From Dropout to Fashion Designer

At just 16 years old, Namukasa Babra has already faced challenges that could have silenced her dreams but instead, they have shaped her strength. 
The kind of resilience every African and every Ugandan girl needs.

Babra lives with her mother and three siblings in a humble home. After completing Primary Seven in 2023, her hopes of joining secondary school faded because her family could not afford the school fees. Days turned into months as she helped her mother with house chores and garden work, until an unexpected opportunity came her way.

“Before the coming of YFC-UG, I used to stay home, help my mother, and try to keep myself busy,”

Babra recalls.

“When I heard that Youth Fraternity for Change was looking for young girls to support through vocational skills, I took the chance. That’s how I became this confident and ambitious girl I am today.”

Through Youth Fraternity for Change’s vocational and life skills training, Babra learned tailoring and discovered her passion for fashion design. She enjoys making women’s clothes and dreams of starting her own fashion house one day. Her skill has become a source of pride and a means of income. She can now buy personal items for herself and support her younger siblings with some of their necessities.

Beyond the sewing machine, Babra’s transformation is deeply personal. Through YFC’s life skills sessions, she has gained resilience, confidence, and a stronger sense of self-worth. She understands that her challenges are not the end of her story, but rather the beginning of a brighter future she is building one step at a time.

“I am proud of the confidence in my new skills. I am no longer despised as a school dropout,” she says with confidence. “I look forward to completing my National Certificate at the Directorate of Industrial Training.”

She now knows that her value cannot be measured by bride price, dowry, or social expectations.

“I have learned that I don’t have to be pressured into marriage at 16. I know I’m more than cows. I have dreams, and I know when to decide,” she says proudly.

What makes Babra even more inspiring is her community spirit. After receiving life skills and business training, she began moving door to door in her neighborhood, collecting torn clothes to repair while also selling the clothes she makes herself. This reflects her purpose, creativity, and resourcefulness.

“My pride was knowing I was solving a problem in my neighborhood,” she says.

Namukasa Babra stands as a powerful example of what happens when a girl is given a chance. Through the support of Youth Fraternity for Change-GFF, she has found confidence, hope and ambition for the future.

Babra’s story is proof that when girls are given the opportunity to learn and grow, they can transform their futures.

You can help another girl write her own success story.

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