The use of social media and the internet by the youth is one the use of social media and the internet by the youth is one of the things
that has garnered enough criticism. For school-going teenagers, it has been considered a waste of time. However, youth like Ivan Mukiza, (Ivo_offical1, his tiktok account name), have proved to the world that with creativity and passion, work is life and life is social media, where one can earn a living through their presence on the social media network. Fr. Nicholas Onyait MCCJ had a chat with him and brings us his story.
Tell us your name and your background
My name is Ivan Mukiza. I was born in 1995, in the ghettos of Kamwokya, a Kampala suburb to staunch Christian parents. I went to Kamwokya Primary School, then, Kawaala Secondary School and Kampala High School for A’level. Throughout my school time, I had a dream of becoming a journalist, so, eventually, after my senior six, I enrolled for a degree in journalism and communication at Kampala International
University. After graduating, I worked for KBS Television as a presenter of a youth entertainment show called “Youth Empire.” That is what I was doing at the time of the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic.
How did your journey to TikTok start
Before the pandemic, I had a tiktok account but it was not so active. I could post videos once a week or so. However, I had more time during the pandemic and I started posting regularly. I was amazingly surprised that after two weeks of regular posting, I had over ten thousand people following my account. This motivated me to create more content and improve its quality to remain relevant to the booming following that I got. I aimed to have at least 100,000 followers. The more I posted, the more people took interest in my videos and started to follow. As
of now, two years down the road, I have 1.4 million followers on tiktok and this puts me among Uganda’s leading tiktokers.
What does the content you post comprise of
My content ranges from dancing moves to trending sounds, lip syncing and acting. I do all this with a background message but with the major aim of entertaining my followers. Now, with the enormous following that I have, I have also ventured into marketing and advertising companies and products on my page. I do this for a fee and tiktok has become for me self- employment. I earn from it to pay my bills and also help my family. I also create awareness of social issues and injustices. I have posted educative videos on the dangers of HIV/ AIDS and have promoted self-testing kits for HIV. My tiktok timeline so far has over three thousand five hundred videos. On average, I post 3 to 4 videos daily.
What are some of your achievements Creating videos on tiktok has paid me more than I would earn on a formal employment. I take care of myself and pay my bills. I have also moved my family away from the ghetto. Besides, I am doing what I like and what I am passionate about. What I do is fun. Tiktok has also exposed me and made me meet several people. Due to this, my social network has tremendously grown. I walk on the streets and people
recognize my face because they have seen me on tiktok.
Are there any challenges that you have met so far
One of the big challenges that I face is remaining relevant on tiktok. The platform is so dynamic and it is easy to lose followers. This calls for a lot of creativity in content presentation and variation. Another challenge is that as a tiktoker, the public often sees me as a person who is not serious or someone who is just wasting time, a mediocre who has no formal employment. My challenges are also my points of
motivation because they encourage me to work hard to prove the critics wrong. I’m an influencer. So all I strive to do is to influence, make an impact and bring out change in my life and that of others.
What advice do you have for the youth?
I advise the youth first of all to know their strength and talents. Then, work hard towards achieving their dreams, for nothing comes on a silver plata. The youth must also learn to specialize and be positive about life. I survive because I don’t pay attention to the negative
energy from the society. I look for what is positive in everything. For the youth who are doing something similar, I encourage them to learn to filter their content well. It must be morally good and educative. They should not engage in indecency to attract followers. Involve God in all that you do; let God come first and live by your Christian values.
Finally, what dreams do you have for the future
I dream of creating a group of young influential minds from the ghetto. I want to have a group of young people with whom I can work with to create content that changes life.
