Jane Werikhe is a 48-year-old mother of five who successfully transitioned from teaching to a male-dominated industry of metal fabrication.
Jane, a former teacher owns and runs a welding and metal fabrication workshop located on 5th Street Industrial Area in the suburbs of Kampala. Her business has been in existence for over 7 years and has experienced remarkable growth.
She quit her teaching job where she was earning a humble salary of UGX100,000 per month and opted for the fabrication business in which she has managed to find better pay.
Since venturing into welding in 2013, Jane has never looked back.
After high school, she joined the National Teachers College at Kaliro to pursue a diploma in Secondary Education on government sponsorship. In 1998, she started teaching history and religious education in a rural secondary school.
Five years later she applied for further education at Kyambogo University.
“I was earning UGX100,000 which wasn’t enough to pay the tuition,” she says.
Then, Jane applied for a scholarship at the university, which she luckily got and immediately started pursuing her Bachelor’s in Education.
“They catered for everything and all I had to do was take my head to class and read books, I didn’t think of finding another job.” She knew that upon finishing school she would continue as a teacher but time proved her wrong.
The professional frustrations at the time prompted Jane to try out a new trade hence metal fabrication which she has not regretted joining after selling off her car that the husband had bought her after, following the birth of their child.
At her workshop, has a total of 8 employees she hires men and a lady to make sofa chairs, beds, flower vests, and handbag racks among other household metallic items in demand by clients.
The beds at her workshop are sold at a minimum of UGX500,000, fetching her a minimum profit of about $48 per bed.
Ms. Werikhe sells her products through social media advertising and it is through this that many have come to appreciate her work.
Jane’s business has seen her feature in many media platforms both locally and internationally representing women who have broken the barriers and gender stereotypes and found success in a new career path mostly associated with and dominated by men.
Jane is married to Peter Werikhe, Member of Parliament for Bubulo West in Manafwa District.