Susan Namirimu

Updated March 2026

Job opportunities are scarce in northern Uganda

In northern Uganda, 60% of working-age women are unemployed. With few job opportunities, many lack a reliable income and struggle to meet basic needs, trapping families in poverty. Nearly a third of the population lives in extreme poverty, unable to cover essential living costs. When women are unable to work, their whole communities suffer.

At the same time, demand for garment manufacturing is growing. This could be the livelihood opportunity that helps families break out of the poverty cycle, but the necessary foundations are not yet in place for the solution to scale. Right now, local businesses lack skilled tailors and production capacity is limited.

Susan Namirimu grew up watching her mother, a tailor, make garments. Susan learned to use a sewing machine herself at a very young age, and was creating clothing by high school. During university, she used these skills to support herself. After graduating and setting up her own workshop, producing made-to-order dresses and shirts for individual customers, Susan was approached by a young woman, Beatrice. A single mother of two boys, with little education, Beatrice desperately needed a job. Susan hired and trained her, watching her grow in confidence and skill.

Buoyed by this positive experience, Susan took on more apprentices — but in the back of her head, a voice urged her to think bigger, to help more women. She listened to that voice, and went on to relaunch her business Mtindo as a social enterprise in 2020.

A skills-to-employment model that changes everything for women

Mtindo, meaning “trend-setting” in Swahili, creates local jobs for women through a twin model: Mtindo Academy equips unemployed young women with practical tailoring skills. And Mtindo Studio provides paid work producing garments for local and international brands, ensuring the women’s newly acquired skills translate directly into income. 

The women Mtindo trains come from vulnerable backgrounds. Most are young mothers and early school leavers who had little hope of improving or supporting their lives. These trainees generally have no previous employment experience, so Mtindo provides additional upskilling alongside the technical skills needed for garment production. This includes numeracy and literacy education and guidance in soft skills such as teamwork, conflict resolution, confidence-boosting and goal-setting for both their personal and professional lives. Each year, 40 of these young women graduate from Mtindo Academy into a brighter future.

By uplifting these women, Susan uplifts those around them. She explains, “When women are employed, they invest 90% of their income back into their families and communities, compared to the 35% that men invest. By creating employment for women in Uganda, we are empowering them to transform their communities — increasing food security, education and access to healthcare.”

Mtindo Studio has its own direct-to-consumer brand sold locally at its physical store. In addition, it sells to business clients, both wholesale and for international export. For the next phase of its growth, Mtindo is focusing on schools, hotels and hospitals near its premises, all of which require uniforms. Businesses like these have historically been forced to source uniforms from the capital city Kampala or neighboring countries due to lack of local availability, but Mtindo is now increasingly able to fill this gap in the market as it grows.

Growing incomes and strengthening communities

In total, Mtindo has trained 227 women, created 50 jobs per year and increased its tailors’ incomes by 38% — earnings and opportunities that ripple through families and communities.

Its slogan, “She designed a life she loved,” captures the empowerment and agency Mtindo creates for the women it serves. That impact is clear in Beatrice’s story too. Once underestimated, she now leads Mtindo’s team of 43 tailors and is a leader in her local community, all because Susan and Mtindo helped her gain the skills to support herself and her family.