{"id":2009,"date":"2026-04-28T16:20:14","date_gmt":"2026-04-28T16:20:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/amacuegroup.com\/hr\/?p=2009"},"modified":"2026-05-20T16:59:44","modified_gmt":"2026-05-20T16:59:44","slug":"from-small-shop-to-vanilla-business-the-journey-of-mumbere-demiyo","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/amacuegroup.com\/hr\/from-small-shop-to-vanilla-business-the-journey-of-mumbere-demiyo\/","title":{"rendered":"From Small Shop to Vanilla Business: The Journey of Mumbere Demiyo"},"content":{"rendered":"

Starting Small: From Retail Shop to Agriculture Ventures<\/strong><\/p>\n

Before discovering the world of vanilla farming and pollination, Mumbere Demiyo operated a modest retail shop in Kyankaranga parish, Katanda sub county, Rubirizi District. Life was simple, and his income steady but limited. His routine mainly involved helping friends with vanilla pollination services and giving away vines and jatrophers for free, viewing it as a goodwill gesture rather than a business opportunity. Little did he know that these acts of kindness would soon turn into a thriving enterprise.<\/p>\n

\"\"
Mumbere poses next to his vanilla store in Kabaseke trading centre, Kyankaranga parish, Katanda , Rubirizi District (TechnoServe\/Yonamu Mutabarura)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

A Turning Point: The Impact of STRYDE Training<\/strong><\/p>\n

Everything changed during and after attending the Strengthening Rural Youth Development Through Enterprise<\/a>\u00a0(STRYDE) training. STRYDE was a curriculum under the VINES project, led by Catholic Relief Services<\/a> and supported by a consortium that includes TechnoServe.\u00a0 VINES was a United States Department of Agriculture-funded Food for Progress project working to transform the vanilla sector in Uganda. \u00a0It was at the STRYDE training that Mumbere learned that vanilla pollination services, along with selling vines and jatrophers, could be lucrative ventures. He realized that with the right approach, he could transform his small efforts into a profitable business. Inspired, he began reaching out to friends and farmers, telling them about his new services and products. A trip to Ibanda district for a funeral became a pivotal moment when he connected with farmers from Kiruhura, Ntungamo, and Mbarara, opening doors to new markets and establishing valuable relationships.<\/p>\n

Expanding His Business: Supplying Vines and Jatrophers<\/strong><\/p>\n

Mumbere started supplying vines at 2,200 shillings each and jatrophers at 1,500 shillings. His first major orders came from Ibanda on June 4, 2022, when he supplied 1,300 vines worth 760,000 shillings (USD 208) and 650 jatrophers for 320,000 Shillings (USD 88). Soon after, he expanded to Kiruhura in July, delivering 900 vines for 490,000 shillings (USD 134) and 450 jatrophers for 230,000 Shillings (USD 63). By September, in Mbarara, he supplied 550 vines and 275 jatrophers, earning a total profit of approximately 2,210,000 shillings (USD 605) from these sales alone. In addition, his pollination services generated around 350,000 shillings (USD 95), further boosting his income.<\/p>\n

Venturing into Vanilla Farming<\/strong><\/p>\n

Encouraged by his growing success, Mumbere ventured into vanilla cultivation during the December 2022 season. This move paid off handsomely, with profits reaching approximately 2,200,000 shillings (USD 602). His efforts in farming, coupled with pollination services, marked a significant milestone in his entrepreneurial journey. With the profits, he invested in expanding his vanilla garden from 40 to 250 plants, purchased half an acre of land for 7 million (USD 1,917), and acquired a motorcycle for business on credit, paying 2 million shillings (USD 547) upfront and taking a loan of 4 million shillings (1.095) to fuel his growth.<\/p>\n

Challenges and Future Plans<\/strong><\/p>\n

However, the journey has not been without setbacks. The vanilla market experienced price fluctuations, causing a decline in income and demand. Farmers are now less inclined to buy vines, jatrophers, and seek pollination services, leaving him with only a few loyal clients in Kiruhura and Ntungamo. Despite these challenges, Mumbere remains optimistic. He is planning to diversify into poultry farming, hoping this will stabilize his income while as he waits for vanilla prices to recover.<\/p>\n

Gratitude and Reflection<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cI am grateful to TechnoServe for equipping me with the skills and knowledge that transformed my business outlook\u201d, says Mumbere Demiyo. He never imagined that he could achieve so much on his own. His story is a testament to how training, determination, and a willingness to learn can open doors to new opportunities, turning humble beginnings into a promising future<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Starting Small: From Retail Shop to Agriculture Ventures Before discovering the world of vanilla farming and pollination, Mumbere Demiyo operated a modest retail shop in Kyankaranga parish, Katanda sub county, Rubirizi District. Life was simple, and his income steady but limited. His routine mainly involved helping friends with vanilla pollination services and giving away vines […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2486,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[13],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2009","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-blog"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/amacuegroup.com\/hr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2009","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/amacuegroup.com\/hr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/amacuegroup.com\/hr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/amacuegroup.com\/hr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/amacuegroup.com\/hr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2009"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/amacuegroup.com\/hr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2009\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2563,"href":"https:\/\/amacuegroup.com\/hr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2009\/revisions\/2563"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/amacuegroup.com\/hr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2486"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/amacuegroup.com\/hr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2009"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/amacuegroup.com\/hr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2009"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/amacuegroup.com\/hr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2009"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}