Nakitende Zura, a 32-year-old mother from Katamba village, Wanyama ward in Bugembe Town Council, Jinja District, was once a stay-at-home mom struggling to find her footing after returning home from a marriage that didn’t work out. With two children to care for and no income, life felt uncertain — until a WhatsApp message from a friend changed her trajectory.
That message introduced her to the SAYE project (Stimulating Agribusiness for Youth Employment), which aims to improve the social and economic well-being of 250,000 young people aged 16–35 (70% female, 3% youth with disabilities) in the Busoga sub-region by 2029. The project is implemented by Heifer International Uganda in a consortium with CURAD, FSME, FSDU, and ASIGMA Group.
Upon learning about SAYE, Zura immediately joined through CURAD and was selected for an idea refinement bootcamp. It was here that she began shaping her long-held passion for juice-making into a viable business.
“Juice-making was always a dream, but I had no idea how to make it real. SAYE gave me the tools to turn that dream into something tangible,” she shared.
With support from SAYE-CURAD, Zura received technical training in juice production, packaging, and branding, alongside financial literacy and business development skills. She went on to form HICU Group of Companies with 11 fellow incubatees, launching HICU Mango Fruit Juice. Together, they have successfully produced over 4,000 litres of juice so far, all made at the CURAD Rural Agripark in Kapeeka.
Zura (Middle) with her colleagues
Zura now operates from her own space, having moved from co-renting. Her first production batch sold out completely and she’s currently selling the second. She has also hired a boda rider to deliver juice orders and someone to help offload and arrange products.
“I went from sharing a space with a friend to having my own. That first batch sold out and now, we are seeing a steady stream of orders,” she said
Beyond numbers, the impact is deeply personal. Her confidence has grown, and the community sees her differently.
“People look at me and see a businesswoman now. That’s not just a victory for me; it’s a message to every woman out there that we can achieve what we set our minds to.” She shares.
Most importantly, she can now provide for her children and meet their basic needs. Zura credits her transformation to divine strength and self-belief.
“With God above everything, and belief in yourself, you can rise from anything.”
Looking ahead, she hopes to open a juice plant nearby to reduce transport costs, introduce new flavours like tamarind juice, and own a branded delivery van.
