By Yvonne Ayesigye of Windle International Uganda
For 32-year-old Birungi Simon, shoemaking began with observation rather than a classroom. As a young boy living with his uncle in Lira, Simon watched him repair shoes for people in the neighbourhood. His uncle never formally taught him the trade. Instead, he would simply ask, “Do you see what I do?” Simon watched closely, memorised the process and began trying it himself, starting with sandals before progressing to shoes.
Simon had dropped out of school in Primary Five, but the skill he picked up from his uncle would become an important part of his life. Even when he later returned to school, he continued repairing shoes. At first, people doubted him, but his teachers eventually recognised his determination and encouraged him not to abandon the skill, telling him that it could one day become a source of income.
He took their advice seriously.
From repairing shoes to building a livelihood
Years later, Simon turned the skill he had learnt by watching his uncle into a livelihood. In Nansana, Wakiso District, he initially moved from place to place, looking for customers whose shoes needed repair. He would collect the shoes, repair them and return them to their owners.
His situation changed when a Good Samaritan offered him a place where he could sit and work. From this station, Simon began collecting several pairs from customers around the neighbourhood, repairing them and delivering them back. As word spread, some customers also began coming directly to him.
The business earned him about UGX 300,000 a month and helped him stay afloat. But Simon wanted more. He did not want to spend his life only repairing shoes made by others; he wanted to learn how to make shoes himself.
A chance to learn, grow and create
The opportunity came through a friend from his church, who told him about a training opportunity that could help him expand his skills.
Simon registered at Mengo Vocational Youth Centre, went through the interview process and was selected for shoe-making training. His goal was clear: to learn how to make different types of footwear, especially back-to-school shoes.
“I wanted to learn how to make all kinds of shoes, not just repair them,” Simon says.
For two months, he trained in the fundamentals of shoemaking, learning to make back-to-school shoes, sandals, pumps, gentle shoes and safety boots. He is now in his four-month work-based learning phase, where he is putting those skills into practice and exploring additional designs.
“My trainer has been very helpful from the time I started up to now. The two months gave us the fundamentals, but these four months have given us a chance to learn more designs and improve our skills.”
For Simon, the training was not simply about acquiring another skill. It was about creating something of his own.
His first shoes are already on the market
Simon has already sold two pairs of shoes, including back-to-school and craft shoes. For him, those first sales represented more than income; they were proof that he could turn his new skills into a viable business.
“I wanted to have my own product out there in the market. When I made the shoes and sold them, I wanted to see my effort. I want to meet that learner and see the shoes I made on their feet.”
The response has encouraged him. Several people have reached out wanting to buy the shoes he makes, but Simon is constrained by the cost of materials. Many customers would rather buy completed shoes than place orders, creating an opportunity he is eager to pursue once he has the resources to produce more.
One pair at a time, towards a factory
Simon continues repairing shoes alongside his work-based learning to keep an income flowing. When he returns from the training centre, he goes back to his workstation, repairs customers’ shoes and delivers them to their owners.
At the same time, he is investing his earnings into his new dream. Through savings from shoe repair, he has acquired a sewing machine, back-to-school shoe moulds in sizes 24, 31 and 37, and sandal moulds in sizes 37, 40 and 42.
These may be modest beginnings, but Simon sees them as the foundation of something much bigger.
“My journey to owning the shoe factory I need has started. I now have all the skills I need to start. Now I need machines and materials.”
His ambition is not only about business. It is about creating a different future for his children.
“I want the future to be bright for my children. I dream of starting my own shoe-making company. I don’t want my children to also become shoe repairers.”
Simon’s journey, from dropping out of school in Primary Five, to learning a trade by watching his uncle in Lira, building a shoe-repair business in Nansana and now training as a shoemaker, reflects the power of skills, opportunity and determination to open new possibilities.
The road to his dream factory will require more machines, materials and capital, but Simon has already built its most important foundation: the skill and confidence to begin.
He started by repairing other people’s shoes.
Now, he is making his own path, one pair at a time.
About the WeWork – Green and Decent Jobs for Youth Project
Birungi Simon is a beneficiary of the WeWork – Green and Decent Jobs for Youth project, implemented by Windle International Uganda in partnership with Enabel in Kampala and Wakiso.
The two-year project is supporting more than 500 young people with skills development, work-based learning and opportunities to build sustainable livelihoods and pursue decent employment.