In the bustling streets of Wakiso, Uganda, a small tailoring business held the key to Dan Mwesigwa’s life transformation. His story is an inspiration to many young people in his community. After facing numerous setbacks, including dropping out of school due to financial constraints, Dan’s life seemed bleak. At 18years, his dreams of becoming an electrician were shattered like a broken glass, collecting it piece by piece became a heart and soul effort.
His first experience with truck drivers as a tan-boy in his community circles was of six months trail. Here, he acquired driving skills but the meager pay and uncertainty in the job forced him to obtain a driving license to become a master of his destine . However, the post-COVID era brought new challenges, and Dan found himself jobless.
During the lockdown, he was exposed to group of young savers in his neighbourhoods , the Glory Saving Group then was later transformed into Wakiso Youth Development after a group resolution . The group pivoted from poultry as a project that had many short comings for the group to tailoring project . Here , Dan discovered his passion and new perspect of life perferablly from his old one . Despite his initial doubts, he committed to the new venture that gaves him a new diamenssion of life .
Dan’s breakthrough came when the National Slum Dwellers Federation of Uganda and ACTogether Uganda offered him an 8-month tailoring course through his group. Upon completion, he received a Directorate of Industrial Training (DIT) certificate. Today, Dan is a skilled tailor, handling clients at individual, group, and company levels. His group contributes a percentage of sales to the collective fund, ensuring sustainability. With new tailoring machines and a day-to-day program, their business is thriving collective contributions where some run the business and expenditure on behalf of others while others do their monthly savings.
Dan envisions the group expanding into a factory, equipped to handle larger contracts. His journey serves as a testament to resilience, adaptability, and community support. Despite these efforts, the business faces numerous challenges that hinder its success. Key obstacles include; Fluctuating material costs particularly during festive seasons, Customers’ difficulty adjusting to price changes, Limited operational space, Prohibitive costs of heavy-duty machines for large contracts.
To reach their target audience, Dan and his team prefer a multi-channel approach, combining; online marketing; leveraging social media platforms, online advertising, and email marketing to showcase their products, building personal relationships with customers through direct interactions and showcasing their products in a visually appealing display to attract passersby. This integrated marketing strategy enables them to increase brand visibility , drive sales and build customer loyalty.
Dan, proud of his tailoring skills, encourages young people to acquire hands-on skills as a vital life option. He attributes his successes to tailoring, having purchased a new electric saw machine from his savings. Dan also supports his small family, comprising a wife and child. With his expertise, Dan is now capable of training others in the field, ensuring a sustainable legacy.
Written by; Lutakome Benon Know Your City TV, Lubaga, Kampala, Uganda.
