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Our Success Stories

From Dream to Reality: Our Stories and the Entrepreneurs Behind them

Smart Foods Limited

Deploy Resource Africa

Ntakye Farm

Honey Pride

Ubora Speciality Coffee

NSSF HI-Innovator

Linnet Akol: Thriving with Fruit Popsicle Business in Uganda

Mtindo Design Studio: Equipping Youth and Women with Design and Tailoring Skills

Volcano Coffee: Have a Total Coffee Experience

Zamuri Natural Hair Essentials

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## **Introduction**
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At 23 years old, Elizabeth Nakiyingi is a flourishing entrepreneur dealing in natural hair essentials. She started this journey after she recognized that there was a gap in the natural hair market: no one was making natural products to ensure that women grew and maintained healthy hair, says Elizabeth.

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Based on the Grand View Research on Natural Hair Care Products Market report, 75% of young women would like to maintain their natural hair however do not have the necessary insights when it comes to what type of hair they have, what their hair goals are, what their challenges are and how a natural hair expert can help them. 

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Elizabeth Nakiyingi started Zamuri Natural Hair Essentials to ease people’s natural hair growth journey.  They enroll their customers into a hair growth programme where they incorporate scientifically proven hair growth methods, hair profiling & client follow up, and organic hair products. 

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>_“I pursued a Bachelor’s Degree in Medicine and Surgery at Makerere University and I will be graduating in January 2024. Despite the fact that I have a different educational pursuit, I haven’t let it stand in the way of what I am passionate about – Natural Hair”_

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## **About Zamuri Natural Hair essentials**
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Zamuri Natural Hair essentials was officially registered in 2020, at the peak of the COVID-19 lockdown when many people, especially women started to care for their hair and look out for products that helped them maintain their hair during the period when most salons were on lockdown. In 2021, Elizabeth opened her first shop with the help and financial support of her friends and they launched a product line. In 2022, they moved to a bigger shop where they are now located at UK Mall in Kansanga, expanded their product line and started to offer salon services. In 2023, they are actively raising finances to be able to expand their production factory, open two more branches and launch new products. 

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Zamuri Natural Hair Essentials is one of the women-led businesses that was recently selected to join the NSSF Hi-Innovator Accelerator which is a 6-months accelerator program where entrepreneurs receive  intensive support aimed at aiding entrepreneurs to help them position their business for impact, sustainability, and growth. Businesses in this phase are in the early stage with a proven product/service, a team of founders, post revenue (making money) and are registered formally.  

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Entrepreneurs that successfully complete the support program are expected to be in a better position to receive further growth financing to help their business scale. 
Asked how she got to know about the NSSF Hi-Innovator Initiative, Elizabeth shares that she came across the initiative on social media but thought that this might be “one of those initiatives that already had a network of businesses that they wanted to be part of the programme” until a close business friend from the first Women Accelerator Window shared her win.

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>_“I knew that my friend’s business was at the same stage as mine and if they had gotten into the NSSF Hi-Innovator programme, I would definitely also give it a try. I then set out to start my journey with the Initiative with the same Hub Partner that my friend had”. Said Elizabeth. _

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To get into the NSSF Hi-Innovator Initiative, a business owner must under-take an 8 module Business Foundational Course that provides industry and entrepreneur relevant training to entrepreneurs that would like to learn and/or receive financing from Hi-innovator.  The foundational course is meant to help entrepreneurs address foundational gaps in their businesses so as to become ready for the accelerator, investment and revenue generation. The Academy looks to offer an education experience to entrepreneurs crafted to help change mindset and demystify entrepreneurship.  

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Participants in this phase can be either individuals or entrepreneurs. Businesses in this phase can be at the idea stage, prototyping, piloting, early stage or early growth phase. 
All entrepreneurs that wish to access the Accelerator stage will need to undergo training within the Academy.  

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Elizabeth’s Hub Partner is MkaziPreneur an innovation hub focused on ensuring women entrepreneurs in Uganda receive access to the support they require to grow their businesses.
At this point, Elizabeth faces a few challenges including marketing her business to its intended audience, maintaining production and launching into new markets. She hopes that after the accelerator, her business will be in much better shape. 

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Meet a Makerere University graduate who Set Up A Natural Hair Salon.

Famunera

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Famunera is an agri-tech company leveraging mobile technology to easily source genuine and quality and affordable farm inputs from verified manufacturers. The startup also provides last mile delivery to smallholder farmers across the country.

The startup sprung from the need to ensure farmers access affordable and genuine farm inputs wherever they were located in Uganda, and soon started a marketplace where the same farmers would showcase their products for anyone that was looking to purchase credible and affordable products. 

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Since 2016, Famunera currently serves over 30,000 farmers and outgrowers, 50 food exporters, 25 agro input dealers, and makes $1m in revenue in agro input linkages every quarter and $10m in produce to market linkages. 

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At the time of joining the NSSF Hi-Innovator Initiative in 2019, Famunera was looking to tap into last mile farmers who usually don’t have access to the internet and so couldn't access information conveniently.

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According to Nyaika Enock, the Founder and Manager at Famunera, “By partnering with the NSSF Hi-Innovator to create an USSD Code platform that is *284*77#, this meant that we can now enable farmers using feature phones to access farm inputs and products even without the internet”. We have been able to achieve our goal as we work towards powering 1,000 Agribusinesses, serving 1.5 million farmers and creating 75,000 indirect jobs across Africa.

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They have also directly recruited 5 more employees to join the team, and for company sustainability launched a product called Model Farmer; an e-extension service made for farmers in different districts in position to visit model farmers to learn how to farm different crops, train more farmers and also order agricultural inputs from the Platform. This helps them earn from Famunera as Model Farmers as well as recommend other farmers to order for inputs from the platform thus creating more business opportunities and increasing their revenue. 

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**Aisha Nakayenga**, a farmer located in  Namulonge, Kabwaama sub-county learned about Famunera after it was recommended by a farmer friend. _**“My Farm has been supported to the point that she was able to buy land and get into livestock farming. She received a dripline to help her continue farming even in dry seasons”.**_ My challenges before were centered around access to  pesticides, good seedlings, fertilizers and farm inputs, however all that changed when I joined Famunera”. She has bought livestock and built houses and has reached over 100 Small Holder farmers and created over 5000 indirect jobs across the entire agriculture value chain. 

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Under the Hi-Innovator Programme;
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- Famunera sends farm inputs to farmers depending on what they request for while also helping them access the market for their produce. 
- Famunera joined the Hi-Innovator on recommendation from the Innovation Village because they were looking to reach farmers in hard-to-reach areas.
- Famunera has also improved their company policies e,g HR Management policy and financial policy
- Famunera has a target to reach and serve over 1.5m small holder farmers and also make revenues worth $20m per annum.
- Their hub was MUBS EIIC.

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>**Famunera is innovating in the agritech space and growing in Uganda and across Africa by powering African food exporters with digital supply chain traceability, export markets, global inputs sourcing and affordable financing linkages while employing farmers as outgrowers**.

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The World Bank Report 2013 estimates that Africa’s farmers and agribusinesses could create a trillion dollar food market by 2030, if they are able to access better technology, electricity and affordable capital. **So far, Famunera has powered over 100 Agribusinesses, served 30,000 farmers and created 5,000 indirect jobs in Uganda.**


Famunera Ensuring Ugandan Smallholder Farmers Have Access to an Enabling Agricultural Value Chain.

Obuntu Bwa Casalina

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Did you know that over 30 million people globally die from non-communicable diseases and the cause of these deaths is poor diet? The best diets are said to consist of fruits and vegetables and yet 40% of fruits and vegetables  that are produced in Uganda go to waste. This means Ugandan people are consuming foods void of fruits and vegetables. 


Obuntu Bwa Casalina is on a mission to make healthy snacks with a purpose from local agricultural products. They add value to Ugandan grown foods such as pumpkins and fruits, and currently have three (3) products including Obuntu without Banana, Obuntu Energy bars and Obuntu with Banana Slices. 


Obuntu Bwa Casalina’s product line was inspired when Catherine Nantongo’s father could nolonger eat one of his favourite snack; pumpkin breadsticks because the doctor had advised him to  get off wheat, gluten, refined sugar, chemical preservatives, dairy and sodium and any other ingredients that she was using in the breadsticks at the moment. This then inspired her to research about how she can make healthy snacks for people with health complications but still have these dietary needs. 


Catherine Natongo is proud of the fact that her business makes healthy and delicious snacks that ensure that the consumer gets the most out of the product. They also package their products for safety, appeal and convenience. 


Obuntu Bwa Casalina joined the NSSF Hi-Innovator initiative in 2019 seeking financing and support on how to empower local producers of pumpkins, mangoes and bananas economically by purchasing their produce to add value; and subsequently marketing the product locally and abroad.


They received USD 30,000 in seed-financing that has helped them increase production to 3 tons as well as standardize their business operations and compliance within 6 months. Overtime, they have Increased economic empowerment of local farmers producing pumpkins, bananas and mangoes.


Their ideal goal is to set up a production line that harnesses green technology as they currently use electric power which is both expensive and unreliable. They would like to harness waste to turn it into clean energy that runs their factory. 



>Catherine Nantongo argues that Food wastage in Uganda is based on the fact that people have no knowledge on value addition and how to increase the shelf-life of fruits and vegetables, and so believes that setting up an operations line closer to the farmers will mean that they can access knowledge and information and composite fertilizers which will be returned to their farms and gardens. 


Obuntu is a word in local dialect that means humanity and compassion; The Obuntu Bwa Casalina team wants to work in communities to benefit especially the rural farmers and this will ensure economic growth while using natural resources sustainably. 




Eat Well, Be Well and Do Well: Healthy and Delicious snacks For Everyone

Imani Academies

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The government of Uganda recognizes education as a basic human right and continues to strive to provide free primary education to all children in the country. However, Uganda  still faces major challenges in providing quality and accessible basic education to children and adolescents. Today, around 4 out of 10 young children aged 3 to 5 years attend early childhood education, showing marked progress from 2011 that saw 2 out of 10 children enrolled. Similarly, 8 out of 10 children aged 6 to12 years attend primary school and more than 1 in 4 attend secondary school. 


Lately, quality education is expensive and does not align with the social status of Uganda’s population. Imani Academies works every single day to make high quality yet globally competitive education accessible to pupils from disadvantaged communities in Africa in order to empower them to become leaders of positive influence. 


According to Agaba Ivan, the founder of Imani Academies, the school was founded on the premise of a massive market opportunity, knowing that to achieve success, they would need to achieve a scale like never before in the education sector in Uganda. From the beginning, they have invested huge amounts of capital in research, development, technology, and curriculum. It’s imperative to continue this rigorous development process until the highest levels of academic performance and operational effectiveness are achieved so that all the pupils receive the same level of education at all our locations.


Imani Academies was started in 2017, and they currently have 2 locations in Nansana and Katooke. Their current enrollment is 500 pupils while the teaching and non-teaching staff is 34 men and women. They joined the NSSF Hi-Innovator Initiative to  get mentorship on how to automate processes at the Academy. They were equally looking to have certain systems and processes in place like human resource manuals, employee contracts, a financial policy or even the child safety policies and so many other policies that they needed as an institution. 


With financing from the NSSF Hi-Innovator, Imani Academies has been able to streamline these policies at the school, and also scale their management goals. By using technology and data, Imani now drives enormous efficiencies both in terms of the overhead costs required to run an academy and in terms of increasing the quality of the output.  For example, at the academy level, an Imani Academy has only one employee involved in management – the Academy Manager.  The vast majority of non-instructional activities that an Academy Manager would normally have to deal with (billing, payments, expense management, payroll processing, prospective admissions, and more) are all automated and centralised to a custom backend ERP.  This systemization frees their Academy Manager to focus on the critical work that must be executed locally – overseeing classroom instruction and building and managing relationships with parents and the local community.



Every child has a right to learn and access quality services to fulfil their potential. Education enables gainful employment opportunities and empowers boys and girls to participate in decision-making to build a better future for themselves and their communities, UNICEF

**Kisekka Jonan,** a pupil in Primary 5 wants to become a dermatologist – a doctor specialising in treating people’s skins – when he grows up. He likes Imani Academy because it has motivated, dedicated and loving teachers among other staff. 

**Namugerwa Zainab,** a parent likes the academy because it is a classy and affordable school unlike other schools that are expensive. Children have space to play and interact, it is also safe and is close to the community in which they stay.


Despite the challenges it has encountered over the years, Imani Academies keeps growing and adapting to the communities that it serves. The school is impacting the lives of several children from low-income communities, shifting their narrative, and thus changing their destinies and propelling them towards a successful future.They intend to have atleast 10 locations across the country in the next 5 years.


Imani Academies: creating a better world through education.

KaCyber Technologies

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The Ugandan commuter can now replace cash payments in commuter buses with a simple Tap and Go card; a smarter, more convenient and certainly more future leaning way to pay transport fare in and around the city and eventually the country.

Launched during National Science Week by the Prime Minister, Rt. Hon. Robinah Nabbanja, the KaCyber Go Card,  is an initiative of KaCyber Technologies, a transportation technology company, in partnership with Kiira Motors Corporation with facilitation from the Government of Uganda.

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In her remarks, the Prime Minister reiterated that she had made a specific request to KaCyber Technologies one year earlier at the same event to build a cashless payment system for public transport, “similar to the one in London”, was elated to see “science at work”.

Piloted and tested on the Kiira Motors’ Kayoola EVS buses, the card works in tandem with a ticketing validation machine that is installed inside the bus at the entrances/exits. 

**How It Works**
To pay the bus fare, one simply places their card within proximity of the machine and the amount for the journey is automatically deducted. The
amount deducted as well as the balance on the card is displayed on the screen during every transaction so that the passenger knows exactly how much they’ve been charged.

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_A commuter tapping her KaCyber Go card on the ticketing machines to start her trip._

To pay their transport fare, one can load any amount onto their KaCyber
Go card using mobile money or from their bank account.
Card users can manage their accounts online via kacyber.com or on the KaCyber Go App, allowing them to monitor transactions, check balances, and view journey histories.

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In case of loss or damage, users can easily obtain a replacement card, often with the same balance and travel history as the original card.

Commuters will find using the card simple and painless because it is designed with an inbuilt chip, that is no less remarkable than that used in the UK Oyster or US Metro Cards and is enabled by internationally recognized ISO I4443 Type A Near Field Communication technology (NFCA) which means the user doesn’t need have to tap their card directly on to the ticketing validating machines but can pay by simply placing the card the machine’s proximity to enable the transaction.


With great technology and digitalization, however, comes consumer anxiety but KaCyber has also built into the cards multiple security layers to ensure the card's integrity and user privacy and employs fraud detection algorithms to identify and flag suspicious transactions, protecting users from fraudulent activities.

This smart, digital, and contactless payment technology solution changes the game for commuters and bus operators and updates and breathes new life into Uganda’s transport industry in a way that is long overdue.

For the commuter, the prepaid card allows for planning and tracking of transport expenses and eliminates the often-irritating scuffles for ‘change / balance’ with conductors during rush hours where one has neither the time nor the patience for it.

Innocent Orikiiriza, the Founder and CEO of KaCyber Technologies, believes that this is yet another giant leap towards digitization and overall modernization of Uganda’s transport sector and definitely an advancement that will ease public transportation for commuters and operators alike.

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For the bus operators, this digital payment solution promises to dramatically increase the efficiency of revenue tracking, minimizing the income leakages that come with entrusting collections solely to conductors. It also eliminates human error and theft and will thus guarantee increased profitability.

The immediate roll out of the KaCyber Go Card will be on Kiira Motors’ first 20 Electric Kayoola Buses slated to operate in Kampala and Jinja. It is expected that usage will then eventually extend to the commuter trains, government ferries, inter city buses and even taxis.


About KaCyber Technologies
KaCyber Technologies is a Ugandan mobility technology company that is building robust digital ticketing and payment systems to empower public transport operators and consequently eliminate friction from commuting on public transport vessels including buses, trains, and ferries.

KaCyber has successfully processed over 11 million travel tickets, both on roads and railways, with a total worth of $54 million since its inception.

KaCyber Launches Uganda's First Contactless Transport Card

Sparkle Agro Brands

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A social entrepreneur by passion and a student of business statistics at Makerere University business school, Ms. Jovia Kisakye is stopping at nothing until the vision she set out to achieve through Sparkle Agro brands - a startup that transforms spoilt milk into mosquito repellent skincare lotion to protect women and children from mosquito-borne illnesses is achieved. 

She has come to realize that no one can understand your business better than you, the founder. 

>_“_Your dreams, vision, and aspirations to make your business a success are within you as the founder of the business and you can only share a few of these attributes with your teammates. So first thing, your business can never go far beyond what you see in it. So as a founder, you ought to have a big vision for your company and this is what pushes you to implement and go strides towards achieving these goals. There are many obstacles in building a business but when you sit down and recall the vision that birthed the idea to start, you inspire yourself to pick up and start moving again. I have seen this countless times. I have been rejected by funders, and several organizations I ought to network with but over time, I have performed better to overcome these challenges_”._ She said

On October 18th 2023, during the 8th edition of UNCTAD's Women in Business Awards held during the organization's World Investment Forum 2023 in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, Ms. Jovia Kisakye won the top Empretec Award for her business that fights malaria while supporting small dairy farmers in her native Uganda.

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The Empretec Women in Business Award recognizes exceptional women entrepreneurs within the Empretec network who serve as role models, take risks, overcome challenges, embrace resilience, and are dedicated to empowering their communities and fellow women. These remarkable women not only align their businesses with the Sustainable Development Goals but also actively support vulnerable groups, fostering gender equality.

Named after UNCTAD’s Empretec entrepreneurship programme, the award has been handed out every two years since 2008.
Ms. Kisakye’s business turns spoiled milk into a sustainable mosquito-repellent lotion that doesn’t use harsh chemicals. Since 2019, the company has sold 100,000 lotion units, with one fifth dedicated to refugee areas.

She was selected among 10 finalists for the award and an initial pool of 88 candidates from 26 countries, which was narrowed down to 18 finalists by an international panel of business leaders, academics and officials from business organizations. She believes they won because the judges trusted their business model based on the impact they were having in marginalized communities of women and refugees. She also recognizes that their partnerships and funding the company has received over time like NSSF Uganda, Ruforum Network, Enterprise Uganda, Among others influenced their decision. 

Watch how she received her award here: [https://youtu.be/IvPgOBEVfCI?si=I-qGccvqMMdl6nw6](link)

 She said.
>According to Ms. Jovia Kisakye, “the Empretec award is a reflection of what we do - empowering women to live healthier lives and be economically independent. The award is a testament that our work has been recognized by a reputable organization such as the UN, and proven to be impactful in society. The recognition came at a good time for my business as we were having several engagements with investors during the same period. And such recognition puts trust among our networks and investors. As we are aware that women raise less funds from investors compared to men, such recognition positions us to compete favorably for more investment opportunities”. 

The award comes with tailored branding, PR and support to equip her team members with the necessary skills to scale their initiative and access to new markets across the commonwealth.  

Jovia Kisakye joined the NSSF Hi-Innovator Initiative in 2021, and she was looking to receive mentorship and support to grow her business. This is what she had to say about the impact of the initiative on her business. 

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“The NSSF Hi-innovator was a great push for my business as it opened up opportunities for my company to expand its market reach within Uganda and acquire new markets as well. The initiative opened up our business as it gave us the needed funds to secure UNBS license and certification which most of our partners needed to trust our products. After acquiring this license, our market expanded tremendously to include supply to DRC, Germany, and Kenya where we ship our certified products. 

The Hi innovator is a life saver to many businesses struggling with technical expertise and essential startup resources which they cannot do on their own. I’m grateful to be among the winners of such a fund that has boosted my company's muscle to compete favorably on a global scale”. 

To join the NSSF Hi-Innovator, enroll for free today on [https://hi-innovatorbusinessacademy.nssfug.org/](link)

Jovia is a. She’s a co founder and CEO of Additionally, Jovia is the an African Union youth representative at the youth Reference committe where she champions policy reforms and economic empowerment for African youth. 


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Sparkle Agro Brands Wins The 2023 Unctad’s Empretec Women In Business Award 


Krystal Ice

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Most parents struggle with ensuring that their children eat healthy as children tend to prefer junk food or no food at all. In instances like these, parents worry that their children might suffer from diseases related to nutrient deficiency.

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Linnet Akol, the founder and Managing Director of Krystal Ice LTD narrates her ordeal with raising healthy children. 

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_"As a young mother, my children gave me a hardtime during mealtimes. They often shunned the foods I thought were best for their growth. When I asked around, I found that my friends had the same frustrations"._

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She then found out that her children liked to eat Ice cubes which prompted her to get creative with adding blended fruits to the ice-cube trays. With this new creativity, she found that she had hacked the healthy fruit consumption for her children.

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"Solving that problem for me and for the other parents around me prompted my decision to start what is now a thriving business in Uganda - Krystal Ice" says Linnet. 

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Krystal Ice is a company dedicated to producing a variety of ice products ranging from ice flakes, ice cubes, healthy and nutritious ice pops with a range of delicious flavors which include orange, watermelon, mango, pineapple, strawberry and mixed fruit among others.

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Uganda has comparative advantage because of its geographical location to produce plenty of fruits. However their value is lost or wasted throughout
various stages of the food supply chain. They may be lost or degraded during washing, peeling, canning and packaging. While during distribution, food may be lost or wasted during transport, at wholesale markets, supermarkets, retailers, and eventually consumers may waste food by throwing or discarding food away. Annually, the post-harvest food loss stands at 17.6%

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In order to counter these statistics while bringing value to homes, Krystal Ice sources fruits from farmers and adds value to them. The fruits are then processed to make frozen treats called “ice pops”. The Icepops are healthy, nutritious and good for children” adds Linnet.

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Before officially starting her business, Linnet experimented with different flavors long enough to know that the venture would meet several parents’ needs. 

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In 2017, Linnet visited the Uganda Industrial Research Institute (UIRI) that helped on the product standardization. This included access to production facilities (including premises and equipment), technical support and product development. 

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_"I was unaware that the country had a full-fledged incubation plant where entrepreneurs in the food business could build their production capacity, product quality, marketing and packaging capacity thereby facilitating our market access and increasing our market share. I was so excited"_ says Linnet. 

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Prior to joining the NSSF Hi-Innovator Programme in 2022, Linnet had been in business for over 5 years, and had mastered the art of Fruity icepops production and won over the hearts of working-class parents. 

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While the business was making sales, she needed to tap into the customers at the bottom of the pyramid (locally known as Omuntu Wawansi) who would spend UGX. 500 to purchase the product. 

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That particular market would require a new product, a sachet making machine, and more hands-on deck to ensure production and market penetration. 

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On two attempts, Linnet applied to join the NSSF Hi-Innovator Programme, and while she didn’t make it the first time, she stayed in touch with programme implementing partners who guided her on how she can better communicate the problem her business was solving, and why she needed catalytic financing at the time. 

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>"The Hi-Innovator journey was eye-opening for me as a woman entrepreneur. Oftentimes, Programmes tend to discriminate against women by making eligibility into the Programme an aching tooth. I am glad that the Hi-Innovator took a chance on me" - Linnet Akol<

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Since receiving financing from the NSSF Hi-Innovator Programme, there has been unique transformation at Krystal Ice as seen below;

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- Launched a new product for the people at the bottom of the pyramid which was initially non-existent.
- Production has gone up by 30%, as they invested money in purchasing machinery which has enabled the production and packaging of 3000 ice-pops per day.
- Expanded their reach to 100 supermarkets in and around Kampala.
- Grown their team at Krystal Ice LTD from 8 to 24 people with 10 permanent and 14 part-time employees.
- Work with 3000 farmers from whom they source their fruits for value addition.

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While Lynnet knew the benefits of investing with the National Social Security Fund for a better life, joining the Programme reinforced the sentiment as to why she ought to be at the forefront of securing the future of her employees. She is now remitting for all her employees.

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Lynnet encourages women entrepreneurs to believe that anything is possible and that women can succeed in business. 

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Did this story make you want a fruity icepop? 
Visit any supermarket next to you and relish its deliciousness. 

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Krystal Ice was recommended for seed-funding in Cohort 2 of the NSSF Hi-Innovator where 64 other small and growing businesses in the Agriculture, Health, Digital Manufacturing, Light manufacturing and fashion and beauty sectors were onboarded to receive financing and technical support. 


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Creating a Thriving Business with Fruity Ice Pops

Mtindo Design Studio

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>Global statistics indicate that the apparel market in Uganda is experiencing a surge in demand for traditional African clothing, reflecting a growing appreciation for cultural heritage and identity with the largest segment within the market being Women's Apparel, which is expected to have a market volume of US$0.37bn in 2024.

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The revenue generated in the Apparel market in Uganda is estimated to be US$0.81bn in 2024, however it is projected to experience an annual growth rate of 5.93% (CAGR 2024-2028) as the market is projected to experience a volume growth of 3.7% in 2025. 

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This is the sector where Susan Namirimu, the founder and managing director, Mtindo Design Studio operates. 

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When Susan Namirimu set foot in Gulu city as a tailoring student at Gulu University in 2016, she had no idea this was soon going to become the centre of business for her. Once she walked around Gulu city market and saw a bounty of opportunities for locally made apparel. She then embarked on tailoring as a side business all the way until she graduated from university.  

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Fast forward to 2019, Susan made up her mind to set up shop in Gulu City. She started a small tailoring business and invited 5 girls to work with her. Along the way, she noticed that the girls were deficient in employable skills such as teamwork, customer relations and quality production. This therefore prompted her to create a crowdfunding campaign to start the Mtindo design academy. 

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Mtindo manufactures apparel for local and global markets. They work with a team of tailors to make garments at their tailoring factory that are then sold either through store locations across the country or to other businesses in the region. The company deals in providing school uniforms, hotel uniforms, and hospital uniforms, they also provide labour and expertise to individual customers who have their own materials.  

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Susan Namirimu equally set up a Mtindo Design Academy to equip youth and women with design and tailoring skills.  

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When the opportunity to join the NSSF Hi-Innovator Programme presented itself, she was ready but not fully confident to invite investors into her business. With due follow-up from the Programme Entrepreneurship support Hub, Susan was able to submit her expression of interest to join the Programme. 

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>“The NSSF Hi-Innovator Programme has prepared me to become confident in the uniqueness of my business and how it is creating a myriad of employment opportunities for young people across the country” – Susan Namirimu.

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Mtindo Design Studio received $20,000 from the NSSF Hi-Innovator programme and they were able to increase their production capacity in the tailoring factory by adding more machinery as well recruit fresh graduates to join their team. 

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Customers that have been on the receiving end of Mtindo’s services praise the company for being reliable, affordable and their materials long-lasting. 

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Irene Nabagesera, a protege of Susan Namirimu’s tailoring academy found out that her career path would be nothing else but tailoring. She has since set up her own shop where she attends to over 10 clients a month. 

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With the financing received from the Programme, Mtindo design studio hired a sales and marketing team which has expanded the business within Gulu and to Kampala. The company was also able to hire over 25 women additional staff for the tailoring factory and Academy. 

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The students that join the Mtindo tailoring academy are accredited by the Directorate of the Industrial Training in Uganda, and after training, the students receive a certificate and are often invited back to join the tailoring factory as employees. 

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Currently Mtindo has 3 outlets all based in Northern Uganda and has partnered with 3 resellers spread across Gulu and Kampala that are serving different customers. For their B2B line, they have worked with 120 businesses which earned them a profit margin worth UGX. 65million. They are hoping to double that number by the end of 2024. 

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Before joining the NSSF Hi-Innovator Programme, Mtindo had 15 employees but has now expanded to 40 people employed by hiring 25 more youth and women.  

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They are 80% complaint with all Legal regulations in Uganda and this is because they work alot with the informal sector who have not been legally registered. However, with the help of the NSSF Hi-Innovator Programme, Susan hopes to get to the 100% NSSF Compliance level. 

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**The courage Susan has mastered took years of putting in the work, however she maintains that boldness will set any woman apart.**

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>“Women ought to be bold, it doesn’t matter their level of education, or size. I have followed my big dreams and pursued them relentlessly. The exciting thing is that Programmes like the NSSF Hi-Innovator have allowed me to dream much bigger” -- Susan Namirimu.



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Mtindo Design Studio: Equipping Youth and Women with Design and Tailoring Skills.  

Rada Shoes

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57% of children who go to school in Uganda walk on foot.  

##### Only 4 million children in Uganda own a pair of shoes, however the majority are largely plastic and uncomfortable.

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School shoes serve not only as a practical necessity for schoolchildren but also carry significant symbolic value, representing a sense of pride and belonging for each student. When a child wears their school shoes, they are not merely preparing for another day of learning but stepping into a realm of possibilities and opportunities. These shoes symbolize their dedication to education and their commitment to their studies. 

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>Providing a child with a pair of shoes is a steppingstone into education, begins to break the cycle of poverty and improves the health of a generation - Allan Ninsiima 

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The statistics around poverty in Uganda are profoundly concerning. The impact of this poverty is keenly felt by parents who struggle to afford school uniforms for their children. It must also be noted that more than 1.5 billion people suffer from soil-transmitted diseases worldwide. Without shoes, children and women are especially vulnerable to jiggers, hookworm and other diseases. Without treatment people suffer lethargy, anemia, and painful infections which can become life-threatening. 

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Rada shoes is a green manufacturer that mainly manufactures pure leather Ugandan children's shoes. They are on a mission to provide high quality footwear solutions that are affordable, accessible and diverse for the East African market. 

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Together with a colleague called Junior Kwikiriza, they started this business in 2016 in Bweyogerere and they were compelled by the fact that;- 

    Children in rural areas walk a daily average of 6.5km bare footed. 

    57% usually miss school, 

    44% lose interest and drop out of school 

    44% don’t complete P.7 

    Only 21.3% of school children have some form of footwear 

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They started manufacturing shoes to provide comfort and confidence to children from low-income backgrounds and whose parents cannot afford extremely expensive shoes.  

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Beatrice Adiru, a client of Rada Shoes and a mother of 2 girls describes Rada Shoes as a bridge for the middle-class parents who desire that their children study in comfortable situations.  

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>Rada shoes are of good quality, affordable and Long-lasting. Since purchasing these shoes, I have gotten value for my money as I know that during hot and cold days, my children’s feet are protected - Beatrice Adiru. 

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Walking wears shoes down and very many learners go without school shoes because their parents or caregivers cannot afford them. The lack of shoes may impact learning as they protect feet, and this is the key function of school shoes for children.

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A good quality school shoe has features that boost their longevity and makes them durable to stand up to long walks and hours of playing. For learners who walk to and from school, school shoes make commuting much more feasible.  

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Learners without school shoes may lose learning days because they don’t have protection from the elements or dangers of rough terrain. If they have shoes that are in poor shape, too big or too small, it could cause injury which results in further lost learning days because they physically cannot commute.  

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Some learners might avoid school because having their peers know they do not have shoes or wearing extremely worn-out ones leads to feelings of shame. Some teachers may even prevent learners from being in class because they don’t have shoes, and this further contributes to the feeling of school being a hostile environment where the child’s dignity is compromised. Dignity is likely an important function of school shoes. 

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Since joining Cohort 2 of the Hi-Innovator Programme, the Rada shoes team has received mentorship, training and technical support like helping them track their market.  

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>The post-Covid19 period was tough on our business as we were looking for financial support to uplift our operations. Therefore, when a colleague shared an advert about enrolling for the Hi-Innovator Programme, I was quick to apply to join the Programme. To be honest, at that time, we had issues with our working capital and development finance and needed the support that the Hi-Innovator Programme was offering - Allan Ninsiima 

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**I have received more confidence in my business model because of the support I received from the NSSF Hi-Innovator Programme.**

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With the financing Rada Shoes received from the Hi-Innovator Programme, they installed the machine that makes their own rubber soles, they were able to sustain employment for their 30 staff people whom they pay a minimum salary of 500,000/. 

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They were also able to enroll on NSSF Compliance and now pay the NSSF Benefits for their employees.  

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Myres Atwine, the Marketing and sales manager at Rada shoes, says the funding has helped them increase their production capacity where they are now able to meet demand when it comes to orders placed. Their output has increased. He narrates that before the Programme, they would receive orders for 600 pairs of shoes and they wouldn't have the capacity to meet their clients' requests. But things have now changed and they can meet any demands. 

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>The NSSF Hi-Innovator funding was timely in terms of us scaling up to another level. We have so far created another 5 full-time jobs. This kind of support is rare in Uganda, therefore I thank the Mastercard Foundation and the National Social Security Fund of Uganda - said Allan.  

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Our commitment is to fulfill our vision that every school going child goes to school with a pair of shoes, we shall be able to reduce on children who miss school because of discomfort, and we shall ultimately contribute to the number of children who complete primary school education in Uganda.  

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_Rada Shoes used to produce 300 pairs of shoes before they joined the programme. They are currently producing 500 pairs of shoes, however are working to increase their production to 1000 pairs of shoes per day._

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Interested in joining the NSSF Hi-Innovator Programme too? Enroll for free here: [https://hi-innovatorbusinessacademy.nssfug.org/](link)

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Rada Shoes: Instilling Confidence in School-Going Children One Pair of Shoes at a Time.

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