Tell us about yourself
Brasio Kawere Kigongo, a co-founder and Operations manager at Sparkle Agro-brands limited. We repurpose inedible waste milk Into Natural Mosquito Repellent lotions. I founded Sparkle in 2019 while still a student at Makerere University. I drew inspiration from personal tragedy and a deep commitment to empower smallholder farmers in Uganda. Born into a family of ten, my journey began amidst the challenges of mixed small-scale farming in the then rural Kitende, Uganda.
Where do you pick inspiration for creating the natural mosquito repellent?
Early in my life, my eldest sister, Dorah, succumbed to malaria-induced anemia at the age of 12. This loss ignited a lifelong mission, and I dreamed of finding solutions to alleviate the financial struggles of my family and countless farmers.
My pursuit of change led me to Makerere University for A Bachelor’s of Science in Agriculture, where I delved into the intricacies of agriculture. Here, I uncovered the harsh reality faced by small dairy farmers, which sparked the birth of Sparkle Agro-Brands Ltd. We repurpose surplus milk into Natural mosquito repellent, empowering farmers and protecting children from malaria.
Our products obtained the prestigious UNBS standard certification in 2023. We have served our solution to over 10,000 students attending schools within wakiso District and have repurposed 1250liters of inedible milk sofar from 30 farmers and 3 small fresh milk dairies.
We also educate small dairy farmers on optimal livestock nutrition and milk handling practices. We work diligently to boost milk volumes and improve milk handling methods, offering a path to increased income.
On 6th of June 2023, I participated in the Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) training organized by the Agribusiness Development Center (ADC). The training proved to be a profound learning experience for both my team and me. It provided us with invaluable insights into impact reporting aligned with rigorous ESG standards. Additionally, the program facilitated connections that not only expanded our access to cost-effective ingredient sourcing channels but also integrated us into the thriving ADC accelerator agribusiness community.
What are the future plans?
With a keen eye for better enterprise governance, we envision expanding sales to 500,000 students in 2024-2025. We are developing an application that not only streamlines milk collection but also provides dairy farmers with a platform to find markets for their fresh milk. Additionally, we plan to acquire a lactic acid extractor. This strategic move will enhance our ability to extract lactic acid from milk, opening up new opportunities for value addition and diversification of their product range.
We seek to build strategic partnership with agencies such as Heifer International, SNV, GIZ, ABi, USAID to amplify our efforts through, connecting us to their communities of smallholder dairy farmers who need our services as well as to their enterprise acceleration packages of visibility and investment.
