Making a Difference

About the Book

MAKING A DIFFRENECE is a story of one woman who has studied and learnt, worked and earned, married and had kids, divorced and moved on. She has experienced love form childhood, and has loved back, been hurt but forgave, by so doing, reaped a lot of happiness. More importantly, she has laughed, and continues to laugh. There's something for everyone to pick from MAKING A DIFFERENCE.

About the Author

Beatrice Birungi Kiraso is a graduate of economics from Makerere University in Kampala, Uganda and of Masters in Public Administration from Harvard University, Kennedy school of government. Her career includes brief engagement in private sector consultancy, public service, elected member of parliament and now an executive of an inter-governmental organization. She is widely traveled, has done some consultancy work with the world bank, USAID, State university of New York in various fields including public finance management, procurement, parliamentary practice and social development. Beatrice has interacted with many different people at professional as well as personal levels, learning from them as she says, “life-time lessons”. Her wish to write and publish a book about these experiences is influenced by her hobby to read on a wide range of topics, and now decides, let other people read her story too. The title of the book brings about her positive attitude towards the various aspects of life, her ability to find opportunities even in the worst of situations, as well as the wish to share her knowledge and experience about these aspects. She says this being the first book to publish, did not have to be a very serious subject one, meaning that she has embarked on a long journey of writing. Presently Beatrice is the Deputy Secretary General at the East African Community (EAC), an inter-governmental organization of five countries namely, Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda, Tanzania and Uganda and her specific docket is political integration. On the day to day basis, Beatrice handles issues of political governance, peace and stability in the region as well as harmonization processes of the member countries’ foreign policies. Going through co-educational schools, growing up with boys, having numerous friends both male and female as well as coming from a big family, Beatrice believes sharing these experiences could help other people to learn a thing or two, but also understand her for what she is. The people mentioned in the book and their names are real. This book is not about any special serious subject, but the events and characters are what have made a difference in her life, and lives of other people that Beatrice has met. Talking to Beatrice you feel like she is an all-rounder, but yet modest and passionate about the disadvantaged in society. She holds strong views about certain things, and does not hate people who hold differing ones. She demonstrates that having an open mind works better that sticking to hard positions, and that losing temper on small issues is unsustainable because when you need to lose it for something more serious, you will not have any left! She is a proud mother of two undergraduates, Eva and Joshua, the closest people to her in life. Having divorced their father when they were 3 and 1 respectively, she has brought them up single-handedly, giving them her best. ‘I cannot come to terms with the fact that one day they both will have their own homes and families, and probably will want to see less of me. Certainly by then they will think they don’t even need my guidance”. I have enjoyed an amazing relationship with my siblings, parents and the larger extended family, though as we all grow now, each is trying to define their space and one has to be careful not invade where you need not. We treat each other with respect in that regard, mindful that some are more welcoming, or sensitive or selfish, or selfless than others. In a way, I enjoy that special place of being the first born, but it also comes with certain responsibilities and expectations of you. I have this far managed to balance all those, that’s why I proudly and confidently talk of an amazing relationship.