By Jimmy Ezra Okello | Innovator and Project Leader
One day, at the beginning of my last semester at Kyambogo Univeristy in 2018, while doing shopping in Owino Market (now renamed St. Balikuddembe) , I observed young men selling second hand shoes at only 2,000 shillings. This got me interested. This because the shoes looked good and could be sold at a higher price.
Reaching my hostel, I reflected on the second-hand shoes business and how I can start doing it while I was at the university and selling to my fellow students. This could be my life safer, I thought at the time and I am glad I took it on.
I budgeted and decided to start my shoe hawking business with capital of 20,000 shillings. The next day, I went to Owino market and bought 10 pairs of shoes which I carried in my green pill. The green pill is for those who are just starting and buying a few stocks.
On my way back, I had thoughts running on my mind. How would my course mates look at me doing this under-rated business of hawking shoes? In deed when I arrived at my hostel, my room mate was surprised. He could not imagine that me, who is studying to be a manager, can lower myself to hawk second hand shoes.
I was undeterred by my roommate’s reaction and in fact I tried to convince him to partner with me so we could do this lucrative business together. I knew for sure that even though both his parents were still alive, he was still from a disadvantaged background. He declined my proposition by asking me “how will my Tanzanian babe see me hawking shoes?”
Interestingly, it was the laughter and teasing that I was getting from my roommate that attracted my first customers. My female hostel mates who happened to hear my roommate laughing and teasing me, came to see what it was all about. When they saw the selection of shoes that I had for sale they became so excited with my innovation.
And right there and then, my first customer, my hostel mate, bought a pair at 7,000 shillings. With such I huge profit margin, I got inspired to continue with the business. With my earnings I comfortably paid all my dues and even covered the cost of food for my roommate.
I must say though it was not necessarily that easy. I was an evening classes student with lectures from five to eight at night. After lectures I would rush to my hostel to pick up the shoes to display on the pavement at the entrance of our university. My classmates found it fascinating that I would be with them in class and then as they were exiting the university, they would find me among my fellow hawkers.
I had a lot of balancing of my time to do. When I would run out of stock I would re-stock at between five and six in the mourning. In a way my shoe business was the first opportunity that I had to put my theoretical managerial knowledge to practice – I had no choice but to manage me for my education.
So, I will always suggest second hand shoes hawking as a business that requires little amounts of capital and can yield high profits. This is one among many businesses that people from disadvantage backgrounds can do to earn livelihoods.
Many people in our communities in Northern Uganda would benefit from such businesses, but they simply do not have the required small start-up capital. This is why I wish our project to succeed. Small loans to women accompanied with training can make a huge difference. This I am confidently assert from my own experience.
I am thankful to all our supporters who have made a financial contribution so far. Without your support we are not able to enable disadvantaged women start high profit yielding business with little capital. We still need you help in 2024. Please consider making another donation. And also please spread the word and invite others in your network to donate. Thank you.
By Norah Owaraga | Project Leader and Managing Director
By Norah Owaraga | Managing Director
Project reports on GlobalGiving are posted directly to globalgiving.org by Project Leaders as they are completed, generally every 3-4 months. To protect the integrity of these documents, GlobalGiving does not alter them; therefore you may find some language or formatting issues.
If you donate to this project or have donated to this project, you can receive an email when this project posts a report. You can also subscribe for reports without donating.
Support this important cause by creating a personalized fundraising page.
Start a Fundraiser
