Vanessa is one of many young women who has discovered a new livelihood on TWAM tools, thanks to training at Mindset Education - our Ugandan partners. This is her story!

When Vanessa completed her secondary education in 2018, she found herself facing a question familiar to many young people: what comes next?

Armed with fierce independence and a basic senior certificate, she knew she wanted to build a future for herself, but she wasn't sure which direction to take. She had always enjoyed running and modelling, and for a time she considered working in her mother's beauty salon. Yet something told her it wasn't quite the right fit.

The answer came from an unexpected place.

"Sewing has taught me how to interact and communicate", Vanessa says. "I used to be very shy."

One day, Vanessa spent time with a friend who was making bags. Although her friend had already received sewing training, Vanessa quickly found herself suggesting ways to complete tasks more efficiently. There was something about the work that came naturally to her.

Around the same time, Vanessa's older sister, who lived opposite Mindset Foundation's training centre, mentioned the organisation to their mother. At first, there was some uncertainty about whether tailoring would be the right path. But Vanessa was intrigued. The opportunity to learn a practical skill and create something with her own hands appealed to her immediately.

She enrolled at Mindset Foundation and began a two-year tailoring course.

It did not take long for her talent to emerge.

As she learned the fundamentals of garment making on sewing machines supplied and refurbished by TWAM, Vanessa discovered a talent for design and creation. The first item she made was a skirt for her mother. Soon afterwards came a party dress. Each new project helped build her confidence and sharpen her skills.

Graduates at Mindset Education - Maureen, our long-running Ugandan partner, is in blue.

What began as training quickly became enterprise.

Even while she was still learning, Vanessa started producing items to sell. She made skirts, dresses and bags, steadily building both her experience and her reputation. A friend later taught her how to make earrings, allowing her to expand her range even further.

The more she worked, the more she realised that success depended on word-of-mouth reputation just as much as making beautiful products. She worked hard, therefore, to encourage satisfied customers to tell others where their clothes had come from. One happy customer led to another. Orders began to grow.

Today, she receives commissions from individual customers and has secured larger contracts producing uniforms for shop staff. She has also embraced modern ways of promoting her work, using social media platforms such as Instagram and Facebook to showcase her designs and attract new customers.

Vanessa (centre) with Simon Danks, our former TWAM chairman, and her fellow graduate from Mindset Education Mirembe Esther Lilian.

Looking back following her graduation, Vanessa recognises that her time at Mindset Foundation transformed far more than her technical abilities.

Before her training, she describes herself as a shy young woman who lacked confidence when interacting with others. Through learning, working alongside fellow students and serving customers, she developed communication skills that have become essential to her success as a businesswoman.

Perhaps most importantly, she emphasises how sewing "released a creativity I never realised I had" - a testament to how a sewing machine, in the right hands, becomes a source of income, independence, and transformation.

Today, Vanessa divides her time between fashion design and modelling. While she enjoys both, her heart lies firmly with design. She loves the process of imagining a garment, developing the pattern and seeing an idea come to life through fabric and thread.

Her ambitions continue to grow. One day, she hopes to organise and run her own fashion shows, showcasing original designs to larger audiences. Her next major challenge is an exciting one: designing a wedding gown!

Vanessa's journey from an uncertain school leaver to a successful entrepreneur is a powerful reminder of what becomes possible when the right training combines with the right tools. Tomorrow, who knows where Vanessa's creativity and ambition might take her?

A new beginning for Vanessa!