Ugandan Entrepreneur Makes Paper Bags From Banana Stalk

Brief: She went to search for a job, she was turned down, but given the opportunity to learn a new skill – making biodegradable paper bags out of banana stalk.

At times we go looking for what is closer to us faraway. This doesn’t mean it is a bad thing. Becoming an entrepreneur might not be easy, but giving up should not be what it takes. You just might be closest to where you were going and then you give up.

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Getting a job is good, but becoming an entrepreneur is better. Entrepreneurs work for themselves and for the community in which they live in. They create jobs, help the economy and so on. A great economy is one that is built by entrepreneurs and not job seekers. If the jobs are not created, there will be no job at all.

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I was browsing on the net and fell on this Ugandan lady, Sharon Ninsiima, who went looking for a job but instead seized an opportunity to learn a new skill. I am sharing this not for you to take as a normal story, but to make you look deep into yourself and come out with the entrepreneur in you. Don’t hesitate to get in touch with us if you need any help. Also check out out the various trainings we offer to entrepreneurs.

Sharon Ninsiima is a 37-year old Ugandan entrepreneur who adds value to banana stalks by transforming it into paper bags.

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Research shows that banana fiber can be a good substitute for making paper. In her workshop in Kampala, the banana stalks are fed into a machine that helps to extract the fiber. The extracted fiber is then boiled and mixed with waste paper. It is later converted into pulp, put into wooden molds, dried and smoothed out into paper sheets.

After they are dry, she manually prints out various decorations on the papers after which she handcrafts them into paper bags. The biodegradable paper bags could be used for shopping and gifts. Her customers are mainly supermarkets.

To know more about turning banana stalk into paper bags, watch the video below to see how Sharon Ninsiima it.

Source(s): Fresh Plaza