By Michael Kanaabi Dollar
When you meet Breathtaking Uganda’s Founder and CEO Isaiah Jobs Rwanyekiro clad with the signature Ugandan flag around his neck you might be mistaken to think he is the focal person in charge of tourism in the government of Uganda or some tourism promotion entity that operates at national scale.
The reason for this is that he just bubbles and flows tourism, destination after destination, attraction after attraction, he can go on and on all night, all day if you give him the audience to discuss tourism in Uganda.
But behind this beaming energetic tourism enthusiast is a story that will move you to tears and get you thinking twice about your own life and true-life passions if you haven’t yet started pursuing them because guess what, this may be your final chance to make an impact.
Where did it begin?
April 16th 2018 was a fundamental day in Rwanyekiro’s life as this is the day he found out he had cancer of the colon after a recommendation of a colonoscopy and extensive tests by Dr. Patson Makobore of Najjera Hospital.
For two full years before that devastating news, Rwanyekiro had been in and out of various hospitals being told he had bacterial infections, helicobacter and irritable bowel syndrome among other misdiagnoses. But a report from a pathologist finally delivered the life changing news to him.
Only 37 years at the time, Rwanyekiro had to pick himself up fast and act lest he becomes another cancer statistic in the country which at the time lacked adequate equipment to determine the extent of the cancer. He needed to undergo a PET scan in India which proved he had a young aggressive cancerous tumor growing in his colon estimated to be around stage two.
Together with the help of his friends Muhereza Kyamutetera and Vivian Katushabe (RIP) they contacted Dr. Mohamed Ibrahim in India and arranged for Isaiah’s swift travel there for treatment.
The treatment regimen that was chosen for Rwanyekiro included chemotherapy; image guided high precision radio therapy and surgery. He was on the next flight to India in the company of his sister Rose Natukunda and while in India, he first went through a number of radiotherapy (28 fractions) and chemotherapy sessions (10 cycles) before he was sent home for 2 months waiting period to allow the chemo and radio-therapy to shrink the tumor before his surgery.
On the 25th of October 2018, Rwanyekiro finally underwent a grueling delicate 8-and-a-half-hour-long surgery that got rid of the cancer tumors in his body.
Signs you need not to ignore
When it comes to keeping your health in check and looking out for what could go wrong in your stomach, Rwanyekiro says you should not ignore pain in the lower abdomen even if it’s mild especially if it goes on for a long time.
Blood in stool is also a sign of potential colon cancer that you should not ignore. Taking comprehensive tests including a colonoscopy should be something you consider if you have the above signs consistently coupled with consistent fatigue that comes even when you have done nothing.
Colon cancer usually starts in the inner lining of the colon or rectum with non-cancerous benign tumours called polyps growing, which can over time become cancerous therefore no tumour should be taken lightly. It usually occurs in older persons but can affect anyone of any age including children in some cases.
Handling the devastation
“The first thought that ran through my mind the moment I was hit with the news of the diagnosis is; I could die much sooner than I thought” Rwanyekiro says.
“However, having that tough conversation with my family and getting the assurance that they will do everything possible to ensure I beat cancer and live gave me hope.”
Things got a little better on talking to Dr. Mohamed Ibrahim and the rest of the medical team in India that including Prof. Dr. Anita Ramesh and Dr. Gupta among several others which further assured me, I can beat cancer after laying out the details of the planned treatment protocol fully and all the requirements and expected results.
Starting a new life journey
While going through the stressful, painful and rigorous treatment of cancer through to its logical completion, Rwanyekiro always prayed only one prayer, that he would live long enough to travel the world.
Thank God he came back alive and for him, it was an opportunity to go all out, no holds barred without a care in the world and fulfil this life dream of his.
And having loved to travel, adventure and experience the outdoors fully even as a minor, this new lease of life was Isaiah’s chance to make it all happen with greater clarity and utmost passion.
Diving deep into domestic tourism and travel
“One thing I learnt from my sickness and survival of colon cancer is never to let anything stand between me and the things I want to do. I will give my best in whatever I get into and ensure results are achieved” Isaiah says.
With excuses out of his way, Isaiah purposed to get maximum value out of every minute of life he was ever going to live there after.
On returning home after a successful surgery Isaiah founded Breathtaking Uganda back in October 2018 and it is through this company, he has traversed this country extensively reaching almost all corners of Uganda and visiting some of the most exquisite hotels, destinations, restaurants, taking along many fellow travel enthusiasts and tourists who appreciate the Pearl of Africa as much as he does.
There is also another angle to Breathtaking Uganda’s birth. Coming from a PR and marketing consulting background, I felt very strongly that many tourism campaigns Uganda embarked on weren’t working like we have been seeing in other countries. I therefore wanted something that would bring the entire Ugandan tourism campaign landscape under one voice and catchphrase.
A few examples of other catchy tourism brands in other tourist destinations include Malaysia Truly Asia, Incredible India, Magical Kenya, Amazing Thailand, Wonderful Indonesia, Beautiful Burundi, and Made in Italy. And so, Breathtaking Uganda was born.
“I want to build this brand until every Ugandan can use it to sell our beautiful natural resources. I want it to ring in the minds of many like other memorable country slogans because ours is truly a “Breathtaking Uganda,” Rwanyekiro says.
Now in its 5th year, one of the aims of setting up Breathtaking Uganda as a tour company with a focus on domestic tourism was to showcase the immense and little-known beauty Uganda possesses as a nation.
“Most Ugandans haven’t travelled this beautiful country enough and have no idea about how beautiful their country is so together with my friends I set out to change this narrative, have more Ugandans tour Uganda and along my journeys with friends across the country showcase the beauty of the Pearl as well,” he says.
Highlights of his domestic travel journey
Rwanyekiro’s most memorable journey on his domestic tourism quest has been going on a tour with the State Minister for Tourism Hon. Bahinduka and the Miss Uganda team of contestants through Western Uganda starting from Kampala to Kayabwe equator to Lake Mburo, Igongo Cultural Centre, Kabale, Lake Bunyonyi all the way to Kisoro, Gahiza island.
“That for me was epic,” he says.
Another journey that really stood out for him was one he took out with a group of friends at the beginning of 2020. Dubbed the Big Boy’s Caravan it was 32 days nonstop journey around Uganda with a group of friends and travel enthusiasts.
On top of the above, Rwanyekiro has been to some of the region’s most revered destinations in Mombasa, and Zanzibar and also gone across continents to destinations in France, Belgium, Amsterdam, New York City, Washington DC and Maryland, Addis Ababa, Kigali, Nairobi, Dar es Salaam and the United Arab Emirates to mention but a few.
Living life post colon cancer interventions
Life post colon cancer surgery and other interventions for Rwanyekiro has been quite amazing given he is living his passion every passing day but that hasn’t meant there haven’t been any challenges and downturns.
“One of the biggest challenges I have to grapple with is the finance side, the cost of life is expensive post treatment for example there is a daily dose of medication that costs me UGX 200,000. Then I have to do regular reviews that involves costly scans and adhere to a certain dietary routine” he says.
I also have to use a colostomy bag which can make one’s life quite uncomfortable and make you lose confidence if you are not strong mentally.
My lifestyle has also changed and become less active because it’s quite hard and inconvenient to go out and swim plus engage in other outdoor sporting activities that I do love a lot with a colostomy bag.
“Regardless, I soldier on and celebrate the good there is and appreciate the good things God and this life have gifted me with,” he says.
Celebrating a milestone of God’s goodness
On the evening of Wednesday 25th October Rwanyekiro will be celebrating the milestones he has been able to achieve since beating cancer back in 2018.
This will be done through a thanksgiving service to be held at St Charles Lwanga Catholic Church in Ntinda from 4:00 pm to 6:00 pm. Isaiah encourages all friends, family, well-wishers and colleagues to join him in this Thanksgiving Mass and prayers either physically or virtually for those who are far.
“Never give up no matter what life throws at you; you can overcome anything if you put your mind to it.”
That is tourism enthusiast and Entrepreneur Isaiah Jobs Rwanyekiro’s conclusion after staring death in the face and overcoming it then going on to travel the Pearl of Africa and other destinations outside Uganda extensively.
As an honour to God who brought him back alive from those gruelling rounds of chemotherapy, radiotherapy and that 8-and-a-half-hour-long lower anterior resection surgery, he has chosen a thanksgiving service which will also coincide with the celebrations of the 5th anniversary of his company Breathtaking Uganda through which he has taken over 3000 different people on tours since its inception. Over 300 hotels have been visited, 11 Airports, 30,000 restaurant visits, 80 outstanding tourism destinations and over 400,000 kilometres on this journey to travel the world thus far. This data is seen from Rwanyekiro’s Google Maps profile and for more details of his incredible land marker journey log onto www.tourismtracker.go.ug
Email: michaelkanaabi@gmail.com
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