Mugabi David
Mugabi David was born in Mayuge District, Lugolole Village, and is currently pursuing the Higher Education Access Certificate Program in English Language and Literature at Busitema University. He was born into a family of eight children, three of whom are not in school because of family challenges and their single mother’s inability to raise school fees.
Despite all the challenges we faced 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. 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 help me get some scholastic materials.”
Turning Talent into Tuition
In S.3, one of our class tasks was to make a signpost, and mine turned out so well that everyone at school appreciated it. My teacher began marketing my talent, and I started getting art jobs. I designed talking compounds for schools and was allowed to study for free in exchange for the work I did — easing the burden of school fees on my mother and giving her room to support my other siblings.
Later on, I teamed up with a group of painters in the village to take on painting jobs. I earned less than I hoped, but it was enough to meet my educational needs — buying books and uniforms, and supporting my siblings.
In S.5, I decided to register a business name, G2 Artists and Painters, which I still use today. This talent has helped me a lot, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic lockdown.
Surviving the Lockdown
When schools closed, I returned home with nothing left in my pocket. While at home, I started getting jobs, earned some money, and bought 100kg of maize flour so my family would have something to survive on during the difficult COVID-19 period. Whenever I get a job during these challenging times, I make sure to stock up on food at home.
During this time, I learned a lot and improved my skills, and I can now do a wide range of work: wall branding, wall painting, T-shirt printing, badge design and printing, classic signposts, and other art-related work. When I have a lot of work, I call on friends to help, and I currently have two young men working with me full-time. I also have a vision of registering a company so I can compete for bigger contracts within the district and beyond.
Giving Back
I am multi-talented — I have also designed masks, tailored and branded for the Mayuge FAWE Student’s Association, to be distributed freely in our community as a way of giving back, following the Ministry of Health’s COVID-19 prevention guidelines.
I also have skills in carpentry, which I picked up during my S.4 vacation working with Mayuge Sugar Industries’ carpentry section, where I learned about timber products, including luxury boards. To keep improving, I now work with a friend, a senior carpenter formerly employed by the company and now self-employed, where I continue learning.
“I look forward to becoming a respectable, helpful, and successful businessman in my community and beyond. I want to contribute to building this country by creating jobs for other young people, so they too can support their families and pay school fees for their children.”