Before becoming a GSB Fellow, I was foolish to think that business was simply an occupation, or a means to an end. I used to split my two passions of social action and business into two separate camps, like two armies trying to win a battle over my attention. Sure enough, I was the one fueling the battle. Once I traveled to Uganda and realized that business can empower people at the Base of the Pyramid, I likewise discovered that business is more than just an occupation; it is a powerful mechanism for change.

BanaPads Limited provided the clarity I needed to see the truth. Throughout the 2 months our team was in Uganda, I saw with my very own eyes the power that entrepreneurship can have. Bbaale Richard started BanaPads because he couldn’t stand that women and girls all around him were lacking proper sanitation. He took a stand and initiated powerful change. All the while he wanted to empower women to distribute affordable sanitary pads to other women and girls. The BanaPads Champions that Bbaale empowered were the ones who gave me the most inspiration, and forced me to realize that entrepreneurship is more than just a Silicon Valley fad.

This realization didn’t come out of no where. It all started when our team set out to interview four Champions who had been with BanaPads since the beginning stages. We were seeking information on how they sell their pads, how they manage their inventory, and how they run their businesses in general. Our first interview was with Bayiga Sarah, and what she said about her sister Champions was incredible: “Whenever one of us runs out of inventory and we need to make a sale, we will borrow from each other and pay them back once we receive more inventory”. Imagine that, entrepreneurs working together, not against each other. They not only were thinking of creative ways to keep each others stock available, but also were invested in each others success. Coming from a business background that focuses on how to compete in the cut-throat world of business, my eyes were opened to the type of teamwork that entrepreneurs can achieve.

The next Champion we interviewed, Kadiga Nakiganda, mentioned that she asked the leader of her mosque to make a pitch for her at a religious ceremony. I was amazed that she was so resourceful in finding ways to promote BanaPads, even in an environment that is patriarchal. I was starting to realize that rural business required ingenuity, and that these Champions were creative beyond belief. The next Champion, Naluyange Sylvia, had three sets of twins, other kids, was pregnant, was serving as the Village Health Technician, and on top of that, sold BanaPads for extra income. I saw her as the picturesque Ugandan “Superwoman”. Unlike women in developed countries that typically rest during pregnancy, Sylvia had no time to spare, and carried on with her busy schedule despite carrying a heavy load.

I was perplexed by all of these Champions. I knew that they were going to be impressive, but to hear these anecdotes and meet them face-to-face provided insight that I’ve never had before. These women didn’t have the luxury to choose an occupation. They were running businesses as a means to survive, and to hopefully generate enough revenue to pay for important things like school fees for their children. They weren’t hopeless, because they didn’t have time to be hopeless. They carry on with an eager smile, and an entrepreneurial hunger to help other women with menstrual hygiene needs. I realized through these interviews that this spirit is what entrepreneurship is all about.

The last Champion we interviewed was Nalubowa Grace. I had built somewhat of a rapport with her because every morning I would walk through the village to buy bottles of water from her. Every time I would arrive to buy water she would welcome me with an eager smile. Sure enough, I bought more water from her when we interviewed her, and all of her secrets to success became revealed. She was one of the original Champions, and since she was generating so much revenue, she had the idea of opening up her own store. Sure enough, BanaPads helped build her a store and supported her in setting up her business. Now she has connections with local distributors, sells products to the local fishermen who walk by everyday, and keeps a constant tally on all of the revenue that all of her various products generate. She also was committed to helping her fellow business owners succeed. She said, “I always make sure to agree on prices and profits with the store owners around me so that way we can all equally benefit from running our businesses”. It was truly inspiring to hear that she was cooperating with other store owners so that they could all succeed. The business mentality in Uganda is so much more community oriented, and it opened my eyes to the potential that entrepreneurs have in improving the livelihoods of those around them.

Interviewing the Champions provided more than just some lovely anecdotes and data. After we interviewed those four awe-inspiring women, I realized that business is a privilege I have taken for granted my entire life. Business always comes easy to me because I have a lineage of entrepreneurs on both sides of the family and have had an extensive business education. BanaPads Champions receive three days of training and are able to creatively figure out ways to market their pads, track their businesses, and most importantly, help each other. By meeting these entrepreneurs first hand, my vocation was triggered deep down, like some treasure that had been buried beneath layers of confusion and existential dilemmas. I caught the entrepreneurial bug, and by hearing these Champions speak about themselves, I was able to look within, and find my Champion spirit.

I am now in the process of pursuing a social venture in Uganda. The challenges are severe in implementing a business, let alone a business in another country, but entrepreneurs don’t have time to be hopeless. I learned from the BanaPads Champions  that being an entrepreneur is more than an occupation; entrepreneurship is a calling that comes from within and requires an ability to seek a purpose greater than oneself. For me, business is no longer some profit-seeking missile destined for social catastrophe. Rather, business is a way to empower people who are trying to survive on less than $2 a day. The American way of doing business isn’t the only way, and I am now determined to see how far the Ugandan community can go if they are given the right opportunities to succeed. When life calls, we must answer, because opportunities are all we have.