I’ve also realized that the more I’ve grown as an individual, I’ve realized that I could make connections with people, and nonprofit hive has been a big part of that as well as the women change.

Joshua: They’ve helped me, and you introduced me by that one. They will make change,

Tasha: yeah, they’re great.

Joshua: Yeah, that has been a very good tool for me to get talent and be able to see through, who comes and I mean, we got over, I think I’ve over 50 applications in total for people to join where call me but even the process of going through to, to pick the talent in interviewing, sometimes in meet a meeting people at two in the morning, sometimes I have to wake up at five, just to be in meetings.

Joshua: But just because it’s something I care about, You obviously do it.

Tasha: Yeah.

Joshua: Yeah. And I think another [00:09:00] challenge is self doubt. Yeah. Sometimes you, like when we had all these people join the team, there was a time when I was like, are we really gonna pull this off? I was I looked at it.

Joshua: I’m like, this is too big. And I kind of doubted myself. So I and I think that is one of the things that really, you know, that kind of challenged me, but I’ve been able to overcome that, and okay, this is it, this is happening. So yeah, I think those are some of the things I can think, I mean, at least it’s pretty long, but I don’t want to, yeah,

Tasha: no, I, they’re the exact same challenges, Joshua, that I have right now too, right? Mm hmm. The nonprofit hive is 18 months old, 18 months. And it feels so big. And I just brought on we had our first people staff in September. So it’s not even, just coming up on six months and you’re looking at it.

Tasha: And all of a sudden, it used to be just me and I did all of it and I figured it all out. And I thought, I [00:10:00] think there’s that feeling once you have a team that. It’ll get easier when there’s a team, but it doesn’t immediately get easier because before it was just me and I’m very good, probably similar to yourself.

Tasha: Just put my head down and I work and I can work for a long time. And but then when you’re having to try to explain to somebody else your vision and your idea, that’s so hard. It’s so hard to explain that. That is

Joshua: very true. That is when I sometimes tell my team that I’m like, you know what guys? Most of the things that I say about my comment, I don’t even list it down anywhere.

Joshua: They’re not on paper anywhere. They’re just in my head. So if I have a challenge trying to, if I’m to explain to every single person, or everything that I have in mind, it’s going to be confusing, yeah. One time we asked somebody, one of the team member asked me, what was the long term goal for five years?

Joshua: And I told them that This is not happening so I’m like, and I was just testing the waters, [00:11:00] so I’m like no.

Tasha: I have people who, same thing, go, what’s your five year plan? And I’m like, I don’t have one yet. Thank you for thinking I have one. I’m still figuring it out, and Yeah. It’s a challenge going from founder to leader, uhhuh. , because they’re not the same thing. There’s like a founder and then there’s a leader, and eventually you’re going to be both, but it doesn’t just happen overnight. Yep. It’s very challenging.

Joshua: True. And actually, and one of the things that I’m actually thinking and I’ve experienced, and I’ve chatted with my team of a couple of things.

Joshua: I’m like, you know what, when we get to a certain level, I’m gonna step aside as a CEO and focus on innovation within Kumi. Because, I might be the vision bearer, but I think I’d rather focus on the innovation part of Wekume than worry about having to make a decision about money, finance, fundraising, all those kind of things.

Joshua: I mean, I would love to keep tabs on those, but I would rather have somebody manage the resources of the organization for me while I focus on innovative approaches of Wekume and what we are trying to do. Yeah.

Tasha: That’s [00:12:00] actually the sign of a great leader to know sometimes where your genius is, right?

Tasha: Like sometimes it’s better to go, I’m great for this and I will be amazing. And someone else would be a better CEO. That’s actually, that’s a. That’s not a bad thing to recognize that in yourself. So my next question is about peer support. As you started out in nonprofit, as you’ve started to build, how how does peer support help you in your work?

Joshua: When you say peer support, do you mean my team members?

Tasha: It can be your team members. It can be other people in nonprofit as you were starting to build and get ideas and, like workshop this idea in the nonprofit. space. Those peers, I work in other nonprofits.

Joshua: phenomenal. I m have never met before and know somebody, I cannot do this person, it And I think, and the a very sensitive part of know, we’re like, everyone about it, but not re of the topics, I’ve had a lot of people that, I mean, I could [00:13:00] mention over 50 people, that I’ve met and they’re like, Hey, we like what you’re doing, and we are willing to support you.

Joshua: And I think also, when you want support, I think also it gets confusing, with, to me, it has gotten me confused, confused a little bit because. As a nonprofit, sometimes as a startup, sometimes you’re struggling with funding, but I personally do not think money is the, is the only thing I, and I’ve taught and I’ve, I’m pushing this with my team.

Joshua: I’m like, it is relationships, relationships. Those are the ones that will help us, get where we’re going. And I think to me, the most tricky part is when I meet somebody, for example, on a call we do, we connect very well and all those kind of things. One of the challenging issues has been to continue that relationship, to a point where we can have a second call, a third call.

Joshua: I mean, there are people that I connected with and they are great people, they were willing to support me. And then sometimes, it [00:14:00] gets to a point where you cannot reach them anymore, and then you’re like, okay. How do I do that? But again, that gives you a lesson to move on.

Joshua: When I meet another person, what do I do? How do I make sure, what can I change, evaluating yourself and to me, that might not be as supporting in, in, in a way, but the fact that I’m able to learn from the people that I meet to me, every person has been able to add something to me, say, okay, this is what you’re doing.

Joshua: This is what you’re doing. And this is what I’m doing. This is what you are doing. And this is what I’m doing. Even if it’s just a one minute call a text to me, I think, and even like somebody, like sometimes I’m on LinkedIn and then somebody comments on your posts, you don’t even know them, or maybe somebody wants to connect with you and you don’t even know them.

Joshua: I’m like, okay. I guess this is something good,

Tasha: absolutely. Absolutely. I think talking about our work is really important, right? And it is important for us as we practice saying what our mission is. Especially as a founder you have to be able [00:15:00] to communicate that.

Tasha: And I’m sure, you mentioned lots of different challenges. There’ll probably be new ones in six months that maybe someone else will have already experienced that and they’ll have some suggestions and yeah, it’s always great. I love meeting new people in the sector. It’s fantastic.

Tasha: Yeah. My final question that I always ask is, what have you gotten out of being a member of the nonprofit? Hi.

Joshua: Um. There is a guy called Pius, when I met him, we didn’t meet actually on the very day, sometimes I’ve realized that sometimes somebody sets up a time and then, oh, can we meet another time?

Joshua: So okay, fine. Especially people that are in Uganda. But when I met him he actually was the first to him. Hey, you know what, man, I like your mission. I like what you’re doing. You need to start posting more about this. You need to actually ever since that day, I’ve never gone back. Always been posting.

Joshua: And I recently looked through my analytics impressions this week and just this week, [00:16:00] I think have over 3000 impressions on my posts, and I’m like, okay, that is really good. So I think to me, it’s kind of like what we said, sometimes rather than somebody you met two or three months ago, Hey, I just thought about you.

Joshua: I thought I should check in with you, and I’ve also been able to do the same thing. Say, guys, there is something I know, can we share,

Tasha: yeah,

Joshua: that kind of mutual benefit, so we come on a table whereby I have something to offer and you have something to offer.

Joshua: So we are all, exchanging, something.

Tasha: Ideas. And you’ve taken 25 chats now, just I looked at 20. I know exactly. I always like to tell people, cause a lot of the times they don’t know. I think you just. Sign up and week after week goes by and but yeah, you’ve taken 25, which is amazing.

Joshua: Wow. Those are 25 weeks, right?

Tasha: Yes. 25 weeks. Yeah, exactly. Exactly. 25 weeks. Yeah. [00:17:00] So I always like to finish off with these interviews, but you know, what are some of the goals for the year ahead for Wakume, for your team, what are you hoping to do this year?

Joshua: This year we hope to come up with a better version of the app.

Joshua: Actually, if you allow me, one of the things that we are struggling with is having developers on our team. That has been like, I’ve met so many people, even CSU was helping me find developers. Also, some of the general guys were helping me get, but we haven’t really gotten like that touch.

Joshua: And that is like something that we are really pushing hard to make sure that we have on the team. Yeah. But one of the things that we are really looking towards is finishing the piloting. We have over six months of piloting. We want to be done by around October. I think that that is our goal.

Joshua: And then we want to have a pause. Somewhere in June and then resume in July, and then we want to launch in January 20, [00:18:00] 2026. We want to launch the final app, a beta version. And, we want to impact at least 5, 000 students by the time we come to the launch. And we are looking at having around a million followers by January on all our social media platforms.

Joshua: That is Tiktok, Facebook Instagram, LinkedIn. So, yeah, so that is something that we are looking at doing.

Tasha: That’s amazing. So how can people follow along with you best? Where can they get in touch with you after this interview if they wanted to connect?

Joshua: Yeah I think one of the best ways would be on LinkedIn.

Joshua: Under my name is Joshua Emmanuel Olusembi. You can just shoot me a message. I’m always on LinkedIn. And welcome me. There’s plenty of my team that on LinkedIn, that you can reach out and say, Hey, this is what I’m thinking. Or if you want to be involved, you can always shoot us a message.

Joshua: LinkedIn, I think would be the best place to do that.

Tasha: Awesome. I actually saw one of your team members, Sarah [00:19:00] signed up recently. I think she had her first chat last week. So

Joshua: yes, she did. I encouraged her to do that.

Tasha: Yeah, no, it’s awesome. I love it. Thank you so much for doing this interview with me and just your success is incredible.

Tasha: I love. I love the personal parts behind your story of getting going, but I think this is going to be not just something, not just a tool within Uganda, but I can see this being a much bigger tool across Africa and the world at large. I think it’s really exciting.

Joshua: Yeah. Yeah. Exciting. I’m so happy to be able to have this interview with you.

Joshua: It’s really incredible.