This one’s for every young person chasing impact, not just acceptance emails. I’m sharing my story of resilience, passion, and unexpected wins, with the hope that it inspires you to keep believing in yourself.
The Road to Resilience
For four consecutive years, I applied for scholarships to attend the world’s largest HIV science conferences organized by the International AIDS Society (IAS). Each year, I faced rejection after rejection. But those same years, while incredibly challenging, turned out to be some of the most rewarding of my career.
My Journey of Milestones
During those years, despite the rejections, I served as:
- Member, Organizing Committee- AIDS 2022 (Global Village & Youth Programme working group)
- Member, Selection Committee- IAS 2023 Youth Hub Seed Grant
- Fellow, 2024 IAS Advocacy-for-Cure Academy
- Fellow, 2024 IAS HIV Vaccine Advocacy Academy
- Moderator, MOSAIC Satellite Session (on meaningful youth engagement), HIVR4P 2024 conference
- Campaign Lead, IAS ONEVOICE HIV vaccine literacy campaign for young people
And today, I’m thrilled to share that I finally attended my first in-person IAS conference on HIV science where I:
- co-delivered the Community Keynote Address at the IAS 2025 HIV Cure Pre-Conference alongside the amazing Sekgabo Seselamarumo.
- Facilitated a high-level Workshop (organized by IAS, IAVI and WACI Health) on Advancing domestic funding for HIV vaccine research in Africa. During the workshop, we co-developed a global advocacy strategy (2025-2028). It was pure fire! (I’ll share the tea soon) 🔥🔥
My IAS 2025 scholarship application? Still rejected 🤣🤣
But my attendance was fully sponsored by the IAS Global HIV Vaccine Enterprise ❤️
Staying True to My Passion and Vision
These milestones happened because I stayed true to my passion and my vision. I refused to let rejection define my purpose or validate my impact because I understood that opportunities are meant to support one’s mission, not become your mission.
The Reality of Scholarships & Opportunities
This blog was inspired by an alarming trend: many young people today are using scholarships and other “big” opportunities as a measure of their worth or impact. And that honestly breaks my heart. 💔
Scholarships are incredible, they expand your network, expose you to knowledge, and equip you with tools/resources to bring back to your communities. Yes, the joy of a successful application is unmatched. And yes, the travel, the excitement, the glittering new experiences, they’re all wonderful. But they should never be your source of validation. ✨
A Bigger Purpose Beyond Travel
It worries me when I hear people say, “I need this scholarship because my dream is to visit that country.” Dreaming of travel is beautiful, but when that becomes the primary motivation behind an application, we risk losing sight of the bigger purpose. We risk taking opportunities away from those who need them most, people who are working every day to drive real change in their communities.
Our primary motivation should always be how we can learn, grow, and give back to our communities. 🌍
💌 A Message of Encouragement
To everyone reading this: I won’t pretend that unsuccessful applications don’t hurt, they absolutely do. But I want to encourage you: keep going. Stay rooted in your passion to make the world better. Never let scholarships, awards, or travel become the measure of your impact. It’s a slippery slope, and you are so much more than any application result.
I’m living proof that rejection isn’t the end, it’s a stepping stone. If you stay true to your ‘why,’ even the hardest seasons will lead to the most beautiful victories.
You are not your rejections. You are the dreams you refuse to give up on. Stay rooted in your purpose, it’s already carrying you further than you know. Your work matters. Your impact is real. Keep shining🌟.
Beacon of Hope for Young Voices 🦋 
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