One thing I have learnt from this whole process is you don’t ask you don’t get simple! So Linda phones us! If you know Linda you know how much energy she has. We were on the phone for over an hour and a half! We asked if We could get on the course together, we explained our vision, our dream! We were asking all the questions. She settled our worries often by saying you girls going to do great in her Canadian accent. We talked through all the options, the finance, if we didn’t make it through the interview, what to expect, a hugeeeeee range of things but honestly with Linda’s enthusiasm, we were like yeah we can do this! But crap the other halves had to be on the same page!
So we planned the chat with the husbands on the possibility that this might happen. We made all possible solutions to put the guys at ease with all the fears and worries. We planned how the childcare might work while we were away, how the finances will look like, what we might have to cut back and so on and so form. We knew if we didn’t have solutions to the problems that might arise while we were away, there might be a kickback. Now for you who may know my Nathan you know he always supports alot of my very many crazy ideas! But this was huge! I had to leave my job, meaning we had to survive on one income. He is a glorified painter and decorator ( read interior designer) which means work varies and trickles in very slowly sometimes. So I am the one that had a regular income in the house I would have to give it up. Hmmmm that might be a hard one with three kids and a household to run? Anyway we both went home after the phone call equipped with solutions to future problems. After the kids were in bed, usually myself and Nathan make a conscious effort to talk to each other about our days, anything planned solve some world problems ( do couples do these weird things? ), watch a movie or do something couple ish….this evening was when I chatted to him about my saltire fellowship plan. He listened, he saw beyond now, he pondered. All he said to me was, you really want to do this right? He said, let’s take one day at a time it’s a long process so let’s see how this pans out..We briefly talked about finances but I had a plan. I always do and he trusts my plan because he knows I would never put my inner most people in a ditch intentionally.
I also had to speak to my “step in” mummy Juliet. If you have met Juliet you know she will move mountains for others even though she can’t push a stone! I talked her through my plan as she had to step in as mummy while I am away! She was very apprehensive at first, she had the same worries as I did initially. I reassured her we will be fine if she takes one day at a time. She seemed to give me a thumbs up but not quite. You see Juliet is like my dad may his soul Rest in peace! They both believe you must have a secure job, they are cautious like that. And I am like my mum, entrepreneurial and business minded, she always tried small business here and there, although my mum was not highly educated she had the best business ethos and I must have learnt this from her. My advise to other parents is that your kids are watching you, they are picking up your traits so whatever you chose to do, do it well because unconsciously kids are learning and watching. However much you talk to them and advise them, they will pick out of your actions. It will all be fine I told Juliet. Let’s be positive
The next day I couldn’t wait to catch Tynah on the phone and see what her hubby had said! He is soooo excited and up for It, she said. Wow let’s start getting ready for our interview. We had to go away for our annual festival the big church day out! Both families go to this so it was a perfect weekend coz everyone is usually buzzing and excited so we told some friends and family about it who prayed with us and wished us well. We will study at big church day out, let’s take our case study, we will find time I told Tynah. I was buzzing for many reasons but deep down I was also worried, what if we don’t get in I thought? What if we can’t pay? How will we survive? Many questions lingered in my mind even though I reassured my husband, I had my secret fears! We didn’t touch the case study that weekend as we were busy having fun! Myself and Tynah would catch moments of wow this could be happening!
Our interviews were in about a week’s time. We worked late nights researching, the case study was amazing coz we were learning along the way! We were nervous, worried, excited all the emotions in one. The interview was at 2pm but we arrived in Edinburgh at 10am. Talk about being early! We are usually not the best time keepers but were not leaving anything to chance. We went to the library near by and did some more studying and discussions. We kept hugging each other , reassuring each other… At 1:45pm we arrived at the interview venue! We met Linda for the first time face to face! Linda’s energy just rubs off on you! We hugged. I pinched Tynah is that even professional? Do you hug your interviewer? She was cool. Like a long lost friend coz we had been bothering her on the phone constantly with questions. Then we met the rest of the team including Claudia who has been such a great support! The one thing about the Saltire foundation that sold me to go on the course is the culture they have, the inbuilt support to want others to succeed. You could see everyone genuinely wanted you to do well at the fellowship if you are ofcourse the right fit for the programme. Sometimes when we thought gosh we are just regular mums. These people would make us see our potential in many ways! They didn’t see us as regular mums. They saw us as entrepreneurial material. You see we started our organisation Passion4fusion purely out of chance! Having come to Scotland from Uganda we felt isolated, even though we were fully integrated in Scotland and we called it home there was a touch of missing our own food, music and the social aspect of our culture. So one day we decided we will just put out a flyer and do a Ugandan night and see who turns up! We were overwhelmed by the turn up! The hall was jam packed thankfully we had enough food to share and the music was booming. There were people from allover Africa, Nigeria, Zimbabwe, South Africa, Kenyans the whole lot! We realised very quickly that this was not only us that it was a big problem for our society. A few years later we formed Passion4Fusion.
Anyway they did catch our vision, our passion and the amazing things we were doing as a team.
We went from one boardroom to the other swapping over interviewers. It was a grilling interview but I genuinely felt that they wanted you to be the right fit..after the interview we chatted for a bit and as we said goodbye we hugged some of our interviewers. Who does that? Ha ha ha ha
We walked out of the building in giggles. Omg we have just finished our interview! Do you think we will get in? Do you think they liked us? Wait……….the car behind ours has a parking ticket on it! Oh crap that’s Linda’s car. Let’s take it off and pay it for her! She will be in a bad mood and make a decision that we won’t get in! Random thoughts of desperation!
They said they will call us in a few days to let us know….The wait oh the wait!! Claudia had said we will hear by next week our interview was on a Wednesday. By Friday we hadn’t heard from her! I sat at my work looking at my phone every 2 minutes! This is Friday sure she will call today? My WhatsApp was buzzing, I am sure you may have guessed from Who? She was like phone her, ask her, please call them I am like no you do it, you do it…no one wanted to do it as we were afraid what might be heard from the other end, either a yes you got in or a sorry you didn’t. The weekend was hellish..why didn’t they call? They sounded so positive at the interviews. Turns out they were waiting to hear back from some funding for us… I had picked up the courage and phoned Linda to ask why they were not calling us back. Did we get in or did we not?
BRB
saltiremamas 