BUKOMANSIMBI – From the 25th to the 28th of March, the youth and children affairs minister Florence Nakiwala Kiyingi celebrated the appointment in her new position with a thanksgiving ceremony in Bukumansimbi district, hosting President Yoweri Museveni as the guest of honor on the 28th. The event was combined with an agricultural-tourism exhibition to benefit the local population. Probiotic yoghurt producers from Masaka area were eager to showcase their product on this function, therein supported by the ‘Fermented Food for Life project’.
A youth group called ‘Dovek’ is the leading probiotic yoghurt producer in Masaka area, producing an average of 600 liters of yoghurt per week. The main pillar of this group is the young couple Ronald and Cate. Together with their adorable baby Danielle, they represented Dovek Probiotic Yoghurt at the show. Dovek has been in production for almost 10 years, but never received proper training before they were introduced to Yoba yoghurt. Dovek was among the first groups in Uganda that adapted Yoba yoghurt, and ever since, they have been working hand in hand as one of the most important partners to the project for mutual learning and growing. Baby Danielle consumes 500mls of probiotic yoghurt every day, and is a life example of one of the healthiest babies you can get. Baby Danielle accompanies her parents to most events, and is the best promotion for their product.
At the start of the show, yoghurt producers from different production units gathered in the ‘Fermented Food for Life’ tent. The different groups in this area are befriended from past workshops and other events. They do not treat as competitors, but as partners that support each other. The tent was well branded, yoghurt of the different producers was kept in a display fridge, and simple flyers were available to sensitize the local population on the health benefits of probiotic yoghurt.
The show itself started in low gear, but the producers actively approached potential consumers with flyers, and sales were actualized. As the show went on, more and more people kept on coming for refreshing and healthy probiotic yoghurt, and the producers started to count their profits. The absolute peak came at the last day when the president was visiting, and the show was packed with visitors in need of some refreshments. All in all, hundreds of liters of probiotic yoghurt were sold during the show, and thousands of flyers have been handed out to sensitize the local population on the benefits of consuming probiotic yoghurt.
Consumers were surprised to find that is excellent quality product was being made in their local area. At the same time, the show was a great avenue for producers such as Dovek. Ronald (Dovek) commented that ‘we are so grateful for the opportunity and the support we received to participate in this show. We hope many more shows will come. We are so grateful for everything the project has done for us up to now!’
