Ndhego Zikusoka ’24. Photo by Mr. John Spear.
On January 29th, Ndhego Zikusoka ‘24 stood on stage in the auditorium to share his story. Just 6 weeks earlier, he was going about his day-to-day life in his home country, Uganda. From the moment he stood up from his seat, he grabbed the attention of the hundreds of students and faculty before him. His presentation left everybody feeling like they knew a few things about the Ugandan footballer. This article is a deep dive into Ndhego’s life as a kid. As well as his journey to Northwood.
I asked him about some cultural differences between living in the US and Uganda. The first thing that sprung to his mind was his home country’s way of greeting. “In Uganda, a cultural norm is the way you greet people. Whenever you meet someone, before anything else, you greet them. You may even have a long conversation with them; Just in greeting them. Versus here in America, it’s like, “Yo, what’s up?” Then you move on with life quickly.”
Ndhego Zikusoka ’24 gave his presentation at a recent school meeting. Photo: Ms. Marcy Fagan.
Soccer was always part of Ndhego’s life growing up. “I’ve always been playing soccer from a young age. I started taking it more seriously at the age of 10. But, you know, as a kid, playing all the time at recess and stuff. That’s where it all started.”
The U19 midfielder shared with me what cultural aspects he would bring from America to Uganda and vice versa. “I feel like in America, people are more proactive. And, faster at doing things. [In America] It’s more organized. So, that’s what I would bring back to Uganda. Because, if we can get that, the economy and society can develop even more. Something I would bring from Uganda here? Matoke. During my presentation, I explained that a matoke is like a raw banana. It’s mashed up, and you can just eat it with whatever sauce and topping you have.”
The most frequently spoken languages in Uganda are: Luganda, Lusoga, and Swahili. I was curious to learn a Lugandan sentence. Ndhego taught me how to say “Hello my name is,” which translates to: Mwasuze mutya amannya gange nze.”
One of the most captivating parts of Ndhego’s presentation on January 29th was when he talked about his journey as an author. He’s published a magazine article and a book. Both of them are about his experiences as a zookeeper. I asked him what the steps are to publish a book. “So basically, if your book is about an experience you had, you have to take high-quality photos,” he said “When I went to the zoo before, I took photos of my own. Another time I went and took pictures but they weren’t good quality. So, when we were making the book, we had to go and retake good-quality photos for the book. Secondly, you need a mentor who’s experienced in writing books. They help you with the structure and the editing. The storyline and the writing are your part. They help with the rest, which includes the layout and the choice of the book being a picture book or possibly a novel. Then you must go get your book printed,” Zikusoka added.
Ndhego’s journey of coming to Northwood is interesting. “My dad went to see his friend in Spain. While there, his friend told him there was a soccer program here at Northwood. At first, my dad was hesitant. Then he decided, ‘Yeah, ok.’ And, he just tried to contact Mr. Gino Riffle. My dad explained to Mr. Riffle that he attended Northwood 30 years ago, and stuff like that. We had a call, and yeah, that’s basically the story as to how I came here. The fact that I had written a book, my dad came to school here, and I play soccer, all those things were factors in making this a good match.
