I run a beeswax business in my home town

My name is Victor Gordon Akejo and I am a TAGDEV student from Uganda. I study at Egerton University, Kenya. One of the main entrepreneurial projects I’m involved in back home is selling beeswax. I started this business during the COVID-19 lockdown because of its ready market. Beeswax are used in the manufacture of candles, crayons, lip balm, and can also be used as lubricant for wood and polishing furniture.

A kilogram of beeswax costs $8 and I make about $150 a month. Since most farmers in my community do not know how to prepare the beeswax, I have trained several youths in the preparation of beeswax from the honeycomb. My aim is to supply beeswax in large quantities to factories and industries in the country.

Apart from producing and selling beeswax, I also rare chicken (broilers) which are sold between Shs10,000 to Shs15,000 each and this has contributed to the daily income in our household.  This company was started with the aim of improving livelihoods in Northern Uganda through interventions in sustainable, smart agriculture and youth entrepreneurship. The company was recently registered as “Gordon’s Agricultural Organization-Uganda Limited (GAO-UG Limited)”.

The GAO-UG Limited specifically works with the community farmers to:

• Facilitate easy assessment of agricultural inputs and equipment to farmers to increase production.
• Contribute to agricultural technology development, dissemination and uptake to enhance productivity.
• Provide post-harvest value addition and marketing services to farmers.
• Coordinate and utilize the creative ability of youth in rural areas to improve their economic wellbeing.
• Engage in tree planting to address climate change
• Form youth village savings groups and offer trainings on financial management and leadership skills.

Currently, we are implementing a project called Social Enterprise in Soybean, Sunflower, Maize and Rice (SSMR) in Alebtong District which involves the supply of agricultural inputs to farmers

I have also used part of my monthly stipend to start a fish supply business that my mother runs. She buys fish and supplies them to hotels and other eateries within Lira. From this enterprise, she earns about $100 monthly. We expect to offer free agricultural advisory and consultation services to the farming communities in the near future.