Eunice was one of the first students who attended the course in Business and Enterprise
Management at the Development Study Centre in Mbarara, Uganda. Placed in industry for one semester, Eunice learnt how to process ghee which is a type of butter. Mbarara is in the centre of cattle country so ghee is a naturally relevant product but is under-supplied and Mbarara is a growing city and market.
Eunice developed her business plan on how to start up in her own business, and applied to the Afrinspire Young Leaders Development Fund in 2016. It took some time to discuss this plan and for Afrinspire to raise the money to support Eunice but in July 2017 we were able to fund this start-up. Eunice has successfully set up Divine Milk Products - a small business that processes and preserves cow ghee, a type of butter. Eunice used the grant of money to buy the raw materials, process, and preserve the ghee and package and brand it. Initial sales have gone well.
This work is providing employment for herself and 3 other young girls with a monthly salary.
Her intention was that the business should also have a training wing and this has proved more successful than she imagined.
Women in the local area have paid to receive some training. Eunice demonstrates how ghee is made and how it can be used in cooking. The women show interest in starting up a similar self-sustaining business. We wish Eunice on-going success and will watch to see how her business grows.
Ghee is clarified butter, but simmered longer to bring out butter’s inherent nutty flavor.
Traditionally made from buffalo or cows milk, the process of making ghee removes the water and milk fats, leaving a high-smoke point (meaning that it can be heated to a pretty high temperature before it starts to smoke) fat. Plus, it’s nutritionally rich like coconut oil. More about ghee here.
Afrinspire has other applications for funding for start-ups, still waiting for funds. Typical funding can be for up to £1,000 to start an enterprise, which when successful will typically support up to 5 workers. We are targeting the creation of 500 jobs over the current period of a few years.
