Barbara Katende Kivumbi: On a practical approach to personal financial freedom

Barbara Katende’s Liteside

Any three things that we don’t know about you?

I am passionate, driven and I believe life is short so I enjoy it. We can budget for the good life; including personal shopping and gifting. Every time I get my money, I spend on myself and it gives me the energy to work more.

What is your idea of perfect happiness?

Being in a garden or a room full of flowers; I love flowers; especially roses. The scent and look of roses makes me happy. To me it’s seventh heaven.

What is your greatest fear?

The unknown; I would love to be in the know. Uncertainty makes me uncomfortable.

What is the trait you most deplore in yourself?

I am an introvert and very private so I never like talking about myself.

What is the trait you most deplore in others?

Lack of integrity. I believe that we have been given so much and so let us have integrity.

Which living person do you most admire?

I love Michelle Obama. Even with the great heights she has reached, Michelle maintains that she is still becoming. I have learnt from her that each day is one to discover. I admire Donald Trump for his ability to manage real estate because real estate is the bedrock of financial management. I also admire my father for raising us to be independent.

What is your greatest extravagance?

I love books and movies. I have a library at home filled with shelves of books. But with the coming of audio books, I do more audio. I am a lifelong learner so I read everything.

What is the greatest thing you have ever done?

I have not yet done it. Like Michelle Obama, I am still becoming. Looking at the past makes one complacent and gives a false sense of achievement. My greatest achievement is yet to come.

What is your current state of mind?

I am excited especially about my book ‘Money Cure’ which has now been translated into Luganda to reach yet another audience.

What do you consider the most overrated virtue?

Success; when someone is successful, we put them on a pedestal forgetting that it didn’t happen in a blink of an eye or overnight. We tend to focus a lot on success forgetting that we also learn a lot from failure. Failure is not when we fall but when we fail to rise again.

What does being powerful mean to you?

Power is related to influence and being able to bring about change. With power, you can lay a foundation for what will happen next.

On what occasion do you lie?

We all tell lies; for instance I would tell lies to save my family.

What do you most dislike about your appearance?

So many things; It’s hard to choose one. However God doesn’t make mistakes and he purposely made each of us unique and different.

Which living person do you most despise?

I don’t despise people because I believe that we can all do better and we have different callings. The difference is that some people haven’t yet found their calling and are therefore in the wrong place.

What is the quality you most like in a woman?

Honesty and integrity.

What is the quality you most like in a man?

Honesty and integrity.

What or who is the greatest love of your life?

I love my family.

When and where were you happiest?

My first graduation was a turning point, birth of my children and every time I am in a place where there are flowers, it is seventh heaven.

Which talent would you most like to have?

I wish I could be a landscape artist. I respect talented people in the arts and greatly admire their work.

Where would you most like to live?

I can never work or live outside Uganda. I have had the opportunity to experience life elsewhere, and that opened my eyes to the beauty of Uganda and the good people. We are friendly and hospitable.

What is your most treasured possession?

My faith is intangible but has got me through the highs and lows of life. I would never exchange it for anything in this world.

What do you regard as the lowest depth of misery?

Death of a parent at a very young age is so traumatizing and the trauma keeps coming back for many reasons.

What is your favorite occupation?

I wear different hearts at different points of the day. I am happy being a mother and transformational speaker because we change people with words.

What do you most value in your friends?

Authenticity and consistency.

Who are your favorite writers?

Sydney Sheldon, Jeffery Howard Archer and Barbara Taylor Bradford. I love to read books about humble beginnings. I also love to read biographies because it opens a whole world and draws me closer to such people.

Which historical figure do you most identify with?

I am inspired by Queens Victoria and Elizabeth I. I also like William Shakespeare. Their stories are so fascinating. I respect people who have given back to society like the late American Senator J. William Fulbright. I respect Robert Toru Kiyosaki (of `Rich Dad Poor Dad’) for opening up the financial person to the ordinary person. He got a very big backlash from many people and his company ran bankrupt but he worked to make life better for others.

What are your favorite names?

Barbara of course; to date I have named 12 children Barbara. If you call me asking to suggest a name for your daughter, it will be Barbara.

What is your greatest regret?

Life is full of regrets but the tough and challenging situations have been the areas of growth. I also don’t want to live a life full of regrets. Looking back today, those were moments of growth that helped me develop resilience

How would you like to die?

God knows best. My consolation would be that my last day on earth would be my first day in heaven. You can’t beat that.

What is your motto?

‘Going for the gold’ ‘Making a difference’ and ‘Joyously winning God’s way.’

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