The Chief Guest, Graduands, Parents, the directors & management of Precious Beauty & Vocational College, all invited guests in your respective capacities. I salute you all. It’s such an honour for me to be here today courtesy of an invitation by Dr. Drake Mirembe. We go way back and it’s no surprise to me that he has worked with many others to set up this great
practical skills oriented institution. The Baganda say, Akaliba akendo okalabira ku mukonda.
Greatness can be see even before it manifests. I see before me graduands full of smiles, joy and ambition. It is my hope that this joy is not merely
premised upon acquiring a certificate or ordinary Diploma but actually getting set to make this world a better place.
Twenty years ago, as a young graduate from Makerere University, with a passion to change the world through business, I set off on a journey with some friends to start a business. We never had the training, money or even necessary support to engage in business. All we had was self belief.
I personally chose to get a job and work in order to raise my capital contribution as well as acquire a good understanding of how companies are run. It wasn’t easy but when I look back, all I can say is that, it was worthwhile.
We are trained by an education system that glorifies papers over abilities. We pursue all forms of documented qualifications just to position ourselves to pass job interviews. When it comes to delivery, we fall short. This definitely is one of the biggest disappointments I have in our education
system. It’s only of late that I am getting to see practical oriented institutions emerge to fill the void left by government institutions that used to play this role like the now defunct Kyambogo Polytechnic.
Lately, I feel energized seeing various youths coming up with all types of innovations aimed at solving society’s challenges while making money in the process.
Just the other day, I came across this young man who plans to make cosmetics out of coffee and upon reading further, I realised that coffee has some good properties that keep our skins healthy.
Another lady after realising the hygiene challenge of opening public taps with everyone touching the handle using their hands came up with a foot operated tap which she called the Pedal Tap. She is already selling both locally and internationally.
A team of students led by a young lady that had lost someone to pneumonia due to poor diagnosis is in advanced stages of creating a wearable jacket that can detect the pneumonia disease among children.
On the arts scene, while growing up, most of the content was foreign. At one point it was American pop music that ruled, then South African music and later followed by Congolese music. I am happy that today, the music scene is run by majorly local artists.
There was a time when cosmetics products were all imported until some daring entrepreneurs begun making local cosmetic products whose popularity grew in leaps and bounds. You know their names, you see them being promoted everywhere you pass, especially around the markets.
These and many more highlight the need to develop home grown solutions, services and products if we are to make our country a better place.
You have been trained hence the reason for graduating today. As I observe you;
• I see the next fashion designer who will make Uganda proud
• I see the next makeup artist that will make Uganda proud
• I see the next embroidery guru that will make Uganda proud
• I see the next massage specialist that is going to revolutionize the industry in Uganda
• I see the next cosmetologist that shall grace the international stage
• I see someone launch a new brand of garments that is proudly Ugandan and African
• I see all possibilities plastered on your faces
As you venture out of this institution today, I would like to urge you to embark on an entrepreneurial journey of a lifetime. You do not have to be self employed to be an entrepreneur, you can still be one even in employment.
We all have a natural admiration for entrepreneurs, especially those that have made it big but none of us is usually ready for the true story of their journey. This story is premised on some key pillars which I shall quickly share with you.
First is Discipline. Today’s youth is short of this. You want to wake up at your convenience, get to work at your convenience, earn big, spend like a multi-billionaire, be popular and have the world at you feet. While all these aspirations are good, they need discipline to maintain when achieved. You
need to have a sense of purpose that makes you work hard amidst all circumstances in order to attain your goals. Discipline is what makes you retain customers for your business simply because you always deliver as promised. Discipline is what allows your capital to grow because you
prioritize adequately. Discipline is what endears you to potential business partners. Discipline is what will make your future employees work diligently. Discipline is what will keep you out of trouble with the authorities. Discipline is what sets you apart from the jokers.
Vision. This is a word spoken by many but utilized by few. As you embark upon your journey, I am sure you have a vision deep inside of you. That vision is one you should never give up on. Work towards it. The journey towards your vision is filled with numerous bends, curves, potholes, dream
killers, dream robbers, con-men among others. It doesn’t matter what you encounter, Keep Your Vision Alive, keep walking. The proprietor of Hardware World started off his business with the vision of setting up a Hardware Supermarket. He started small like they all do, a decade later, he has more than surpassed what he set out to do.
Commitment. Without commitment, there’s no success. Everyone basking in glory today has shown a high level of commitment to what they do. It doesn’t matter whether your success is overnight or not, commitment is the constant. When you set out to work for someone, work like your life starts and ends with that job. You may not see the fruits of your toil immediately but with
time, everything falls in place. When you choose to pursue a business do all you can to see it succeed. Do not let the low moments discourage you from the bigger picture. I am a blogger and during my blogging journey I have moved like someone walking in the dark. While it was frustrating, I kept at it and stayed committed. Today, I have established my niche and made a lot of progress in Business Blogging. As a result, organisations and individuals seek my services thereby diversifying my income stream. Sometimes you may not have clear answers of ideas on where your entrepreneurial journey is headed but I beg of you, just hang in there. Your breakthrough is never too far away.
Bandwagon. Society has made us always desire the approval of others. In all we do, we tend to be conscious about what others think, and some call this Group Think. Even a business idea we have come up with, is always subjected to the approval of those around us. While in some cases it is a
good thing, I tell you here and now that most times it’s not good for entrepreneurs. There is this story of bicycle riders who enrolled for a grueling competition. It was a long and tough race that would see the riders tested beyond their limits. They started the race full of energy with cheering crowds by the wayside. As they progressed, some sections of the crowd begun
doubting the ability of the riders to complete. They voiced their concerns through sarcastic comments aimed at the riders. Slowly, they dropped off one by one. Until only one rider remained in the race. The spectators kept uttering their discouraging remarks aimed at him but he kept going on and on. When he eventually won the race as the sole finisher, the same crowd came around him to find out the secret to his success. This is when they discovered that he was DEAF!!! Moral of the story? Don’t listen to the gallery, focus on your mission. Words are dream killers.
Challenges. There will always be challenges in your entrepreneurial journey and this may not be the time to delve into the details. However, I want your attitude towards challenges to change. Challenges are opportunities in waiting.
Whenever you come across a challenge, think solutions. That is how entrepreneurial minds are. Between 2005 and 2008, Uganda experienced its worst energy crisis. We used to have load shedding lasting up-to four days of the week. Many chose to complain and blame the government for
the status-quo. As an entrepreneur, I looked around for the opportunity in this and there-in lies the story of how I founded Barefoot Power Uganda one of the leading home solar solutions companies. You will face challenges in that business or on the job but instead of retreating to a pity party, focus
on what you can positively get out of the challenge. It is said that, when given lemon, make lemonade.
Time. Today’s generation of youths is the chips & chicken generation unlike the Luwombo generation of our forefathers. Like fast food, you want everything to happen in an instant. You want to get money, that house, a car, a lovely wife or husband, promotion, big sales all in a flash. That is
not how good and lasting things come your way. It is the reason why Luwombo which takes hours to prepare is a much better meal than that pack of chips and chicken from the Take Away.
Let us learn from the wine makers. The best wine is usually the one that has spent a longer time fermenting. As entrepreneurs, time is what helps us get better each day. It marinates us. It ferments us and by the time the glory begins flowing in, we are more than ready for it. Isn’t it a surprise to
you that high achievers are usually never loud mouthed about their achievements? They never go around seeking glorification? Why? They have learnt over time while walking their journey that real value lies in higher aspirations.
That business you start today might take 3, 5, 10 or even 15 years to blossom. You just need to give it time and remain committed to it.
Failure. Failure is one thing that is demonised nearly everywhere, especially in the education system. For sure, no one wants to hear that so and so has failed. It gets so bad that most of us live life avoiding failure and this has killed our creativity.
One of the reasons the uneducated and probably illiterate businessmen have succeeded a lot is because they have no fear for failure. They try, fail, try again, fail again and keep trying. Eventually they hit their lucky break. We the educated love playing it safe just to have a record of not having failed.
I have failed many times and I keep failing. However, each time I fail, my goal is to learn from that failure and position myself better for the next business attempt.
Failure is a stepping stone to success. Do not look at it with contempt.
Success. This is what drives us. Unfortunately, many look at it as an end point yet in reality, success is a journey. You aren’t successful because you have bought a car or acquired a house or held that wedding. Success are those incremental daily achievements you make which when summed up, yield some of the manifestations like a vibrant business operation, purchase of a house or car etc.
Be careful about success that comes quickly, it is most likely no different from a house built on sand. This is the kind of success that makes one go into oblivion as fast as they came onto the scene. There is a Ugandan gentleman whose name I will not mention that displayed cash money in
millions of dollars, rode expensive cars, permanently rented a suite in The Sheraton Hotel, attempted to buy a Premier League club and was always all over the place posturing as a success. Today, no one hears about him and the last I knew, he was imprisoned in Nairobi over fraud related charges.
The good thing is, that success can be contained if you follow some of the advice I have already shared with you.
Morals. Money isn’t everything. Hollywood has tried to give the impression that we should get rich at all costs or die trying but it’s a wrong one. You have been raised with good morals in your family, or so I assume. You know what is right or wrong. You know what tramples upon other people’s rights and what doesn’t.
As an entrepreneur, your moral compass comes in handy to determine what kind of business you undertake, how you do your business and the fairness with which you deal with others. Always try to be fair and do the right thing. It doesn’t matter if everyone around you is doing the wrong thing,
that doesn’t make it right.
You shall face the ugly head of corruption as you go about your business but at the end of the day, the choice is yours to make it a part of your business model or to walk away from it. Remember, any business built on corrupt tendencies can’t last. It eventually implodes. As we leave this place today, I urge you to walk out into the world with a critical eye, look out for society’s needs and challenges and make a conscious choice to address them. Even without thinking about the money, it will eventually come your way.
To the parents gathered here today, your generation believed in seeking employment from Government and probably investing in real estate. In this new era, government jobs are as scarce as the white rhino, sit down with your children, promote their talents by investing in their business ideas. You just might be surprised that the next big jewellery business is in the mind of your child that is graduating today.
And now go and make interesting mistakes, make amazing mistakes, make glorious fantastic mistakes. Break rules. Leave the world more interesting – Neil Gaiman.
God Bless You all.
James Wire, 0776726609 (lunghabo@gmail.com, wirejames.com)