Mackline Asiimire, is a youth politician and social entrepreneur. She is the newly elected Secretary for Sports and Culture at the National Youth Council (NYC), the founder of MK Afri Collections and a co-founder Kampala Mall.

MK Afri Collections’ core goal is to empower the young people with hands on skills like (making beads, craft shoes, bags etc) and to help them market their products. Ms Asiimire describes Kampala Mall as an online market focused on bringing quality products at affordable prices to clients’ door steps.

“In 2017 around September, after the release of 3rd year final results, I found that I had a retake. Having been a Vice Guild President at MUBS, I tried all means through different admins to get me on the final list till when one of the professors asked for sex and I decided to chill and retake my paper the following year.
I was so depressed and wanted something to keep me busy.” Asiimire traces the beginning of her hustle life.

“One night, I was on YouTube and found some creative guidelines like how to make tassel earrings. The following day I went to town, shopped all the materials which cost me around Shs 5,000 and started practicing from home and posting my products on my social media platforms till when I landed on a gig with World Vision to train a group of school drop outs in Kakumiro District.” She recalled.

Accordingly, Asiimire used the money she secured from the World Vision program to buy more materials and train more youth. In November 2019, she opened up a physical store at California Plaza, Luwum Street, Shop L35 where she is currently operating from.

She credits her hustle so far for helping her to grow her social capital and network.

“I learnt to be patient because business requires one to be patient. I have improved my financial discipline, been able to inspire and mentor my fellow young people and most importantly the freedom to run my other side hustles with ease.” She told MTN Pulse.

Her greatest challenge at the moment, she says, is limited market for the crafts. She says that most Ugandans haven’t embraced their own homemade crafts and prefer imported crafts from neighboring countries like Kenya and Rwanda yet they are of the same quality

She encourages the young people to start small and be patient with the journey. Never at one point to seek to hurry it.
Find Ms Asiimire’s businesses online @mkafricollections (Facebook and Instagram) and @kampalamall256