48-year-old Innocent Barigye is a shoemaker in Bushenyi Ishaka Municipality. Having struggled with school fees to further his education after S.4 Barigye opted for technical studies. His parents could not support him any longer but he was fortunate enough not to drop out. “My father had many children but with less financial support, he couldn’t pay my school fees. Later I got a sponsor.” Said, Innocent Barigye – Shoe Maker. A student then at St. Kagwa Secondary School in Bushenyi district, Barigye joined Kabira Technical Institute in 1996 where he acquired skills in shoemaking. Vocational studies were not what he wanted but while there he enjoyed his stay. “I decided to go for this technical education because I had seen my brothers doing it before me.”

Like most youths, he decided to move to Kampala to find employment but ended up in Kibale district where in the course of work he also got a wife. “I started working on the veranda. I had no money for rent by then.” Barigye now blessed with four children later saved up 3 million shillings for his start-up capital and now earns a net of 300,000 shillings per month. “I have a market challenge and also the materials are very expensive.” Today, he is employing several other youths who have not got a chance to continue their education and helps them acquire few skills. He said the business was lucrative and he was able to start a business for his wife, educate his children, buy land and built a house for his family and he would like his children to join the venture but he said this would come at a cost. “I don’t want to put my children in business when they are still young, I fear them dropping out of school.” For the degree he would have been happier with, Innocent has a Grade 1 Craft Certificate, has made fortunes out of it and he’s proud he did not look back.