Bernadette Musiimenta
HABARI DAILY I Kampala, Uganda I Along Katuna Road in Kabale District, Bernadette Musiimenta’s poultry enterprise stands as a powerful story of resilience after devastating loss. In 2012, a fire swept through her farm, destroying 500 birds and nearly wiping out years of hard work.
“Everything went up in flames,” she recalls.
At the time, Musiimenta had steadily grown her flock from just 100 birds in 2001—when she began the venture under a UN-supported entrepreneurship programme—to about 1,000 birds. The fire, however, forced her to start over.
Refusing to give up, she turned to Irish potato farming to raise capital. The alternative income stream enabled her to gradually rebuild her poultry business, one step at a time.
Today, Musiimenta is one of the largest poultry farmers in Kabale District. Her company, ODO Farm Ltd, now manages two units—Katuna Road with 4,000 birds and Rwebikona with 5,000—bringing her total stock to 9,000 birds. The farm employs six full-time workers and supports livelihoods for several women suppliers across the region.
Her breakthrough came in 2024 when she accessed a GROW Loan through PostBank Uganda. The affordable financing allowed her to bulk-purchase feeds and expand operations more efficiently. She has since maintained consistent quarterly repayments, reflecting strong business recovery.
Beyond financing, the GROW Project introduced her to digital tools, including social media marketing and mobile money payment systems, helping streamline operations and widen her customer reach.
Musiimenta now dreams of turning her farm into a regional training hub. Her journey from tragedy to triumph underscores the transformative power of perseverance and targeted financial support.
