Former winner sponsors Pakasa Youth Awards

Vision Group's 2016 Pakasa Awards, Ambrose Angulo (R) poses for a photo with Vision Group's managing editor for English papers, Ben Opolot. Photos by Godfrey Kimon

After benefiting from Vision Group's 2016 Pakasa Awards, Ambrose Angulo, the proprietor of Ambrosoli Wonders Uganda Limited, a design and printing company based in Lira, has returned to support the 2017 event.

Angulo has designed and printed the accolades and certificates that will be awarded to the winners and participants for the Pakasa Youth Awards 2017.

The function will take place today at the Vision Group head office in Industrial Area, Kampala. Ten winners who were selected by a panel of four independent judges last week will each receive an accolade, certificate and cash prize from the Minister of State for Youth and Children Affairs, Florence Nakiwala Kiyingi, who will be the chief guest.

"I decided to sponsor this year's event because I also benefitted from people who chose to sponsor the previous event," Angulo said.

Speaking at the New vision offices recently, Angulo said that as one of the winners of the 2016 Pakasa Youth Awards, he won sh10m in business support and got an opportunity to travel to South Korea where he learnt invaluable lessons such as specialization and the importance of systems which have helped him grow his business.

"I learnt that it is important for one to specialise when they are starting a business because it enables you to concentrate on a particular field, be knowledgeable, come up with innovations and understand the market," he said.

Who is Angulo?

Born in Lira district 31 years ago, Angulo discovered his passion for art in 2007 as he prepared to join university. Typically, his preferred course was industrial art but his family opted for development studies because the former was undermined as a professional course in society.

Angulo heeded his parents' advice and pursued bachelors in development studies at Uganda Christian University and excelled with a first class degree after his first year.

"After excelling, I had the opportunity to apply for a scholarship which the university awarded me," Angulo says.

With tuition off the table, Angulo focused on raising pocket money. That is when he reverted to his passion of fine art to do this.

"I designed plaques for seasons like the Easter and Valentine's Day then supplied them to supermarkets in Ssonde, Mukono district," Angulo says.

Angulo earned more than enough for pocket money. He decided to invest the surplus in a computer, desktop and printing machine. This equipment earned him the trust of the university and businesses in the neighbourhood that eventually ended up contracting him to do their printing work.

When he eventually left university, like many graduates, Angulo wanted the white collar job experience so he first worked with a Kenyan research company before joining Crane Bank, Lira branch.

However, while at the bank, Angulo noticed a business opportunity in taking photographs for clients who came to the bank to open up accounts, which he exploited.

"The branch manager did not only put me in charge of photography and production of branch photos but also supported me to start my own business," he says.

Starting his own business

After a year and half of the white collar job experience, Angulo started Ambrosoli Wonders Uganda Limited. Over the seven years of its existence, the business has grown to seven permanent employees (photographers, administrators and there graphic designers) and 15 part-timers with now a branch office in Kampala.

When asked about what advice he has for fellow youth who are thinking about entrepreneurship as an alternative to employment, Angulo says that they should not wait to accumulate money to start a business.

"As a long as you are passionate about a business idea, you can start small and grow over time," he said.

Ambrose Angulo (R) chats with New Vision's Pakasa editor Sebidde Kiryowa( L).

 
His views on Pakasa

He thanked Vision Group for the Pakasa initiative which has since spawned the Pakasa Youth Awards, Pakasa Forum, a town hall meeting that puts young people in the same room as people who have opportunities as well as the Vocational Skills Guide, a publication that advocates practical skills for employment amongst the youth.

"Pakasa has helped effect a mindset change amongst young people in Uganda from thinking of employment as the sole means of earning a living to considering entrepreneurship. It has shown us through practical examples that although far from easy, it is possible to take charge of your financial destiny while creating opportunities for others," he said.

"It is now ‘cool' to be an entrepreneur and that is the attitude we need to mitigate rampant unemployment amongst the youth."