Episode 6: Jovia’s Green Enterprise in Uganda

In this episode, Winnie Namirimu, HerStart Communications and Training Fellow in Uganda, speaks with Jovia Birimuye, founder of Save More Briquettes – an innovative green business that produces briquettes for cooking as an alternative to charcoal made from wood to help reduce deforestation in her community in Mpigi, Uganda. They discuss Jovia’s goals for her enterprise and how YCI’s HerStart program helped grow Jovia’s environmental knowledge and confidence as a social entrepreneur.  

Transcript

Intro: 0:05

Hi everyone, welcome to Youth Challenge International's HerStart HerStory podcast series. YCI launched the HerStart Innovate the Future program in 2020 as part of our initiative to advance women's equality globally. Our goal is bold- support 10,000 young women in Ghana, Tanzania and Uganda to become social entrepreneurs by 2027. We'll be sharing real stories from the program and speaking with the young women who are shaping a social entrepreneurship ecosystem and leading change in their communities. YCI's HerStart Innovate the Future program is funded in part by the Government of Canada to progress Canada's Feminist International Assistance Policy. Each HerStory episode has been produced with the help from fellows who have volunteered to share and gain skills to support implementing the HerStart program. For most fellows, this was their first interviewing experience. It was an opportunity to step outside their comfort zone and learn about the podcasting experience, which is new to many of us. You can join us and learn more at yci.org or herstart.org.

Winnie Namirimu: 1:35

Hi everyone. My name is Namirimu Winnie. I'm the Communications and Training Fellow with Youth Challenge International and today I'm going to be chatting with Jovia about her green enterprise.

Jovia Birimuye: 1:51

I'm Birimuye Jovia with my partner, Namyonga Phiona. We are from Kalangala Mpigi District in the Central Region of Uganda. I grew up from the Central Region of Uganda in Chi Boga district. And growing up, we used to grow crops, we used to rear animals, domestic animals, like cows, goats. We used to be told stories Anglo in the evening at the fireplace. Our parents used to go for weddings. Growing up in Uganda is so interesting and I'm proud that I grew up from Uganda. Our green enterprise is all about making charcoal briquettes from plant and animal wastes. These plant wastes include peels and wastes like cow dung. I got this idea from the prolonged drought that was caused by deforestation. So I decided to bring this green enterprise to reduce the deforestation.

Winnie Namirimu: 3:18

What does a green enterprise mean to you?

Jovia Birimuye: 3:22

To me, a green enterprise is any business or business activity that is addressing any challenge facing the environment. This challenge include, there is pollution, air pollution, water pollution, such challenges facing the environment that any business that can reduce that those challenges is a green enterprise.

Winnie Namirimu: 3:51

Okay.

Jovia Birimuye: 3:52

Yeah.

Winnie Namirimu: 3:52

Most, most enterprises or maybe different ideas come out from different inspirations. So you as a person owning a green enterprise, do you have someone or maybe an experience that drew you to start your own enterprise?

Jovia Birimuye: 4:10

First of all, when I joined the HerStart program, we were told to make research about the problems in our community. But when I went back with my idea, I found someone's idea, which I picked interest and my partner Namyonga Phiona, her idea was stopping the deforestation that is causing the prolonged drought that farmers can't receive enough rainfall. So when I had that idea, I saw it so important to stop that, to stop the deforestation. So I joined her.

Winnie Namirimu: 4:53

You, as a person with a green enterprise, I understand you have passion for the environment. So can you tell me about where you got that passion for that environment from.

Jovia Birimuye: 5:05

One day, I wanted to eat some vegetables. So when I went to the market, they had no vegetables. So I asked everyone,"why?". They told me the prolonged drought, we can't grow vegetables. So I said, eh, this idea, when you put this idea into consideration and reimplement it with my partner, it shall decrease deforestation. Then farmers will be receiving enough rainfall and we will be growing vegetables.

Winnie Namirimu: 5:41

Can you tell me any challenge that you faced while choosing a green enterprise instead of these ordinary businesses?

Jovia Birimuye: 5:50

People think these businesses are for international people, for very educated people. They say,"eh, these people, that business is so expensive, those things are so expensive". So they choose not to buy from me and also challenge from other, the already market. The charcoal that is already on the market. That's a challenge because people choose not to buy from me. And even they don't respect the idea of saving the environment.

Winnie Namirimu: 6:25

So how do you deal with such challenges? For example, if someone decides to buy from another person, instead of you, how do you deal with such things?

Jovia Birimuye: 6:35

I try to explain to those people and some of them understand and they don't buy that banned charcoal and then they buy from me. So I try to explain to them and teach them the good thing of keeping the trees, of don't buying those charcoal because they cut trees. So some of them pick interest in my business, so they buy from us.

Winnie Namirimu: 7:06

We've seen COVID-19 affecting so many businesses, either social enterprises, green enterprises. So has COVID-19 affected your business plan?

Jovia Birimuye: 7:18

Yeah. Yeah, because COVID-19 has affected our business because the production declined because we used to supply schools, restaurants, hotels, and time reached when the schools you had, the schools were closed. So the production declined, our live-in resources, they declined. We lost some capable investors, our investors. So.

Winnie Namirimu: 7:48

During that, COVID-19 and the lockdown, how did the operation of the business change? Are there some things that changed?

Jovia Birimuye: 7:57

Yes. The number of production changed, even the number of customers. We could receive many customers but someone who told you,"Money, we don't have money". So, the level of earning, the income.

Winnie Namirimu: 8:14

Yeah. As you're helping the environment, you're also trying to help people. So if a person comes to buy from you, your products, and they bargained, do you accept, do you reduce the price for them? Or the price is strict?

Jovia Birimuye: 8:33

It depends. If someone is taking many briquettes, you can bargain. But if she or he is taking little, you can't bargain also that is the price that we put on those briquettes.

Winnie Namirimu: 8:50

Okay. I understand. So tell me about some of the short term goals for your business.

Jovia Birimuye: 8:55

First of all, we want to make a charcoal supply in Mpigi District. When we supply charcoal everywhere in Mpigi, the charcoal briquettes. Also we could like to provide some employment opportunities to people in Mpigi who collect raw materials for us, to support them.

Winnie Namirimu: 9:20

Okay. So since those are short term goals, have you tried to start working on them?

Jovia Birimuye: 9:25

Yeah, yeah.

Winnie Namirimu: 9:26

Tell me more about that.

Jovia Birimuye: 9:27

We have provided some people with opportunities like collecting the waste garbage- they bring to us, we buy from them. And also we have a number of people we supply with our charcoal briquettes in Mpigi.

Winnie Namirimu: 9:42

So how about the long term goals of your business?

Jovia Birimuye: 9:44

First of all, our long term goals, we want to see a strong green environment in Mpigi District. When everywhere you look, you see a green environment. And also we want in Mpigi District to have enough rainfall, a favourable climate for the Mpigi District people.

Winnie Namirimu: 10:19

Are there any specific people that you want your business to benefit?

Jovia Birimuye: 10:24

First of all, Mpigi farmers, farmers of Mpigi District. They will be receiving enough rainfall for their crops to grow. Yes.

Winnie Namirimu: 10:38

Apart from the farmers...

Jovia Birimuye: 10:40

The farmers, we have household of 18 to 60 years of age. Yes, we have schools, restaurants, hotels, yeah.

Winnie Namirimu: 10:53

Okay. It's really great to see that your business has positive impacts on the Earth and the environment. Okay, so after joining the HerStart program, the first time you joined it, did you see that this was really going to make your dream come true?

Jovia Birimuye: 11:13

Yeah. Yes. HerStart has supported us with knowledge, because we did not know that we have to care about our environment. So it has empowered us. It has given us knowledge. It has given us confidence to believe in ourselves that we can make it.

Winnie Namirimu: 11:36

Okay. That is really great. So if someone comes to you and they're interested in joining the HerStart program, what advice would you give them?

Jovia Birimuye: 11:46

I just advise them to quickly come and join the HerStart because it's so educative. It gives you knowledge. The HerStart program has empowered me to respect and appreciate my gender as a female, and also to appreciate the natural gift that God gave us- the environment.

Outro: 12:17

Thanks for joining us today and learning about how Youth Challenge International has partnered with young women to advance gender equality globally and create a social entrepreneurship ecosystem with a positive impact for all. If you enjoyed this HerStart HerStory podcast episode, please like and share our episodes on social media and be sure to tune in and subscribe next time on Apple, Spotify or wherever you listen to your favourite podcast. This series will continue to highlight how young women social entrepreneurs in Ghana, Tanzania, Uganda are leading change in their communities. A special thanks as well to the fellows who volunteer to support the HerStart Innovate the Future program and help create these episodes. YCI's HerStart Innovate the Future and fellowship programs are funded through the Government of Canada's Volunteer Corporation Program, providing skilled Canadians opportunities to volunteer with global partners and advance Canada's Feminist International Assistance Policy. Join us and thousands of young people around the globe creating a better future together. Learn more at yci.org or herstart.org.