By Eriah Lule
All had been well for the family of Uganda Christian University (UCU) student Askada Julian Julius until political unrest broke out in South Sudan in 2013.
Julian’s father, Sebiti Mamuru, a successful businessman, was accused of providing financial assistance to the rebels who were causing violence in South Sudan. Mamuru was forced to leave his country with 17 children, including Julian, and take refuge in Uganda.
When the family arrived in Uganda, they settled in Arua, a city in the northwestern part of Uganda. Julian, the fourth born and eldest daughter, had to quickly find ways of supporting herself and the family members. She found an answer in cookies that she baked and sold to supermarkets and shops. She baked them in flavors of vanilla, coconut and ginger, among others.
In 2020, when Julian’s aunt heard of her cookie success, she convinced her niece to expand to making other food that she would deliver to people in offices. Julian took advantage of the Covid-induced lockdown in 2020, when many people were afraid of moving around, for fear of catching the virus. She, thus, started supplying cooked food to essential workers who made it office during the lockdown. Bank staff were part of her first clients.
Now a year-two student of UCU’s Bachelor of Governance and International Relations program, she sells in many places with the help of two employees. When she is studying, her mother, Dudu Clara, is in charge of the business.
“The cookie clients introduced us to the food clients,” Julian said. She sells each plate of food at sh5,000 (about $1.3) and earns up to sh60,000 ($16.3) per day in net profit.
Since Julian is usually a reserved person, not many know of her catering service business. Instead, she is known more, for another type of on-line business. She deals in second-hand clothes and bags, which she sells primarily to university students and on the internet.
“One will never understand Julian, unless you are close to her,” said Nalubega Nicole, Julian’s course-mate at UCU. For the time Nalubega has been close to Julian, she says she has learned that in order to earn a living, one needs to cultivate the skill of being creative and innovative.
Seeing her level of entrepreneurial skill, one would wonder why Julian did not pursue a course in business. However, she says she felt a course in governance and international relations was a better fit for someone like her who is considering working as a diplomat for her country one day.
