I earn UGX 700,000 per month – Swaggy Pancake Vendor

Swaggy pancake vendor, I earn UGX 700,000 per month. Meet a one Edison Akakwatsa, a remarkable young man who is defying the odds in her bid to empower young youth to embrace odd jobs. Although he dropped out of Kyambogo University leaving his dream of becoming an engineer hanging, Edison’s resilience, hard work, and intelligence are truly awe-inspiring.

If you frequently use or ever passed by Mawanda road, in the outskirts of Kampala, you will probably have come along a smartly dressed young man on the roadside selling pancakes, also commonly known as “Kabalagala”. Akakwatsa is perhaps one of the smartest vendors you will come across in Kampala despite selling pancakes which most people think is an odd job.

This well groomed young man is very painstaking with his dressing code when on “duty”. You will often find him wearing a well ironed white long sleeved shirt, with a distinctive colorful necktie on top and well brushed black shoes shining even when it’s raining or dusty. Edison’s hair is always neatly kept and always short.

Who is Edison Akakwatsa?

Edison hails from Kakombe village, Ruhiinda sub county, Mitooma district but currently resides in Kyebando-Nsoba, Kawempe Division, dropped out of campus because of tuition and started his trade of selling pancakes about 11 years ago. He was motivated to venture into self-employment because of the free will and independence it comes with it. He currently earns approximately UGX 700, 000 a month and employs about 7 youth in his business.

Edison has become a household name because of his dress-code, which is quite unusual for a person in hi kind of business or vending. Edison’s customer service and dressing code has created a “brand” for himself with his smartness to be able to attract customers.

How Edison started his Pancake Vending.

After dropping out of campus from Banda based university (Kyambogo University) due to lack of tuition, Edison’s dream of becoming an engineer flopped there and then since he had no hopes of getting back to school. Like many of the city tycoons who grew up from the ghetto and poor family backgrounds but have made it up in life, Akakwatsa learnt from many of them and lived a dream to have a bright future and instead opted out to start looking for what to do to earn a living.

This young man is inspired by the Former Mp of Kyadondo East and 2021 general election presidential candidate Robert Kyagulanyi Ssentamu alias Bobi Wine by his song dubbed “Akalimu” which as a line that says “Love the job you do because it’s your office, and its where you develop your”. The same song by Bobi Wine has a line that goes “if you’re working, love your job, take care of your job there is no bad job”.

Edison is also inspired by city pastor Aloysius Bugingo of House of prayer ministries International where in his teachings 5years ago inspired him from pushing on doing his job that many see as an odd job. In his preaching, Edison noted that Bugingo said “If an investor comes from abroad to do an odd job here why not us Ugandans?” From these preaching this young man exercised it and kept working hard, loved his job and made it his office.

In his free time, Edison went to St Balikuddembe market alias Owino where he started vending pancakes for a one “Idi Musirmu” he recalls.

“Through this vending, I used to earn between UGX 10,000 and UGX 15,000 per day and its where I came up with an idea of starting up my own business and be independent. I didn’t have capital by then that I would start my own stall in Owino market, so I worked hard, saved money where is started my own business with a capital of UGX 70,000” he pointed on how he started.

The Kabalagala Akakwatsa sells are the round-shaped snacks which are made from cassava flour and yellow bananas commonly known as “Ndiizi” as ingredients. These are then fried using hot cooking oil and later packed in small polythene bags. This snack is increasingly becoming a sought-after “bite’, not only for lower income earners, but also the working class.

That personal grooming and what you wear has power over the people around you and can help create a brand and attract customers. That your attire choice tends to reflect how you feel about yourself and what you can offer in a particular situation

What you need to learn from Edison Akakwatsa.

Like Akakwatsa, the way you are dressed commands respect, inspires confidence and credibility and tends to build trust in your product or service. You are often seen as the authority on the product/service that is being offered.

Edison adds on that he chose to dress like this because of how people describe vendors that they’re untidy and whenever he would hear anything thrown at him and others vendors he used to back it up with a change of how he dresses, the cleanness and how he does his things.

“Like any other business, the start is always hard and most people always fear challenges and taking risks because most of them don’t believe in themselves. You can’t do anything if you don’t and achieve it without believing in yourself and loving what you do. Respect your job because it’s where you earn a living from” he noted.

I call upon the youth to embrace odd jobs; they’re the ones that have money and give time to do other things.

Edison in his business has managed to build a house, buy a plot of land, take his children to good schools, helped out his siblings on school fees and many more achievements. During his free time after work, he does pastoral work where he is a pastor in church around Gayaza.

When asked of challenges he has encountered, Edison narrated that his biggest challenge at the moment is Kampala Capital City Authority (KCCA). I work on pressure with my eyes alert and my heart pumping knowing that any moment KCCA guys might show up and confiscate my business. However, I’m working so hard that by next year I will not be vending, I will have an office where I receive orders and do deliveries only. He noted.

He adds on that he had a car for business but it was stolen in March this year, and this has also been another setback since. He used to have orders and used to do deliveries to his clients who had parties, meetings or to their homes and offices.

You’ve ever been confronted with a disgusting situation where someone selling something lacks proper grooming, unkempt with untidy appearance like disorderly hair, attire and having an horrible body whiff?  You are left to think that the product or service they are selling is of poor quality! Selling a product or a service is a relationship. Therefore, business owners need to put great importance to excellent personal grooming and dress well like how Akanwasa does, whatever the trade you are involved in.

Business is like a game! The attire you wear is the first move in the game! Like the old wise saying says, “You only have the first chance to make one first impression that lasts a lifetime”. Let us style up, Edison Akakwatsa, continue rocking with your ‘swag

Meet Edison Akankwasa, the pancake vendor with “swag”!

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