Mugabi David
Mugabi David is born in Mayuge District-Lugolole Village, and currently pursuing the Higher Education Access Certificate Program in English Language and Literature at Busitema University. He was born in a family of 8 children, 3 not in school due to family challenges and the inability of their single mother to raise school fees.
Despite all the challenges we faced while growing up. I thank God for everything because he gave me a talent for art and the ability to work hard.
“I grew up talented and with the dream of helping my Mother who was solely responsible for raising us up. When I joined secondary school, I became creative in different aspects of Art. I used to help my Fine Art teacher with painting and he used to support me meet some scholastic materials.”
In S.3, one of the tasks was to make a signpost and made a very nice one, which everyone at school appreciated. Our teacher started marketing my talent and I started getting some art jobs. I designed talking compounds at schools and was allowed to study for free for the service I offered to the school. This reduced the burden of paying school fees to my mother and gave her room to be able to support my other siblings.
Later on, I teamed up with a group of painters in the village to do painting works. I was getting jobs but was earning less but that helped me meet my educational needs including buying books, uniforms and also supporting my siblings.
In S.5 I decide to secure a business name (G2 artists and painters) which I am currently using. This talent has helped me a lot, especially during this COVID 19 pandemic lockdown.
As a result of the closure of schools, I returned home without anything left in my pocket. While home, I started getting some jobs, got some money and bought 100kgs of maize flour for my family members to survive on during the COVID 19 tough times.
Whenever I get a job during these challenging times, I make sure that I stock up on some food at home.
During this time, I have learnt a lot, improved my skills and able to do a wide array of things including; wall branding, wall painting, T-shirt printing, Badge designing and printing, classic sign posts and any other items in line with art work.
When I have much work, I call my friends to help me though I currently have two boys I work with full time. I too have a vision of registering a company so that I am able to compete for big contracts within the district and beyond.
I am multi-talented, I have been able to design masks that tailored and branded for the Mayuge FAWE Student’s Association that will be distributed to people in our community freely as a way of giving back to the community following the Ministry of Health guidelines on the prevention of COVID 19.
I too have skills in carpentry, which knowledge I acquired during my S.4 vacation when I worked with Mayuge Sugar Industries in the carpentry sector where I learnt timber products including luxurious boards. To keep improving my skill, I work with a friend, the senior carpenter previously employed by the company but self employed now, where I keep learning a lot of things.
The work, I engage in helps me in earning extra income, as I plan to become successful in the future. I appreciate the skill; I have because I am able to associate with intellectual people in my community including different politicians and business men whom I am learning from, emulating and sharing their success stories. I look forward to becoming a respectable, helpful and a great business man in my community and beyond. I too contribute towards building up this country through creating jobs for other young people so that they are able to supporting their families including paying school fees for their children.