At AfiaNest in Kampala, Uganda, new mothers gather to learn one of the most important lessons of early childhood: the right nutrition in the first years of life shapes a child’s future. Many of the women are refugees who fled violence and unrest, often arriving in Uganda alone and with children in tow. 

Alongside training, mothers can purchase peanut butter and porridge, packed with the nutrients necessary to nourish growing bodies and brains. The goal is to set their children up for healthy growth and positive outcomes long into adulthood — and this purpose is what drives young entrepreneur Esther Kitumaini.

As a Congolese refugee herself, Esther experienced the devastation of displacement. When conflict claimed her father’s life in 2013, she and her family fled to Uganda, where she arrived unable to speak the local language and uncertain about what the future held. 

Uganda is home to close to two million refugees and asylum seekers, who have escaped crises in Sudan, South Sudan, Eritrea, Rwanda, the Democratic Republic of Congo, and other countries. In an attempt to rebuild their lives and secure a livelihood, many turn to entrepreneurship, where tailored support and access to responsible financial tools are critical for success.

This was the case for Esther, catalyzed by a tragedy in her own community. “In 2022, one of my cousins living in the camp lost her four-year-old son,” she said, recalling how the language barrier between her cousin and the health clinician made it impossible to receive accurate guidance for care. “Later on, we got to understand that the child was malnourished.” 

“I am able to serve my people. I can speak in my language to the women. I can help educate them in a language they understand.” 

The loss revealed the larger challenge that fighting malnutrition requires more than food; it takes knowledge, access, and support. This inspired her to launch Baby Wise, an organic food company working to improve health and fight malnutrition among mothers and children in Uganda. 

“Africa can feed 60 percent of the global population, but it is suffering a lot when it comes to malnutrition,” she said. “So I said, let’s see what we can do.” 

In two years, Baby Wise has sold over two tons of nutrient-rich products, such as porridge and peanut butter, to mothers and employs ten people in processing and distribution — thanks in part to connecting with Accion partner, Soko Uganda. 

As an online digital marketplace, Soko Uganda enables refugees and local producers to reach a wider market and sell their products online. Accion Advisory partnered with Soko Uganda, providing technical support and expert advice so that Soko Uganda can deliver digital upskilling and business support to refugee women entrepreneurs.

“At Soko Uganda, we try to bring out the small businesses, what they produce, and we market it and make everybody aware of what we make in Uganda,” said Hillary Mbabazi, founder of Soko Uganda, who named the platform after the Swahili word for market. “We use technology and other different initiatives to do that.”

For Esther, the impact was immediate. “Soko Uganda has been so instrumental for us,” she said. “We can deliver in the next two hours and Soko makes it happen.” 

But Baby Wise is much more than simply a business for Esther, and her sister, who co-founded it with her. “We’re not just selling a product, we’re equipping mothers with the right knowledge. Because malnutrition is beyond having access to food.”  

Over the next five years, Esther hopes to expand into a solar-powered production facility and employ more refugee women. Her dream, she says, is to eventually source her ingredients from refugees themselves, who are engaged in smallholder farming to earn a sustainable livelihood and rebuild their lives with dignity.