Retired into. Sarah Mubiru, a former livestock scientist, natural
resource manager and agricultural advisor used her NSSF benefits to
retire into toffee making and consultancy. Photos by Eronie Kamukama
Her home is a
world of activity. From the gate, there are donkeys grazing away in
paddocks, caged chicken dipping beaks in food troughs and white geese
roaming for the day’s catch.
The facility is owned by
Sarah Mubiru, where away from the happenings in the compound, is a
toffee business built in a semi-finished structure.
Mubiru
had been into livestock science, natural resource management and
agricultural advisory but she thought she would one day do her “own
thing” in the years she worked with National Agricultural Research
Organisation, Association for Strengthening Agricultural Research in
Eastern and Central Africa, Netherlands Development Organisation and
Food and Agricultural Organisation.
While at a retreat, she informed her family she would retire early, at least at 50 years.
She would not retire with much but she counted on her National Social Security Fund savings to explore different possibilities.
Indeed
after a week into retirement, she applied for the savings and was able
to draw out Shs150m, some of which she spent on buying a few luxuries
and establishing a consultancy.
But since she was now retired, she needed a serious investment
and this is when Aroma Honey Toffees came into the picture. Mubiru used
part of the money to purchase rental units in Kasangati at Shs90m.
While
the rest was invested in a confectionery business that has become part
of her story as she endeavors to put out a honey product that does not
endanger lives like honey.
In the early days, she
would transport honey from West Nile but because of expenses she was
pushed to buy honey during work related field trips.
In
2016, she invested Shs50m in a factory from her benefits and was able
to boost her business with a grant from Bio-Innovate Africa in 2018.
Business today
Mubiru has built a strong business that continues to attract partnerships for better products.
Mubiru has built a strong business that continues to attract partnerships for better products.
Currently,
she is partnering with a rehabilitation group, which will brand and
sell her honey toffees in Kenya and another, Union of Bee Keepers of
Ishuati, in Rwanda.
“We are going to work together to
grow the businesses. I look at a future where Aroma Honey Toffee has a
franchise in Rwanda, Kenya and beyond,” Ms Mubiru says.
The business employs three part-time workers who produce honey toffees with coconut, ginger, coffee and peanut flavors.
The
toffees are yet to get onto supermarket shelves because Uganda National
Bureau of Standards (UNBS) is yet to give the company a quality mark.
However, Mubiru has been engaging the standards body on the same subject
as well as making efforts for the product to develop a relationship
with the customers.
The returns
The toffee business brings in less financially compared to other investments such as consultancy in livestock development, youth skills development, monitoring and evaluation, nutrition and public health.
The toffee business brings in less financially compared to other investments such as consultancy in livestock development, youth skills development, monitoring and evaluation, nutrition and public health.
“The
largest component of the returns come from the consultancy firm as the
annual revenue hit Shs50m last year, followed by Aroma Honey Toffees
whose revenue is Shs2m this year and then the two complete rental units
which will have brought in Shs4m by end of the year. Have I been able to
recover it all? Maybe not but by the end of next year, I will say yes
because of the speed at which Aroma Honey Toffee is growing,” Mubiru
says.
Business challenges
Given that she spent her youthful years as a scientist, it has been hard to quickly fit into running an enterprise. However, tailor-made business courses and incubations have been central to reducing the learning curve and she has been reading a lot of business books on market trends as well as networking with other businesspeople for advice and creating partnerships.
Given that she spent her youthful years as a scientist, it has been hard to quickly fit into running an enterprise. However, tailor-made business courses and incubations have been central to reducing the learning curve and she has been reading a lot of business books on market trends as well as networking with other businesspeople for advice and creating partnerships.
To fast track your success, you need a
mentor but for Mubiru, there are not many around who have walked this
road. As she readies to take her businesses to another level, she
believes certification and tax processes remain very costly for
startups.
“It would be good if they gave room to young
businesses to ready themselves before they get you through an avalanche
of emails,” she says.
Future plans
Mubiru also has a consultancy firm - Sow and Grow – but is currently only working in Uganda.
However, she hopes to break beyond perhaps into other African markets.
Mubiru also has a consultancy firm - Sow and Grow – but is currently only working in Uganda.
However, she hopes to break beyond perhaps into other African markets.
The
good news is, the Aroma Honey Toffees have already found their way into
other East African market because of new partnerships.
“We
have just identified the biggest global confectionary exhibition in
United Arab Emirates at the end of October and we have applied to
participate so we see us going global,” Mubiru says.
She is now participating in the NSSF Friends with Benefits contest to tell the country about her diversified investments.
“I
am looking at the complementarity of the businesses, which gives me an
edge. Also, the multiplier effect from each of them. The firm has
professional colleagues and we can bid for work globally and this is
valuable. The honey toffees are very unique and I am sure more ideas
will come,” Ms Mubiru says.
She is now voluntarily saving with NSSF and should she win the contest, part of that money will go into that account.
She wants to improve marketing of the Aroma Honey Toffees. She also plans to complete construction of other three rental units.
The
preparation she has done will see the reigns handed over to her
children and some of her youthful consulting colleagues. But she remains
actively involved in the daily running of the businesses.
“I
preplan everything at the beginning of the week. I have started keeping
records. I delegate well in advance. I take rest not to get tired. I go
out to relax and reflect,” she says, adding:
“I am now 53 years. My greatest desire is to hand it down to my children and my daughter Miriam Namubiru is supporting the communication agenda of Aroma in a big way. My son, Mark Nkugwa, a chemical engineer periodically tells me how to look into factory processes.”
“I am now 53 years. My greatest desire is to hand it down to my children and my daughter Miriam Namubiru is supporting the communication agenda of Aroma in a big way. My son, Mark Nkugwa, a chemical engineer periodically tells me how to look into factory processes.”
To vote for Sarah Mubiru in the NSSF Friends with Benefits competition, dial *254# or go to www.nssfug.org”
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