Profile: Sheilah, more than just the name Gashumba

By Mubiru Ivan

Sheilah Gashumba is currently making news after being beaten by her dad Frank Gashumba over misconduct.

After the incident, Frank said Sheilah had become disrespectful lately; comes back home late while drunk and he couldn’t stand such misbehavior.

As a father, Frank said, he is trying to mold his daughter into a responsible woman because he invested a lot in her, which is one of the reasons she is a successful young girl.

Who is Sheilah Gashumba?

They say dynamite comes in small packages.

Sheilah Gashumba, born on February 7, 1996, is testament to that.

One of the most recognizable faces in Uganda’s entertainment industry, Sheilah was literally raised on TV, having first graced the silver screen at a tender age of 10, as a News Anchor and Reporter of the Kids News show on WBS TV. The gig saw her land a role as a brand ambassador of Aqua Safe Water to promote clean and safe drinking water for children.

Two years later, she upgraded to Teens Club, a live entertainment programme that also tackled issues that resonated with teens, as the youngest amongst a team of five teen presenters. The show used to air for two hours every Saturday.

In 2007, Sheilah Gashumba garnered another milestone as the youngest journalist to cover the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM), which was presided over by The Queen of England, in Kampala, Uganda. During this momentous period, she stringed for Daily Monitor, Uganda’s most widely read and respected independent newspaper, in the CHOGM Teens column. Sheilah loves to write her own proposals because she strongly believes that she was born with a creative mind. By the age of 12, she had written proposals for a TV show, radio show and a clothing line among several other creative and mind blowing ideas for someone her age.

Charity

Sheilah Gashumba is blessed with a golden heart and loves doing charity. She takes everyday as a new chance to learn more, give more and love more. She founded ‘Young Bodies, Big Hearts’, her charity organisation in 2012.

“We believe in giving back to society. The organisation believes that we truly make life of what we give. There is nothing more wonderful than making a child smile and have a great hope for a better future. That’s the beauty we stand for and it’s ‘the beauty with purpose’. It all starts with me and you. Together we can make a change in the whole world,” Sheilah explains the philosophy of the organisation.

‘Young Bodies Big Hearts’ does charity events annually and has given back to Sanyu Babies Home and God’s Image Ministry Charity home among others.

Through ‘Young Bodies Big Hearts’, Sheilah organised a charity fundraising fashion show at Kampala Sheraton Hotel where the Guest of Honour was Prime Minister Dr. Ruhakana Rugunda. Many other VIPs were in attendance and the organisation brought smiles to faces of children in Mulago Hospital Children’s ward with the proceeds.

Multi-talented

Sheilah is a talented dancer, commercial model, digital influencer, fashionista and more recently an event MC. She has hosted the Miss Rwanda beauty pageant and the Master Card Foundation School Conference among other events.

Sheilah’s first love is TV and when NTV, the biggest station in the country launched in Uganda and was looking for a presenter for a teens’ show, Sheilah Gashumba’s name came top of the list and she co-hosted T-Nation for three years.

Always looking for constant growth, Sheilah upgraded to The Beat, a musical show on NTV where she presents the highly acclaimed Exclusive Access segment.

Exclusive Access is a 15 minutes show on The Beat that provides exclusive information, studio sessions, behind the scenes of the entertainment industry and the people that run it.

Sheilah has interviewed top personalities in the entertainment industry in Africa like WizKid, Davido, D’banj, Yemi Alade, Patoranking and others. Sheilah has also interviewed former Principal Private Secretary to the President of Uganda and Minister of Trade and Industry and Member of Uganda’s Parliament Mrs Amelia Kyambadde and the Mayor of Kampala Erias Lukwago in her Exclusive Access segment.

She is the first and only Ugandan TV presenter who covered the Channel O Music Video Awards, which were held in Johannesburg, South Africa in 2014 and the Big Brother Africa Finals in the same year.

In 2017, BET came calling and Sheilah was one of a handful of accredited African journalists for the 2017 BET Awards at the Microsoft Theatre in Los Angeles California. Sheilah was a Red Carpet TV host at the awards.

Business lady 

Not one who is comfortable to just pick pay cheques, Sheilah is on her way to becoming a business mogul. In late 2014, she started her own brand house GASH GLAM that deals in 100 per cent human hair extensions, trendy sunglasses, waist trainers and stylish clothes, which took Ugandan style lovers by storm.

Celebrities, socialites and fashionistas have her number on speed dial to keep up with the trends.

She has also ventured into events management and is behind Sarafina Events that organised the sold out UG-Rwanda night.

Style star

The young lady is one of the most stylish celebrities in Uganda, hence a media darling. Sheilah Gashumba has been featured in Swagg, a popular teen magazine pullout in New Vision, Uganda’s leading daily newspaper. In 2015, Sheilah was the top feature in E’lyt, Uganda’s leading fashion and lifestyle magazine. She was also voted 29th in the Top 30 Movers and Sharpers in Uganda’s Fashion Industry for 2015 and she has featured in the Kandake Teen Magazine as a commercial Model.

She was also nominated for the Abryans Style and fashion Awards for the fourth time running, as Uganda’s Best Dressed Female Celebrity. The name Sheilah Gashumba is synonymous with fashion and style in Uganda.

Education

To hone her TV presenting skills, in 2015, Sheilah pursued a TV presenting course at City Varsity Media And Creative Arts School in Cape Town, South Africa. “I’m chasing my dreams,” Sheilah affirms.

Clearly, this young, beautiful and talented girl is just getting started and definitely a force to reckon with in this 21st Century entertainment industry.

Prior to Varsity, Sheilah attained world class education at Taibah International School for her Primary Level and Mt. St. Mary’s Namagunga, Galaxy International School and Kabojja International School for her secondary level. Little wonder she looks beyond the Ugandan horizons.

Influence

There is always this youngster with abnormal clout in the media and entertainment world and Sheilah

is no doubt one of Uganda’s biggest influencers and controversial personalities. The print and digital media can’t get enough Sheilah and they definitely agree that she is among the top Movers and Shakers in Uganda. Her life journey has many teenagers wishing to live her lifestyle and a TV career they only dream about. Her sense of fashion is absolutely awesome.

Truth be told, with her elegant and dynamic style, she is an inspiration to fashion and style lovers in Kampala both the young and the old, which has earned her one of the biggest social media following on Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat and Twitter which has landed her a couple of endorsement deals because anything that has Sheilah, has her following too and big corporate entities are lining up for her signature to endorse their brands.

-In 2017, Sheilah signed a multi-million deal with telecom giants Africell as a brand ambassador and her face graces billboards across the country as well as TVCs promoting the company’s products.

-Coca Cola, the global soft beverage company enlisted Sheilah as an Influencer to promote their flagship Coke Studio Africa show that brings together top musicians from across the continent doing live collaborations, aired on TVs across the continent.

-In 2017, Uber, the APP that has revolutionalised public transport worldwide also enlisted Sheilah’s services as their brand ambassador when they started operations in Uganda.