Solomon Ssekamanya (EverGrow Organics)

Solomon Ssekamanya is the founder of EverGrow Organics, a Uganda-based business that manufactures organic, mineral-based fertilizer.

food production challenges in Uganda

“I grew up in Lubumba, which is a small, rural village in Uganda, in a family that was dependent on agriculture for generations in order to sustain a better life,” Solomon shared. “I remember the fertile soils, healthy fields and bountiful harvests that provided a source of nourishment and prosperity for our family. But over time, our soils started to deplete. After hunger became our fate, in seasons without food production, we would survive on one meal per day—something that made us prone to malnutrition. Poverty also became the order of the day and, as I talk right now, seven of my siblings are illiterate and uneducated because the breadwinning economic activity was shattered.”

After his family’s land began to deteriorate—due to the overuse of synthetic fertilizers coupled with climate change—Solomon’s mom encouraged him to apply for a local scholarship providing free education.

a source of education for solomon

“With this I became bold enough and I was told that I could do something to solve some problems in my communities,” explained Solomon.

After graduating in 2021, Solomon began a new role as a field monitor for an organization that worked to provide job skills to youth in the community. Though he enjoyed this job, Solomon couldn’t help but think about his family and how he wanted to focus on finding a solution for them and the millions of farmers struggling with the same challenges in their fields.

Inspired but unsure of where to get started, Solomon got involved with the Social Innovation Academy (SINA), an organization that works with young social entrepreneurs to help them conceptualize and begin businesses in their community.

the launch of evergrow organics

After five months developing his all-natural recipe, Solomon began selling his product in November of 2021. Since then, EverGrow Organics has sold more than 1,000 units to local farmers.

Sales are made through part-time employees who work as ambassadors—going into their own communities, selling products to farmers and receiving a commission. In addition to eight ambassadors, most of whom are women, Solomon also employs eight full-time team members who work in the office with him.

evergrow organics in the because accelerator incubator

Solomon took part in the 2023 Cohort of the Because Accelerator, where he connected with other entrepreneurs and with his coach, Robert.

“[The networking groups] were so, so beneficial to me because there’s a way that you can relate when it comes to a fellow entrepreneur,” shared Solomon. “So I consider that one of the biggest takeaways, the peer-to-peer mentorship. Then secondly was the coaching. I enjoyed sessions about the different issues and things that are bothering me—and the way he brought up those issues and how you can best work on them was very interesting to me. I applied actually everything that he talked about.”

At the end of the cohort, Solomon was invited to participate in a pitch competition where nine of the 23 entrepreneurs were given five minutes to pitch their business on a live platform. At the end of the event, Solomon was selected as the winner by the Because Advisor Network.

“This puts a smile on my lips, I feel so good by this and I was really so happy and so emotional that I won,” said Solomon.

With his prize of $5,000, Solomon plans to invest in marketing and a product certification from the Uganda National Bureau of Standards—a credential which would allow him to sell products outside of the country.

In five years, he hopes to be selling products internationally, employ 100 people, own a facility that they can call EverGrow Organics headquarters, and be engaging with stakeholders in Uganda’s sustainable agricultural industries through the promotion of agritourism and agroecological activities.

The Because Accelerator is a 16-week virtual business incubator designed to help entrepreneurs take their innovative products to the next level. Learn more about the Because Accelerator and how it helps entrepreneurs from around the world scale their businesses and create jobs in areas impacted by poverty.