“Yes, I Can”: The Mindset Shift That Helped Fazira Build a Tailoring Business

From an early age, Fazira, a young woman from Uganda, loved fashion. On special occasions, her mother made African print dresses for Fazira and her eight sisters — outfits that made her feel confident and special. Over time, admiration turned into a dream: one day, she hoped to become a fashion designer.

Her mother, a hardworking farmer and agripreneur, modeled the value of entrepreneurship and financial independence, setting a strong example. 

But in secondary school, life shifted. Fazira’s father passed away, making school fees difficult for her mother to afford alone. This meant Fazira had to leave school. Soon after, she became a mother herself, faced with new responsibilities. Without a stable source of income, Fazira began searching for a way forward.

“Yes I Can”

When Fazira learned about Educate!’s livelihood bootcamp for young people unable to access secondary school, she saw an opportunity to turn her passion into a business and decided to join. 

One of the first sessions Fazira participated in was called “Yes I Can” — designed to help youth build confidence in their own abilities. In one activity, youth were tasked with the challenge of selling a simple pencil to someone in their community, convincing them to exchange it for something more valuable. 

For Fazira, this practical challenge pushed her outside her comfort zone, prompting her to practice communication, problem-solving, and taking initiative. Accomplishing this task helped Fazira build her confidence — sparking a shift in mindset. 

“The biggest thing I learned was ‘Yes, I can.’ After the bootcamp, I felt more confident and believed in myself,” says Fazira.

Over the course of the next few weeks, Fazira continued to build on these skills, developing knowledge about how to run a successful business on top of a growing self-belief in her own abilities.

Turning Confidence and Skills Into Action

After the bootcamp, the “Yes, I Can” mindset stuck with Fazira. She confidently approached some of the tailors in her community for their advice on fabric suppliers and pricing. Though technically future competitors, the women became an informal support network for Fazira — helping her build the connections she needed to get started. 

Applying the problem-solving skills she had practiced at the bootcamp, Fazira took another step and enrolled in a short tailoring course to learn sewing skills. Later, she joined a free vocational training program run by a local organization and unexpectedly won a sewing machine through one of their competitions. Through persistence and hard work, Fazira’s outlook was steadily changing.

A Dream Come True

To launch her business, Fazira leveraged a small amount of start-up capital to buy fabric and sewing supplies. Her mother also provided a room for Fazira to set up her business rent free. 

Drawing on newly developed marketing skills, Fazira experimented with ways to attract customers. She displayed fabric options in her workspace, shared finished outfits on WhatsApp, and often wore her own creations — turning her personal style into a way to showcase her work.

Today, Fazira can say she has achieved her dream — running a successful tailoring business. On good days, she earns approximately UGX 40,000 (USD $11) and on slower days around UGX 15,000 (USD $4). 

As the business brings a level of stability she did not have before, Fazira continues to carry forward the belief in her own potential inspired by first bootcamp session. A key area of focus is building her customer base, which will allow her to reinvest more consistently in fabric and expand her tailoring work. Having completed only a few months of training, she also hopes to further strengthen her skills to take on more complex designs. 

Additionally, Fazira is using her profits to diversify her income. With her savings, she invested in five hens, creating another small source of income through poultry farming. 

This meaningful shift from previously being without an income is now enabling her to support herself and her two-year-old child.

“I am happy because I am earning money and even saving,” says Fazira.

Paying It Forward 

As Fazira’s business grows, she’s also committed to giving back, including helping her mother with household expenses — a small way of supporting the woman who inspired her journey.

That support has also shaped how Fazira shows up for others. Motivated by the encouragement she received from her mother and other women in her community, she now shares advice with friends — encouraging them to stay resilient and keep working toward their dreams. Her message is simple: “Yes, you can!”