Success in life isn’t all about one’s education levels. There are a number of successful entrepreneurs who didn’t go far with education, but they are employing Professors.
This must have been one of the motivating factors for Franco Mambi, 27, a resident of Seeta in Mukono Municipality. Having completed Senior Six (A Level) in 2010, Mambi enrolled for Diploma in Art and Design at Kyambogo University the following year, but dropped out after one semester due to financial constraints.
“I felt a lot of emotional pain especially when I saw my colleagues academically advance each day that passed. I was even forced to go away from home to Busia to force myself forget this pain,” says Mambi.
However, his sad journey to Busia was the start of his long walk to success. “Because I loved handworks, when I reached Busia, I started getting engaged in making ceramics. Surprisingly, after some time, I became so perfect to an extent that I was even spotted by Lumino Polytechnic Institute where I started teaching the same,” Mambi says.
His works attracted the attention of a one Josephine Nabwire, a member of Friends of Needy People.
“When she saw what I was doing, she appreciated and encouraged me. She told me about the opportunity in Uganda Industrial Research Institute (UIRI). She took me there and I applied for a vacancy,” Mambi noted.
While at UIRI, Mambi studied how to make door mats, carpets, design clothes among many other items and he was awarded with a certificate. After studies, he never went back to Busia, but rather together with Nabwire, started a workshop that was named Women of Vision for All in Seeta.
Through one of the workshops he attended in 2015, Mambi learnt about opportunities in making bags. He acquired more skills and started making them, selling each at Shs20, 000. He explains that he makes an average of 10 bags per day.
“We make bags in all sizes and types; ladies’ handbags, school bags, laptop bags among many others. We also make special bags on special orders,” he reveals.
Impacting the Community
Other than making bags, Mambi and his team have started imparting the same skills to well-wishers. “We train several people in handworks. Anyone interested in learning what we do, pays only Shs320, 000 for the residents and those coming from their homes pay Shs250, 000. However, there are many other people that we just help to give free knowledge as well,” he says.
Benefits
Mambi says unlike his unfortunate situation, he has been able to successfully pay school fees and other needs for all his siblings. “I have also got a lot of useful friends locally, nationally and internationally because of this job,” he says, adding that he is able to earn a net profit of over Shs1m per month. “For the start, I have made sure I re-invest most of the money in the business to further grow it,” he says.
Challenges
Mambi says the biggest challenge is financing. “This is because the demand for the products has increasingly grown yet the prices of the raw materials also keep shooting up,” he reveals, adding that rent is another big challenge for him.
“We decided that the fees paid by the learners should pay rent as the income from our products is reinvested. However, the turn up is not regular. Also, we still have a challenge of transportation since we have not yet bought our own vans,” he adds.
Future Plans
Mambi plans to upgrade his operations to qualify for the Small and Medium Industry (SMI) category. This will be in addition to getting a large piece of land for expansion and building a more formal teaching and learning school.
Advice To Youth
“I encourage all youth not to despise any kind of job. Every job can make your dreams come true,” he advises, adding that the profitability of any job directly depends on passion and input.
