Dembe FM, Spark TV audience win big
Some of the winners of the evening take a picture with some of the sponsors of the expo. Photo Courtesy
What you need to know:
The expo, which was started by Dembe FM empowers especially women to find ways of being productive and finding their purpose and saw people from as far as Busia and Luweero, among other parts of the country
Dembe FM, Spark TV audience won goodies ranging from dryers to fridges and a griddle during this year’s fifth edition of Wezuule Expo, a program that helps women and men develop businesswise.
Concluding the two-day program on March 29, Wezuule not only gave its revelers presents, but also knowledge ranging from hairdressing to beauty enhancement for respective clients.
The expo, which was started by Dembe FM empowers especially women to find ways of being productive and finding their purpose and saw people from as far as Busia and Luweero, among other parts of the country.
According to Robina Mulera aka Bina Baibe, what the program targets are to help them increase their income whether as hairdressers or overall beauty care.
“Do not put all your eggs in one basket. If you have a salon, put another money-making venture aside like making drinks for clients such that even if you do not get clients for the hair, people come to buy drinks from you,” Ms. Mulera said.
Ms. Mulera believes women need to stop waiting for "kameeza" money by indulging in more entrepreneurial skills to bring additional income to the family.
She revealed that starting from 50 people, the program now brings in up to 400 people for the learning opportunities, and of course competitions.
After giving out two 2 Super tapers with a code worth 180k each for cutting hair for the first and second winners, plus 2 cleaner sprays for the third one, Brian Baba, the ambassador of WAHL advised barbers to help clients feel comfortable while cutting their hair for this will bring them back.
“Know how to hold a customer’s head without making him or her feel like a hostage. Also, being as clean as possible is paramount,” he said.
Revelers witness results of the hair cutting competition. Photo/Courtesy
Keneth Mugalu, the founder of Ice Kenny beauty institute, advised people in salons and beauty care centers to make sure they go to an institute for formal skills or papers, no matter how good they are, and find a certificate for learning the skill.
“This certificate can help one settle anywhere, even if it is outside countries. You have the permit that proves your skill so no one will doubt your capabilities. Having a great skill without a certificate will be like an excellent driver without a driving permit,” Mugalu said during the two days of the expo.
The institute gave both half and full bursaries to people who wanted to enroll for a professional certificate, one full bursary going to a hearing, and a speech-impaired hairstylist who won a competition for making bridal hair. The one Hajarah Nabuuma, on top of the bursary, won a hair dryer from WAHL and hair products from Miadi.
To see the change in the business, salon owners were advised to follow new trends to be a step ahead of their customers.
Following up on one’s clients to see how they feel after one’s service, according to Mugalu, makes it easy for them to come back.
To grow financially, business owners were advised to give themselves a target of how much they want to earn. This helps in working towards that goal, meaning one will go out of their way to fulfill, which brings in more revenue.
Doreen Aturinda, a hair stylist student who came second in a hair-cutting competition with men says even if she did not come first in the competition, she learnt a great deal from customer care while cutting people’s hair, as well as the fact that there is always something new to learn.
“When working alone, you feel you are perfect because there is no competition. Today, I realized there is more I need to learn, but also mastered the things I know,” Aturinda said.
According to Moses Katongole, the programs controller, Dembe FM says he believes the people who attended, both on-site and through their radios will be able to develop their businesses with the knowledge that has been shared.
Katongole said the expo adds something new every year. This year, they gave people more time to learn things that matter in their businesses, which also brought in men (who also won). He said one of the highlights of the expo was for people to know that everything takes time, especially businesses. So patience is a virtue.
“Women, you are the heart of the nation. You are role models. I urged the attendees to put into practice what they have learnt and those who won something, use them with care because they will help you to your other step,” Katongole concludes.
