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And the 10 best rising women are...
What you need to know:
Rising woman. With the second edition of the Rising Woman Campaign winding down, here are the 10 businesses with the best proposals. Rising Woman is a Daily Monitor campaign in partnership with dfcu’s Women in Business Programme and Uganda Investment Authority. It is aimed at recognising, celebrating and promoting a culture of mentorship among women in business in Uganda.
WESTERN SILK ROAD, 1st
The family-owned Western Silk Road has been in operation since 2015. The enterprise is involved in agricultural production and trade in, among other things, vegetables, herbs, honey and other bee-hive products.
Sandra Ejang (pictured), Lillian Ahairwe and Brain Epolu run it, occasionally employing workers on part-time basis when the need arises.
It started with 10 beehives in 2015. The business now has an apiary of 100 hives in Kaduku Village Kigumba, Kiryandongo District.
Western Silk Road also runs a facility in Mukono for storage, processing and packaging of honey and other products. There are outlets in Bukoto- Kampala and Deli in Jinja.
One of its goals is to increase the number of financially-empowered households in Kiryandongo District. To achieve this goal, they organise 150 households into 10 beekeeping groups in 10 villages.
Each group receives seed capital of at least two beehives, making a total of 300 hives, together with the necessary equipment.
Out of the groups, they anticipate to produce 6,000kg of honey, 150kg of beeswax, 1kg of bee venom and 30kg of propolis, valued at Shs120m.
The enterprise’s budget is valued at Shs15m.
This family enterprise was inspired by the rich and transformational history of the ancient Silk Road. It was created not only to bring fiscal gains, but also socioeconomic transformation to the individuals, economies and communities surrounding them.
Currently, Western Silk Road needs kits, venom machines, honey press, training resources, support supervision and harvest so as to be able to expand and serve a larger range of individuals and communities
MY PASSION FARM, 2nd
My Passion Farm is a research-oriented urban farm which aims at developing innovative technologies that drive small urban-based farms into large scale.
Founded by Eva Birungi in 2016, the company was registered on September 19. Located in Nansana Naluvule, in Kampala, the company makes briquettes out of poultry manure, manually, a concept that many have not ventured into.
After doing a lot of research, Birungi found out that if livestock and poultry dung is not disposed of properly, it damages roots and possibly kills the plants. Also mismanagement of chicken manure attracts rodents and flies and the ammonia is not good for chicken to breath. It also contaminates the surface of ground water. All these factors inspired Birungi to start a briquette project.
My Passion Farm invested Shs9m at the start and the business has expanded over the years. However, a total of Shs32m is required to take the business to another level.
Haziel Agencies, 3rd.
Haziel Agencies is a bee farming enterprise, which was started by Grace Oloya in Nwoya and Amuru districts of northern Uganda.
The company deals in bee farming and economic activities such fruit farming, organic plants, hardwood tree seedlings and soft wood.
The total budget of the project is projected at Shs30m. Through the bee project, Oloya and her team has managed to transform the Acholi community through training women and the youth and equipping them with skills to facilitate sustainable livelihoods.
VAL MEDIA CONSULTANCY, 4th
Val Media Consultancy is a full service, creative and visual production company founded by Valeria Nassolo. Val Media Consultancy is duly registered and acquired a certificate of registration from the registrar of companies and businesses in January 2017.
Val Media Consultancy is located in Equatorial building, Kampala. The consultancy was started with the aim of reducing unemployment and to discourage young women from seeking employment from questionable companies out of desperation. Val Media Consultancy decided to empower female youth with potential skills in video coverage, graphic design and cinematography.
It started as a small business with the founder and a few people, but has now grown by employing 70 per cent female employees.
Val Media Consultancy seeks to raise more than Shs20m through funding or applying for grants in order to run their activities well, for example purchasing of equipment and running new marketing campaigns.
FINANCIAL EMPOWERMENT UGANDA LIMITED, 5th
Financial Empowerment Uganda Limited (FINEM U LTD) is a registered microfinance business founded by Alice Kansiime in January 2009.
Located in Bukoto, Nakawa Division, Kampala, FINEM aims at offering fast, easy and affordable financial services to young and budding entreprenuers, especially young women in business who have challenges accessing financial assistance from bank due to high interest rates and collateral security.
FINEM started as a small home garage business with four full time loans officers, one administrator and a chief executive officer in 2009. Since its establishment, it has served a total of 1,930 clients, 860 active borrowers, of which 500 are women and only 360 men with accumulative loan total of Shs9.7b, with an average loan recovery of 95 per cent.
FINEM is in the process of relocating from rented premises to their permanent home next month. The land has already been secured, completed the bill of quantity and embarking on the plan approval by KCCA. The approximate budget to complete the construction is estimated at shs 125,338,000 of which FINEM has secured shs 80,000,000 and is seeking funding for the remaining 45 million.
AWA FOODS , 6th
Awa Foods Uganda Ltd is a registered medium-size cottage business, which was founded by Betty Kasabiti Mbaziira.
Registered as a legal business entity in 2012, Awa Foods Uganda Ltd is located in Masha, Isingiro District in south western Uganda and produces yogurt called Awa yogurt.
The business has expanded, registered many achievements and contributed to the economic growth of Masha. Through her work, she hamentored and trained her community members in yogurt production and ghee-processing in order to improve their household income.
Awa Foods Uganda Ltd has won a number of awards, including the Annual Vision Group Best Farmer 2018, and the first female farmer to win this award. She also won an Honorary Farmer’s Visitors to Netherland in June which was organised by a Dutch-funded SNV Netherland Development Organization, Dairy Development Authority Quality Award 2015.
Awa foods Uganda Ltd plans to increase its production capacity from 2,500 litres to 15,000 liters per week. This is projected to increase sales from Shs12.5m to Shs75m per week. The challenge Awa Foods Uganda Ltd is facing is insufficient milk cooling equipment. They are working towards buying a 3000 litre capacity milk cooling unit, a batch pasteuriser of 250 units per hour, construction of a cool room- 20 by 20 feet with storage capacity of 5,000 liters and civil works, which need financial aid of 300 million.
SCECK CONSULTANT, 7th
Sceck Consultant is a registered sole proprietorship firm which was founded by Charlotte M Kazoora in 2013.
Located on Jinja Road, in Kampala, Sceck Consultant aims at training people in handicraft, business skills, producing and promoting authentic and durable handcraft using local available materials.
Having started as a small business using her savings, Kazoora mobilises groups of women and offers lifeskills including handcraft, tailoring, marketing, book keeping and record management.
In 2017, the firm received a grant from UNDP to boost tourism inclusion for all. The programme covered five districts of Kampala, Mukono, Mpiji, Kasese and Bushenyi and more than 300 women and youth in disadvantaged communities were empowered with skills. Sceck Consultant is seeking Shs60m expand the business.
LIVING LOVE MINISTRIES AFRICA, 8th
Living Love Ministries Africa is a local bakery owned by a group of teenage mothers and school drop outs. It is a non-governmental and non-profit, evangelical and charity organisation established and registered in March 9.
This company’s goal is to enhance the financial capacity of the vulnerable groups and community development in rural area.
Living Love Ministries Africa is located in Bukhaweka Sub-county, Namisinde District. It makes bread, cakes and other pastries, which they supply to over 12 villages in Namisindwa District and the neighbouring districts of Manafwa and Bududa.
Besides pastries, the company also conducts weekly trainings in marketing, bakery and cake decoration.
Living Love Ministries Africa seeks financial support of Shs15m in order to expand the business.
Wenger Investiments, 9th
Irene Namakula Mugenyi and Jimmy Mugenyi are the proprietors of Wenger Investments Uganda Limited, each owning a 50 per cent of the company. The company deals in agriculture, concentrating in mixed farming.
Wenger is located in Kasala village – Mukono.
Irene and Jimmy believe that poultry and piggery are some of the most promising enterprises in Uganda’s livestock sector because they require little space and relatively small starting capital per unit head, compared to other livestock enterprises.
The cost estimate for Wenger’s poultry project is projected at roughly Shs39m, the cost of the piggery project is estimated at Shs53.6m.
In six months, Irene and Jimmy have had a turnover of about Shs95.2m from the piggery project.
The main aim of Wenger Investments Uganda Limited is to introduce a model farm in Kasala village, which will train women, youth and girls in commercial poultry and piggery that can be done on a large scale so as to provide for the community in terms of food, jobs, income and improved livelihood.
AW Bamboo, 10th
AW Bamboo Enterprises Limited is a cottage Industry which started in 2008, and became a legally registered business in November 2012. Established by Irene Walimbwa, the company is owned by three members who had a shared vision to add value to Mt Elgon Bamboo (Kamalea), a delicacy in Masaba and western Kenya.
Located in Mbale Municipality, AW Bamboo deals in value addition of Kamalea (Malewa), a bamasaba vegetable delicacy.
The modernised products (Malewa) produced by AW Bamboo are good quality, consumed locally and plans are underway to penetrate markets overseas. The enterprise produces modern products, improves sustainable livelihoods, and engages in skilling women and youth across the Elgon region.
AW Bambo partners with Uganda WildLife Authority to improve and conserve the environment through advocacy work.
