'I have no regrets': Peels have sustained mother-of-six Namusisi for two decades

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While many people quickly discard the peels of various foodstuffs, Robina Namusisi has been earning a living by selling them for the last two decades.

The 50-year-old mother-of-six and resident of Mpererwe, a neighbourhood of Kawempe division in Uganda's capital Kampala, has relied on peels to feed her family and even send her children to school.

In fact, her eldest daughter graduated from Makerere University this year, and the other ones are all still in school.

Namusisi says she has no regrets selling peels.

A toxic marriage punctuated with physical violence forced her to separate from the father of her six children, which led her to forging a life of selling roasted maize on the streets of Kampala.

One day, a friend introduced to her the idea of selling peels as a business.

Initially hesitant about the viability of such a venture, Namusisi eventually decided to give it a shot. She never looked back.

For the last 20 years, peels of foodstuffs like bananas and potatoes have been her source of sustenance.

"I shifted from roasting maize to selling peels. School fees come from selling peels," says the soft-spoken Namusisi, whose work station is on Binaisa Road in Katanga, Kampala.

So how does she do it?

Namusisi usually buys the peels from dealers, who also collect them from various locations. She buys one bag at sh8,000 and in turn sells it at sh10,000, making a profit of sh2,000. (Credit: Frank Ssentongo)

Namusisi usually buys the peels from dealers, who also collect them from various locations. She buys one bag at sh8,000 and in turn sells it at sh10,000, making a profit of sh2,000. (Credit: Frank Ssentongo)

Namusisi usually buys the peels from dealers, who also collect them from various locations. She buys one bag at sh8,000 and in turn sells it at sh10,000, making a profit of sh2,000.

On average, she sells anywhere from 10 to 30 bags each day. But that is during the dry season. Demand for the peels drops during the rainy season because her main customers — farmers and cattle keepers — turn to the more readily available pasture to feed their animals.

On those low-demand days, she sells no more than three bags of peels.

Other times, Namusisi, who is fondly called 'Ssenga' by many people, including her regular customers, collects the peels herself from the neighbourhoods.

Occasionally, she does barter trade.

"Sometimes I peel for restaurants that pay me back by giving me the peels. Other days, I also collect them from the neighbourhood," she says.

For the good-natured person that she is, Namusisi also enjoys handouts from community members. "Every once in a while, someone can just give me money for 'soda'. I think it is because I form good relationships with people."

Although she strikes a tone of encouragement to others, she believes selling peels is not everyone's cup of tea.

"With this business, I can’t lack what to feed my children, as well as clear my rent fees. I advise fellow women, if possible, to join; though most women who wear makeup would see this as a dirty business that they can never pursue"

Going forward, Namusisi is working to complement her peels business with another one to bolster her financial muscle and enable her build her own house someday."