At the Women’s Katale Expo 2024 in Jinja, Kampi Winfred from Ndiwansi Village, Amagera Town Council, Jinja District, discovered what would become a turning point in her life, the SAYE Project. That day, she found not just a program, but a source of hope and opportunity. Today, she is the proud Co-founder of Nile Coffee, a growing enterprise that is transforming lives—starting with her own.
Before joining SAYE project, Winfred faced numerous challenges. Like many young women, she struggled with financial instability and lacked structured support to pursue her business dream. But all that changed when she joined the project.
She came in with just an idea, to add value to coffee by producing rosemary-infused blends, and her motivation was clear:
“In my community, people didn’t know the benefits of coffee, yet coffee is really good. It has a long shelf life, it’s profitable, and I wanted people to understand its importance. I also wanted to make money and I’m enjoying it!” she narrated.
Through the idea refinement bootcamp, her concept was sharpened. She then moved into product development, where her prototype was created, and later into commercial production, where she received a startup kit to officially launch her coffee brand. This kit included unique blends like rosemary-infused coffee and classic plain roast. She also received training in business development, financial literacy, and marketing, tools that helped her refine her product and grow her market base.
“I no longer do garden work. I now employ people to work there because I am employed in my own business, and I can comfortably take care of my baby boy,” she shared proudly.
Winfred’s standard of living has improved significantly. She is now well known in her village as the seller of “delicious and nice coffee”. She has opened a savings account with Finance Trust bank , and has started buying coffee from local farmers, indirectly supporting farming communities.
Like many entrepreneurs, Winfred has faced challenges along the way. One of the toughest was when her savings were stolen from her mobile money account. However, she quickly adapted by putting stronger financial systems in place and has since opened a savings account with Finance Trust Bank.
Her customer base continues to grow, fuelled by glowing referrals from clients who rave about how delicious her coffee is. With this momentum, she is now preparing to open her very own physical coffee shop soon.
“I envision having a physical shop where I can sell my coffee and employ more youth in my community,” She said.
Reflecting on her journey, she adds: “As a woman, running my own business gives me financial freedom and the freedom to work on my own terms. No one puts unnecessary work on me anymore.”
As she continues to grow Nile Coffee, Winfred is calling for more support in accessing affordable loans to scale and reach more customers across Uganda.
