Nakayenga transferred her skills from class to factory
Regina Nakayenga with some of her bottles of hibiscus juice. Right are some of the bottles of wine produced by her company. PHOTOs by Joseph Kato
What you need to know:
Hands on: Other than just telling her students how to do things, Nakayenga decided she would show them how to do them.
Regina Nakayenga cuts the image of a determined, hardworking and neat woman as she spreads hibiscus flowers on a tarpaulin to dry. The sandals on her feet tell of a relaxing task, while the white coat and head scarf suggest one that demands some good hygiene standards. Nakayenga is in the business of producing juice, wine and hibiscus tea leaves from hibiscus flowers and passion fruits under her company, Rena Beverages Limited in Kireka, Wakiso District. Driven by her desire to bring practicability to her lessons, the former Entrepreneurship lecturer at Kyambogo University, seized her opportunity after a workshop on adding value to fruits in 2009 held by Kulika Uganda, a Catholic organisation at Mbuya Catholic Church in Kampala.
“I always felt challenged to teach business skills which I did not practise. Besides, I wanted to start up an income-generating activity where I could earn money after retirement. I also wanted to create employment for relatives, including my former students,” she says.
Her business started in 2010, though it was officially registered in 2012. She began by planting passion fruits on three acres of land in Mityana District. Her first venture was making five bottles of passion fruit juice, which she sold to her colleagues.
“I was excited by the way my customers praised my juice. On the second day, I made more bottles and my production capacity went on increasing. When I collected about Shs500,000, I decided to use it to make my first jerrycan of passion fruit wine,” Nakayenga recounts.
Her children became part of her workforce as her customers increased each day. At the time, she did not have enough capital to purchase equipment such as brewing containers, packaging bottles and sufficient raw materials.
She used a blender and buckets to make passion fruit juice. Afterwards, she would vend it. Since she could not raise all the required capital single-handedly, the teacher-cum businesswoman invited four people on board as co-directors, who raised the capital that was needed to run the business. Each director was assigned a duty to play in the business. For instance, some members were tasked to look for the production material, whereas others were to source for customers.
“One of the directors looked for passion fruit suppliers as far as Kabale, Mityana and Masaka districts. But, we realised that passion fruit wine did not have sufficient market. That was when we decided to shift to hibiscus flowers and the business is booming,” Nakayenga says.
She attributes her breakthrough to Kfm Radio, where she was hosted to give some entrepreneurial tips.
“After the programme, people started calling, asking where to find me. The business took a twist in a space of days. I started getting customers who bought items in big quantities,” she reveals.
Currently, the company has a constant supply of 10,000 litres of juice and wine every week but hoping to increase it to 12,000 in the near future. Their main consumers are supermarkets, corporate companies and events, birthday and wedding parties.
“However, many people still believe in imported beverages. We are now trying hard to change their thinking through exhibiting our products at every corporate event. We are certified by National Bureau of Standards (UNBS), thus people should trust our products,” she stresses.
Nakayenga and her co-directors have embarked on getting the Q-mark that recognises and certifies their products beyond Uganda.
The single mother of five attributes her success to her parents, who she says taught her never to chicken out because of drawbacks.
Challenges
Elevating the business to a level where it is now was not a bed of roses. There was a time when they could spend weeks without any sale. To avert the hardship, they conducted door-to-door marketing, including attending every function whether invited or not.
“For instance, I visit different churches telling people about our products. We give discounts to maintain good relationship with customers,” she says.
Five years down the road, Nakayenga has been able to inspire others.
“I have been invited to talk to women in some workshops. I have been hosted on several media platforms and I believe this is worth celebrating. I provide my family with all the necessities. Glory goes to God,” the soft-spoken lady concludes.
About Nakayenga
She was born in mid-1960s to Sepilanza and Matia Sserwadda in Nandwe village, Butayunja sub-county in Mityana District.
She holds a master’s degree in Business Education from Esami Business School.
She also holds a degree in Adult and Community Education from Makerere University. She holds a diploma in education from Kyambogo University.
