The Independent Uganda: You get the Truth we Pay the Price
By the Independent Team
Margaret Kyamulabi is a professional economist and auditor. In 2011, she decided to venture into producing and selling improved biomass products to generate extra income from an environmentally-friendly business. She makes improved household cook stoves and charcoal briquettes from maize cobs, husks, banana and cassava peels and other bio-wastes under the MASUPA brand. With an initial capital of Shs 2.8 million, was able to produce 20kg of briquettes per day. Having procured some machines, the company currently makes up to a tonne of briquettes per week worth about Shs 25m.
“At first we did everything manually but the market positively responded especially in the first year when charcoal prices rose and briquettes proved convenient and perfect substitutes to many households in the area,” explained Kyamulabi. To make the briquettes, Kyamulabi and her employees turn bio waste into char, which is then mixed with molasses, compressed, sundried and packed ready for sale in the market.
Success tips: Do your best, be patient
But Kyamulabi’s journey in business was not always a bed of roses. Her strongest point was her ability to accord full attention and time to the business especially in the production process to make the perfect product. “If you have an idea, implement it and work towards growing it. You can only grow with hard work and while many entrepreneurs want to reap within a short time, it is important to be patient with business returns,” explains Kyamulabi. She urges young entrepreneurs to do research about an idea with passion and implement it with the basic required resources without waiting for everything to be in place. There is always someone out there to offer a helping hand, she adds.
