“I think big!” gushes Katebu Eric. “I want to be the best designer ever!” His goals aren’t limited to fashioning clothes, but to every aspect of design. With unbridled ambition, a strong work ethic and passion, this 22 year old is unstoppable.
Raised by his mother, who, like so many, found a safe haven in the Acholi Quarter during the long years of war in Northern Uganda, Eric was just six years old when Project Have Hope started sponsoring him in school.
He laughs when he thinks of those early years. “When I was young, I would say, ‘I want to be a doctor.’” He muses, “I don’t know what I was thinking.
These days, his passion for fashion design is palpable. A simple look at the manipulated jeans he’s wearing shows his individuality. He’s reworked a standard pair of jeans into a fashion statement – flowing side panels of black fabric stitched wide below the knee. Random pockets in assorted dark fabric are placed throughout both legs. Four letters, IEBN, are capitalized and embroidered on the bottom of each leg, a personal testament for himself, signifying his desire to move forward and leave the past behind.
Eric’s passion for design was ignited when he was 17 years old and a student in Senior 4. His uniform was too big and ill-fitting. He was determined to fix it. “I used to watch my mom (who is a tailor), so I thought, ‘Let me try,’” he recalls as he sat behind a sewing machine for the first time to adjust his uniform. “From that day, I loved tailoring.”
After completing Senior 4, through Project Have Hope’s sponsorship, Eric pursued a course in fashion and design. His teacher was so impressed by both his skill and eagerness to learn that he recommended him for a job with a company that manufactures clothes for government contracts. From overalls to aprons, to shirts with embroidered names, Eric adeptly fashions each, earning a modest living.
Eric’s love for tailoring is evident. When he reaches home each evening, he switches on one of the two sewing machines his mother has, and continues to sew. Sometimes creating fashions for himself or friends and neighbors, sometimes doing mundane repairs. Although he acknowledges he may not become rich as a tailor, he loves how tailoring enables him to connect with people. “Even someone who is big and important can come to you, and you make for them clothes, and they appreciate what you do.” Eric continues, “You can make some money every day. You have worked for it. That makes me feel good.” To outsiders, that may not mean much. But in Uganda, where every day is a struggle to find work and earn money, having a lucrative skill is crucial to not just survive, but thrive.
“Right now, where I am there’s a very big difference because I’ve studied,” reflects Eric. “If I hadn’t gone to school, I’d be in bad groups, not doing anything good. I would not have a future.”
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From a little girl who once asked for a doll to a mechanical engineer, and a sponsored child who dreamed of helping others to a practicing doctor — Winnie and Jotham’s journey is a beautiful reminder of what long-term support and community can achieve. Now engaged and preparing for their February 28 wedding, their story is living proof that hope, opportunity, and perseverance can truly transform lives.
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