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Juliet Akello’s Journey: Empowering Women, Transforming Communities in Uganda

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Juliet Akello’s name resonates with determination, resilience, and a vision for change. A Ugandan by birth, a finance officer by profession, and a passionate advocate for women and youth empowerment, Juliet’s journey exemplifies the power of the human spirit to transform adversity into opportunity. Her story is one of strength, struggle, and triumph—a testament to how one individual can create lasting change in their community.

As an entrepreneur, financial consultant, and CEO of Spowcor Enterprises, Juliet has dedicated herself to the holistic empowerment of women and youth, especially those from marginalized backgrounds. She founded Spowcor, an agro-processing enterprise with a clear mission to add value to groundnuts by processing and packaging nutritious peanut butter. This product, rich in essential vitamins and minerals, is beneficial for both children and adults, making it a key tool for improving health and addressing malnutrition. Through her work, Juliet has empowered numerous farmers, particularly women, and created a sustainable supply chain that provides steady income opportunities for rural communities.

A Humble Beginning: The Roots of Juliet’s Determination

Juliet’s journey to success started from humble beginnings in a family of eight. Her parents worked tirelessly to sustain their household, teaching her early on that survival required not just hard work but smart strategies. Her mother, a businesswoman, juggled various ventures, including frying pancakes and mandazi, preparing meals for construction workers, brewing Maruwa (a local alcoholic drink), and plaiting hair. Despite her mother’s diverse income sources, poverty remained a constant challenge, particularly after Juliet’s father, who had been a machine operator for 18 years, suffered a back injury in 2016. This injury forced him to resign without compensation, leaving the family in a dire financial situation.

“My dad worked as a machine operator for 18 years for a company, but in 2016, he got a back injury that forced him to resign. Unfortunately, he was not compensated, and he had to return to the village with no money. Later, my mother also moved to the village, but she wanted to continue earning income. She engaged in small-scale farming, but due to limited resources like capital and market access, poverty continued to haunt us,” Juliet recalls.

In 2016, while still a student, Juliet found herself facing mounting tuition fees and no financial aid. Rather than giving up, she became resourceful, taking on multiple jobs to support her education. She worked as an assistant administrator, a librarian, a secondary school teacher, and even managed a restaurant on weekends. Despite her best efforts, the promise of a stable job after graduation in 2017 seemed elusive.

“By the time Dad resigned from work, I was still at campus, and tuition became an issue. I opted to work for the institution I was enrolled at as an assistant administrator and librarian. My salary was channeled toward my tuition. I also took up other part-time jobs like teaching secondary students and managing a restaurant on weekends to raise enough money for rent and food,” she shares.

Breaking Through: Entering the Agricultural Sector

Despite her struggles, Juliet’s determination to create a better life for herself and her family never wavered. In 2020, she secured a job with an agricultural company as a finance officer. This opportunity allowed her to step into the world of agriculture, a sector that had always piqued her interest. However, it was not just the financial aspects that captivated her—it was the broader agricultural landscape and the challenges it faced, particularly food wastage, poverty among smallholder farmers, and malnutrition.

“Firstly, I had to look around me, at my community and my country at large, to understand the persistent challenges being faced. I noticed the issue of food wastage, poverty faced by smallholder farmers, and malnutrition among children and adults in Uganda,” she recalls.

Juliet knew that she could make a difference. With limited financial resources and the responsibilities of being a first-born daughter and mother, she established Spowcor Enterprises. The company’s mission was clear: to address food wastage, empower smallholder farmers, and improve nutrition in Uganda. She envisioned providing an affordable, solar-powered storage solution for farmers, allowing them to preserve their produce until they found a market for it.

“My first idea was to provide farmers access to an affordable and environmentally friendly storage facility—a solar-powered cold room stationed on farms where they could rent spaces to store unsold produce until they found a market for it. This is where the name Spowcor Enterprises came from: S-Solar, POW-Powered, CO-Cold, R-Rooms,” Juliet explains.

However, her dream of establishing solar-powered cold rooms faced financial challenges, forcing her to pivot. Juliet decided to focus on value addition through food processing, particularly in the production of peanut butter. Her involvement in the “Innovate for Food Security” program, organized by Starthub Africa, provided her with the knowledge to tackle food insecurity in Uganda and set her on the path to creating a sustainable business.

Empowering Women and Youth: Creating a Sustainable Supply Chain

Spowcor Enterprises began producing nutritious peanut butter, addressing food wastage while simultaneously empowering women and youth. Juliet realized that the best way to make an impact was by creating a supply chain of female smallholder farmers who would provide the peanuts. This mutually beneficial relationship offered financial stability to rural women and improved the livelihoods of many in her community.

“I realized it was time to start small and grow big. That’s when I came up with the idea of making peanut butter. I started with a capital of just UGX 40,000, which was affordable and convenient since I processed and packaged the peanut butter at home, cutting costs on office rent,” she shares.

The impact of Spowcor Enterprises has been profound. By focusing on empowering women farmers and providing employment opportunities for youth, Juliet has created a ripple effect that reaches far beyond the production of peanut butter. Her work helps address hunger while fostering a new generation of leaders who can uplift their communities.

“I personally believe that once women are equipped with the tools and resources they need to break through barriers and achieve their full potential, investing in a woman is an investment in the next generation,” Juliet states.

In 2022, Juliet founded “Touch to Uplift,” an organization dedicated to combating gender inequality and youth unemployment in Uganda. Through hands-on training in crafts like shoe-making, she has upskilled over 90 women and 145 youth, empowering them with the tools to start their own businesses and escape poverty.

A Legacy of Empowerment and Community Transformation

Juliet’s journey to success has not been easy. She faced countless obstacles, including funding challenges, limited resources, and societal biases that often hinder women’s progress. However, through perseverance and a clear vision, she has not only built Spowcor Enterprises but has also turned it into a force for good in the lives of many.

Her commitment to empowering women and youth stems from her own childhood experiences. Growing up, Juliet watched her mother use groundnuts to create nutritious dishes. This skill became part of her adult life, where she transformed it into a business that supports hundreds of farmers and families.

Looking ahead, Juliet envisions expanding Spowcor Enterprises and offering training and consultancy to smallholder farmers to help increase food production and improve their incomes. Her ultimate goal is to form partnerships with agricultural companies to provide further support and resources to smallholder farmers.

“As I always say, your investment in Spowcor is an investment in the future—where women and youth are given the opportunities they need to break barriers and achieve their full potential,” she emphasizes.

Juliet’s journey is not just hers; it is a shared journey of every woman, youth, and individual who believes in the transformative power of entrepreneurship. As her story unfolds, the impact she continues to have on Uganda—and the world—will undoubtedly be profound.

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