Finally, It’s Sandra Nansambu’s Time to Be Front and Centre

Forces of Change

Having spent her entire childhood in the back, battling low esteem due to a condition she had little control over, 18-year-old SANDRA NANSAMBU has finally found herself a front seat and now, she’s telling Satisfashion UG how she plans to use her new status to be the voice of differently-abled young people.

It’s a few minutes to 3pm and Sandra Nansambu is prepping for her next media appearance on Sanyu FM. Her management team, which includes two gentlemen and other people from storied talent house Talent Africa, are calling incessantly to know what she’s up to. “We have to grab a quick lunch before the radio interview. Sandra is hungry,” Joshius, her personal manager is heard informing his colleagues over the phone. I’m granted a few minutes to chat with the young star. Shortly after she takes her seat, Joshius returns to ask, “are you feeling okay?” She smiles in response, perhaps to signal the affirmative.

Clearly, this is all new to her. Just a week prior to our meeting she was an ordinary teenager looking forward to when she’ll sit for her A’ Level final exams. She’s now on a media tour, with assistants and managers at her beck. “I’m taking each day as it comes. Not much has changed,” she smiles.

Nansambu’s cover of Whitney Houston’s ‘Greatest Love of All‘ during the finale of Pearl of Africa Star Search showcased her powerful vocal range leaving the jury in awe, in the end, earning her a grand prize worth 60M UGX plus an opportunity to become Uganda’s Tourism Ambassador. But it was her response to Cindy Sanyu‘s question, “How do you feel?” that touched people’s hearts the most. Overwhelmed with emotions, the 18-year-old star dedicated her performance to all differently abled people that might feel unworthy. She rallied them to look at her as inspiration as they pursue their dreams.

“As a performer, that was my most favourite moment ever!,” she recalls. “It has made me realise that many people out there see themselves in me. They are contacting me asking me how I made it and how I realised my potential. I believe I’ve inspired a lot of people. That’s priceless.”

Nansambu suffered from Polio as an infant, and the severity of the disease manifested in her left leg. “That’s why it’s important for parents to ensure that their children are immunised. It’s really tough,” she tells me. “I was bullied a lot. I can’t even believe I’m here today. I’d skip school many times just to dodge bullies. After realising that I was better than them, I learnt to fight back in a polite way. I reached out to the teachers. I opened up to my mother. I also tried to make many friends because the more you interact with your colleagues, the more they understand who you are and the uniqueness you bring to the table.”

This is exactly why this triumph means a great deal to her. “The perks of winning aside, I’m very proud of who I am now. I emerged from the darkness now I’m in the light. What I meant to say was that, people like me always end up at the back. I want to challenge that,” she says, this time charged with passion. “I’m speaking for those who cannot express themselves, those who believe that they don’t have much to offer. I’d like to empower them. I want to show them that they too belong here where I am. They can be doctors, nurses, videographers, stylists, they can be very many things. I’m here to prove people’s mindsets wrong, because truly, disability is not inability.”

She’s definitely planning to use her new status to create more awareness about this subject. We digress a little to discuss her new role as a tourism ambassador for Uganda. POAStar Search allowed her the opportunity to travel across the country and to get to know Uganda better.

“It was actually hard,” she says about the experience. “I am not used to interacting with a lot of people. We travelled to different parts of the country and interfaced with people speaking many different languages. It was a real challenge for me, but after some time, I got used to it and had fun,” she recounts.

“I’m ready to execute my duties. Bootcamp and the competition brought a lot of great things about this country to my attention. We interacted with tastemakers in the music and tourism business. Very few artists get to experience this. I don’t take it for granted, and would like to use my role to the best of my ability,” she says.

Interestingly, Nansambu has the pandemic to thank for her newfound fame. She was reading for her A’ Level final exams when the opportunity to participate in Pearl of Africa Star Search came her way. Then the country went into lockdown and schools closed. “It sounds quite unfair for me to say, but I used lockdown to my advantage. I have gotten time to know who I am. I have grown so much. I used the challenging time and found the value in it. Not that I have covid to thank, but it’s about taking the good out of it, which I did.”

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What is your definition of change?

Change, to me, is about defining yourself; finding who you are inside, and once you do, show it to the world – let them see who you are.

At what point did you realize you could use your talent to create change?

This took me a while, to be honest. First of all, I had to be brave enough to go out and showcase my talent. When that happened, I realised that they appreciated it. I then decided to use every single opportunity I got to make an impact through singing.

What was it like for you growing up?

Honestly, I spent a lot of my childhood hiding. I had low esteem. Being a differently abled person, I always kept myself behind. However, the moment I realised that this is my uniqueness, and I have to celebrate it instead of hiding it, that’s when the Sandra you see now came alive.

What’s next for Sandra?

I’m going to release an album, which will be called “This is Our Home” because, indeed, Uganda is our home. Despite the differences, it is unity and diversity which we should celebrate. I’d like to reach out to kids with disabilities. My team and I are putting an organisation together. I’d like to inspire them. Lastly, I plan to do many things as Uganda’s Tourism ambassador to sell Uganda to the rest of the world.

More like a changemaker?

I really waited for this opportunity, and I thank God it happened. I thank the people who have supported me; Talent Africa and Pearl of Africa Star Search. I really appreciate them for this because I have been waiting for this for so long. I have been yearning to put this great talent to good use. Look at me now! Dreams do come true, you know!