NextBillion - An Initiative of the William Davidson Institute at the University of Michigan

Wednesday, July 13, 2005

The clothes in Herbet Massissi’s shop in Kampala are made of brightly coloured fabrics turned into original designs by his wife Anne.

Many who escaped wars in Uganda are now returning

The material is all created on silk screens in the workshop at their home in the Ugandan capital where they employ 14 people.

Mr Massissi is one of a growing number of Ugandans who have returned after spending years abroad avoiding the endless wars.

Now they are forming a small core of struggling entrepreneurs.

New business

International assistance may contribute nearly half of Uganda’s budget, but that does not mean everyone in the impoverished country is sitting around waiting for aid.

Next door to Massissi’s shop is a European style supermarket run by another Ugandan businessman, Fitz Ssebunya.

Mr Ssebunya also owns a bakery, providing jobs for nearly 30 people from the community nearby.

The investment they have brought in has fuelled a mini-renaissance in the village.
Story found here.