Before the lights, the decks, and the recognition, Etania Mutoni was just a young woman trying to make it through the day with Shs50, 000 in her pocket and a surprisingly full heart.
The media personality and DJ has peeled back the layers of her journey, offering what seems to be a refreshingly honest glimpse into a time when life was simpler, tougher, and more ecstatic.
Long before her days on NTV or commanding attention behind the DJ booth, Etania worked as a waitress at a modest restaurant. The pay was meagre, the hustle real, but with priceless lessons.
“It wasn’t when I was working on NTV, it was way before that,” she clarified on KFM’s Da Hook programme, almost laughing at how far she has come.
Back then, Shs50,000 wasn’t just an income; it was survival. And somehow, it was enough.
With meals like kikomando (beans and chapatti) going for just Shs2,000 a plate, Etania learned how to stretch every coin, turning scarcity into a kind of quiet mastery. There were no extravagant nights out, no flashy purchases, just discipline, simplicity, and an appreciation for the little things.
“I was surviving, happily, should I add,” she said, a statement that feels almost rebellious in a world obsessed with more.
Now, with greater financial stability and a growing profile on Uganda’s entertainment scene, Etania reflects on an unexpected truth: money, while important, often comes with its own weight.
“The more you get money, the more problems come,” she noted, hinting at the pressures, expectations, and complexities that grow alongside success.
READ MORE ABOUT HER STORY: How Etania becomes the life of a party