Author: cyeug

It seems to me that when Chris Guillebeau said, “Never despise small beginnings”, he surely had me in mind. I have since realized that those early difficult moments of life merely prepared me for the better man I have become, I am Ampereza Hillary (Ndugu), co-founder & Director of Inspire Child of Africa and an Executive with Aim Global. Currently in my late 20’s and a social entrepreneur by training. If anyone had met me 3 – 5 years ago, they would probably think I was just a young business gambler with no sense of direction and only looking for survival and truth be told most of those that met me then thought exactly that and to some extent I agree with them, I had dropped out of Makerere University Business School while pursuing a Bachelor’s degree in Business Computing and had to rent out a small “not so good looking” room on the way to Naguru go-down in Nakawa Division, those of you that know this place also know that it’s a ghetto- slum like area and I used to pay UGX. 50,000/= per month as my rent, which money I got through some family friends but wasn’t enough to meet my tuition. As if that was not enough I would walk daily from there to head office Aim Global then at University plaza in Wandegeya were I would learn a few things about social networking. However I had not yet even become a member since I didn’t have subscription fee which was at UGX. 650,000/= for one account then. As the saying goes “A hungry stomach, an empty wallet and a broken heart can teach you the best lesson of life.” I knew that keeping up with appearances as a University graduate wouldn’t get me anywhere in life, one day on my way home, I met an eggs vendor who had come to supply eggs at the nearby retail shops, at once I got this feeling that this perhaps was my business niche coupled with the fact that it had market. To cut the long story short I started going to Owino market where I would pick eggs from and then started supplying them in the retail shops in a village called Kiwalimu also in Nakawa division, I remember starting with only 5 trays but in a months’ time I had a turnover of 15 trays, I then decided to supply to Supermarkets around Bukoto, that is when I realized that preparedness is key in business, here I was with little capital and yet I needed a good transport means luckily I had borrowed a pick up from my friend’s uncle but I had to factor in the fuel cost but also increase my supply, this proved to be highly capital intensive & yet these new customers wouldn’t pay on deliver. I must confess I only supplied for 2 weeks and gave up, it is the proceeds of these supplies that I used to pay up for one account in Aim Global and decided to concentrate on networking business and gave up on eggs vending. 3 years down the road, I have never regretted my decision and with the help of Chambers of Young Entrepreneurs Uganda, I now have the requisite skill to run Inspire Child of Africa which is a charitable organization fully registered and also grow my investments in Aim Global, I also went back to campus in 2017 and completed my Bachelors and successfully graduated last year, 2018, by the grace of God. I am not yet there but I believe that I am a work in progress and even in my few achievements I have inspired the young men and women to passionately focus on creating new revenue streams and not necessarily focusing only on their career goals.

Graduating from University in Uganda was not a worry for me but my speculations of life after graduation were foggy. After my three years Bachelor’s Degree of Procurement and Logistics Management from Kyambogo University, I knew I had to have a certificate from the Chartered Institute of Procurement and Supply (CIPS) to get a job in line with my field of study.   I am a voice among millions of graduates in Uganda presently faced with this challenge to further their careers.

I am Esaete Belinda Regina, a 23 year old, Procurement Assistant at Rohi Services Limited- a Ugandan construction firm,  and Here is my story.

Reality often strikes in the final semester at University, but for me it came much earlier as I knew I wanted to become a social Entrepreneur. Unfortunately, the theoretical knowledge I was acquiring wasn’t quite pointing towards that direction. In the anticipation of what would happen next if I didn’t get a job In my study feild, miraculously,  Starthub Academy Africa; a German founded organization that offers University students free Entrepreneurship skills came in right before I could join the real world and gave me the new skill set I needed. I gained skills in not limited to; design thinking, value addition, customer analysis, pitching,financial management and public relations. I saw the need to spread these skills to other youth in Uganda, so I came up with a podcast to share these skills. My proactivity and outstanding performance led to my retention in the academy to volunteer as an advisor, marketer and public relations head for the program. I represented Starthub in an interview on Urban Television, a local television station to talk about our Inter-University pitch event and visited different corporate institutions to fundraise for the event.

 In April 2018, learnt of Chambers of Young Entrepreneurs which put all my beliefs, perceptions and goals to the test. Never before had I met ambitious young people working together to become successful irrespective of their education and career backgrounds. I have been mentored here since then and am proud to be affiliated to CYE.

With the skills and mentorship I was receiving, coupled with the willingness to Volunteer, I got my first formal job in August as a Procurement Assistant at Rohi Services Limited, and my schedule duties was in line with what I studied, keeping in mind I was graduating in December that year. I was equally chosen to represent the company at the Intra-Africa Trade Fair that took place in Speke Resort Munyonyo. This regional event brings together African and international delegates for cross trade.  I learnt how to build and scale businesses, coping with responsibility and global trade.

As if that wasn’t enough, Starthub recommended me as good candidate to work with another German founded organization called Global Match.  Global match looks at doing away with global inequalities by matching two individuals from the global North and global South with similar interests to work together on a project guided by United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. So in September last year,  I was among twelve Ugandans chosen  to take part in an exchange program were our German tandem partners visited Uganda and we intiated our projects. We, together with five other teammates are working on a plastic waste recycling project. TRYBE looks at upcycling plastic wastes mostly found in water bodies and landfills to make bags. We want to reduce on the harsh effects on climate change. Our project has taught me values like teamwork, integrity, communication and time management.

My greatest achievement so far was my eighteen days trip to Germany last month. The exchange program and trip was sponsored by BMZ. The aim of these programs is to spot and support change markers, create global equality and support projects between the Global South and Global North.  We set off to learn and experience new cultures, work ethic and establish our projects work. We visited organizations like Stitfund Nord Süd Brūken,Think Big, Impact Hub, Go fund Me, Wework.  We met different organization Heads like – the Regional Director for Sub-Saharan Africa and Sahel – Ambassador Robert Dölger, among others. We  also visited cities like Muchën, Berlin, Ausburg, Aschaffenburg, Frankfurt,etc. This for me was the climax of our  trip.

Has it always been this smooth?!, heck no. My relentless movement began in second year at University when I woke up one day convinced that  I wanted to be a television host for an entrepreneurship television show (side hustle). PS I didn’t know half the things I know now. Haha. I moved from one  media house to the next. Pitched to a thousand people but didn’t get in. This didn’t stop me, every tile along the way only drew me closer to fixing the puzzle. I met and built friendships with amazing people I can still call friends. And right there, I call it “positioning”, in the thirst for knowledge and skills, Starthub set me on the journey. And then I joined the Chambers of Young Entrepreneurs which has mentored me since April last year. I am grateful to Mr.Edwin for the seed he has sown and is still sowing in our generation. We shall make you proud Sir.

My dad, my greatest support. Behind every girl on a journey to success is a relentless dad. I can proudly say my dad has taught me half the things I know. From work ethic, to maintaining good relationships, working hard, being committed, spotting and taking advantage of opportunities. He has not given me what I want, He has given me what I need. I thank God for you Papa. To my boss, thank you for believing in me, for letting me expore and learn to contribute to your Organization. To Global Match and Starthub, thank for letting me be part of you. Above all, To God my Abba Father, you align my foot steps. I owe this story and more to you. Am grateful.

Hello Entrepreneurs,

The following tips by http://www.forbes.com on how to sustain the growth of your business are very applicable. As we look at growing business to profitability, it is also key to prepare for exponential growth.

Today we will share two of these tips. Here they are;

1. Top Talent

Without the right people, a business can’t grow and it certainly makes it difficult to sustain momentum over time. Business is about people and without the right people a business can’t grow and mature. Oftentimes, this requires an organization to refresh its talent pool in support of the organization’s business model and the unique needs of its clients.

2. Operational Efficiencies

Efficiencies drive costs down and embed a mindset within the workplace culture that makes people sensitive to costs and ways to streamline how the organization communicates, operates and connects the dots of opportunities. This helps to assure that activities within the organization are in alignment with the needs of the business to create and sustain growth.

STAY TUNED FOR THE REMAINING TIPS:

And remember that the May Forum is coming soon. It will be running under the theme “Innovating to the Top”. You cannot afford to miss it.

Chamber of Young Entrepreneurs Uganda (CYE) is a private initiative, launched on April 2018, with a nation-wide reach among youth to inspire a sustainable Entrepreneurship culture.

Our main objective is to promote and support the interests of Uganda’s huge youth population both already in Entrepreneurship and the potential young business owners. Global reports indicate that the Youth in Uganda are the youngest population in the world, with 77% of its population being under 30 years of age. There are 7,310,386 youth from the ages of 15–24 years of age living in Uganda.Our Philosophy here is Identify, Train and Seed.

Vision

To strengthen the entrepreneurship culture among the youth population in Ugandan.

Our Dream

To see across Uganda, young people leading the charge in launching successful start-up businesses.

Mission

To be a premium private sector body for the young business community in Uganda, providing members with an influential local, regional and global network for business growth.

CYE Values

•  Innovation

•  Diligence

•  Excellence

•  Integrity

•  Commitment

Forums

As CYE, we have monthly forums every first Monday of every month at Kampala Serena Hotel, where different successful Guest Speakers or Panelists are invited to inspire the young entrepreneurs to excellence and success. More to this we network, set personal targets for the next month and do a recap on the targets made for the previous month.

We give entrepreneurs the opportunity to register as members under CYE or their businesses under CYE  and in turn enjoy the privilege of marketing their products or services during the forums.

CYE is open to all entrepreneurs and aspiring entrepreneurs. The culture of entrepreneurship has to be strengthened.