HerStory Podcast Series
HerStory Podcast Series
Episode 20: Sabano's Business Providing Learning Materials to Underprivileged Youth in Uganda
In this episode, Rajeshwari Sriram, HerStart Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning Fellow in Kampala, Uganda, speaks with Sabano Scovia, founder of Gracious Chalk – a social enterprise that aims to provide underprivileged rural and urban schools with learning materials. Sabano discusses her passion for quality education, her chalk-making process and how YCI's HerStart program and Catalyst Fund helped her build her business.
Welcome to Youth Challenge International's HerStart HerStory Podcast Series. Youth Challenge International, or Y C I, launched the HerStart Innovate the Future Program in 2020. As part of our initiative to advance women's equality globally. Our goal is to provide 10,000 women in Ghana, Tanzania, and Uganda with the resources and supports they need to successfully launch and grow their social businesses. We are sharing real stories of young women who are 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. Learn more at yci.org or herstart.org.
Interviewer - Rajeshwari:Hello, my name is Rajeshwari and I am the Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning fellow with Youth Challenge International's, HerStart program in Kampala, Uganda. Today I am speaking to Sabano Scovia about her chalk making business called Gracious Chalk. Sabano is a participant in the HerStart Grow Your Social Venture program. This program helps young women entrepreneurs grow their social and environmental impact through business skills, coaching, mentorship, and training. Sabano is also a recipient of HerStart's Catalyst fund. The funding provides women-led ventures with critical seed funding that can help them thrive. Sabano and I are speaking today at the Innovation Village, one of Youth Challenge Internationals partner organizations in Uganda. The first question I asked Sabano is about how she makes her chalk.
Interviewee - Sabano:First of all, there is two types of chalk. There is white chalk and colored chalk. White chalk, it has its powder called p o p. You use water, paraffin and the machine. And even calcium. When you get that powder together with calcium you mix with water, you pour in the machine. After pouring in the machine, you, you have to wait for 20-15 minutes. The chalk would have dried, then you remove. So currently the machine I'm using it, it, it is producing 400 pieces. Uh, for colored chalk, of course you have to put colors, eh, we have green, pink, yellow, red, all colors. The colors you can afford At the moment, eh.
Interviewer - Rajeshwari:Where do you get the materials to make the chalk?
Interviewee - Sabano:I buy materials from town, from capital city Kampala. Then materials like color. Powder for them I have to get them from town. But paraffin cooking oil, I can get them around my place cause they're everywhere.
Interviewer - Rajeshwari:Who do you sell the chalk to?
Speaker 3:I sell the chalk to school in urban areas and rural areas. Mostly my target is rural areas, but even my neighbors, I can supply to them cause some of them have liked my product.
Interviewer - Rajeshwari:What motivated you to start your social enterprise?
Interviewee - Sabano:What motivated me was the state of education in the village. They lack learning materials and some of them is chalk, which is the primary learning materials. That's why I decided so that at least the education system so that these learners in rural areas could be able to compete with these ones of urban areas. You know, rural areas they far from town is and it costs. So I decided at least I could extend the, those services near them. I could at least they could be able to access chalk without walking long distances. When I did my research, I was told even the, the, the chalk they're using has just, and this dust makes them fall sick. So I'd say that to make them the one which has no dust, like this one. So I wanted to ease the accessibility to improve on the education system, affordable and this box is affordable. The way I'm saving it compared the way they've been being sold to. So that's why I decided at least to make chalk.
Interviewer - Rajeshwari:Why is education important to you?
Interviewee - Sabano:Education is important to me because without education I could not be speaking. I could not be communicating to you. Cause now which language could have be, we could not be using, be using English, which we get, we learn from schools at home, we use our mother tongue, we use our local language and you know, for us in Uganda here, there are many tribes, different tribes, eh, so it makes communication easier. Even education will make, you know, like as in get skills, how to use this computer. Other skills which you need to know.
Interviewer - Rajeshwari:How did you get involved with the Her Start program?
Interviewee - Sabano:Well, I was there in my community. That is[ inaudible], the name of mine came passing, mobilizing people. So she found me. She, she, she requested me. She said, come we go. There is some, some training we are going for. So they told us an entrepreneur is a person who takes a risk to start a business. A social entrepreneur is a person who tried solve the, the, so the problem in the community. So they said each one should do what? What is the problem in your community? So me, I decided to choose education cause education is for everyone.
Interviewer - Rajeshwari:How has the Catalyst Fund helped you with Gracious Chalk?
Interviewee - Sabano:It has helped me to get that machine, as I've said previously mm-hmm<affirmative> to brand my products and get this packaging. Uh, it has help me when to get market around. Cause with that Catalyst Fund, I remember there was a request of transport. I've been using that transport to go the market to market to people. So it has helped to me at least. I've made a final product, which can be sold as you see it here.
Interviewer - Rajeshwari:What challenges did you face when you started your business?
Interviewee - Sabano:One challenge was space. This space is small. Another challenge is the market right now. You know, when you are using public transport, it is costly than using your own. At least if I had a motorcycle, you just fuel up, then you got the market, you go for marketing, you go for selling. But now it is, it is now becoming costly.
Interviewer - Rajeshwari:How has your business grown since you first started? Gracious Chalk?
Interviewee - Sabano:My business has grown to the level that I can also sell and get money. I first bought a machine, which makes 250 pieces it was rough. Again. I got the one which makes 100 pieces. It could make rough and big, big.
Interviewer - Rajeshwari:What are your future goals for your business?
Interviewee - Sabano:I see my business, uh, in the next two years. Yes, I see myself covering many regions. Like, cause my target region is east, then central in the next two years. I want to cover those past my east and central. Uh, another thing I want to get a space, A space, eh, as in like a big space so that it'll be it. I'll be able to produce enough that even that very space where I can be training people. Cause where I am, I can't train 10 people, five people, eh, but my space is now small. But I see in the future I need to do, I need to enlarge my business and I, I want to be supplying to shops also, uh, this wholesale and retail shops. I need, I, I want to, in the future I be supplying to them so that at least I will reduce walking.
Interviewer - Rajeshwari:What message do you have for other women who are thinking of starting their own business?
Interviewee - Sabano:Ah, the message they give to, to those women who are thinking to start their, to start their own business, uh, is first of all, they have to first think of the SDGs to think of the problems facing their community, to think of their customers, to think of which business, which business and the customers and what are they going to improve another thing. Um, and encouraging them. You know, when you are starting you fear, you know, it is hard to start generally, but I'm encouraging them. Take courage to start. Cause if you start, you find yourself forward. You find yourself going forward.
Interviewer - Rajeshwari:Thank you so much Sabano for spending the time with me to talk about your business. I'm excited to see it grow.
Closing: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 the positive impact for all. If you enjoy this HerStart Innovate the Future podcast episode. Please subscribe and share our episodes on social media. A special thanks to the fellows that volunteered their time in Ghana, Tanzania and Uganda, who help create these episodes. YCI's HerStart Innovate the Future and Fellowship programs are funded through the Government of Canada's volunteer cooperation 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.orgaround the globe creating a better future together. Learn more@yci.org or herstart. org.
