Meet Roselyn llemuyat

Meet the Founders… in this new series we are highlighting the personal stories of the founders that are part of the Rootical 2023 cohort. Who are they? Why are they doing what they do? Let’s find out!

Background

A social entrepreneur at heart, Roselyn is driven by a desire to empower women farmers and create a healthier food system in Uganda. She  already started two successful businesses, but she was ready for something bigger. She now embarks on a new mission; revolutionising Uganda’s food system through regenerative agricultural practices.

Roselyn Ilumeyat on the right, with her co-founder Annet Dianah Nannono on the left.

Driven by  a bold vision, Roselyn co-founded Garden Fresh, a business dedicated to extending the shelf life of fruits and vegetables using natural and organic solutions. Garden Fresh aims to replace a toxic agrochemical, mancozeb, which is wrongly used on the Ugandan market, despite being banned in Europe due to its health hazards.

With an unyielding passion for innovation and a drive to create positive change, Roselyn always turns to helping marginalised people in society. 

“My biggest motivation for starting my ground-nuts business was the pain I saw farmers going through when selling their produce at low prices,” says Roselyn.

Entrepreneurial journey

Her upbringing  in a business oriented household, coupled with her education in procurement and logistics laid the foundation for her entrepreneurial endeavors. Her thriving groundnut business was a  testament to her business acumen, but she was not satisfied with mere financial achievements. 

 “I want to help farmers by giving them a healthy alternative so that they can do away with toxic solutions,” Roselyn adds.

Through perseverance and a relentless pursuit of excellence, the Garden fresh team is advancing regenerative agriculture in Uganda. 

Annet, Roselyn and John, co-founders of Garden Fresh at Rootical Pitch Day

Long term prospects

Looking ahead, Roselyn envisions a future where neem trees are abundant — their leaves are a key ingredient, and neem trees are fabulous trees for the environment —, farmers and traders embrace natural shelf life extension solutions, and consumers enjoy healthier produce. 

With the support from Rootical, Roselyn and her co-founders are on track to leave a lasting legacy of positive change in the Ugandan food system.

“Within the next 6 years, our business will have become a full-grown company with a factory employing Ugandans and serving farmers and traders across the country,” Roselyn concludes.