In case you have visited Ggaba landing site, you have witnessed how a buzz of activity is especially during the day.
However, one will get to themselves what this landing site is all about, where it is found, what takes place there. This can only come to mind of those who haven’t been there or heard of it, Ggaba landing site is on the shores of Lake Victoria found in the outskirts of Kampala city.
It is frequented by people who go to Ggaba beach which neighbors it. The site has a market where fish and foodstuffs are sold. It also has storage units, a trading point for fish, and offices for Kampala Capital City authority, which supervises the activities on the site. Different activities from fishing, sand mining, selling of fish itself, and firewood selling among others.
Therefore all the above activities exist because of the main activity which is fishing, with fishing, it comes along with sun drying, salting, and smoking, men and women are involved in these daily activities. Not forgetting sand mining
However, one other booming business that attracts your attention before leaving the landing site is fire wood selling. Selling firewood here is way to earn extra money to some people while others it is a main business that has supported their living for a long time.
Interacting with a few people operating this kind of business especially the women, they praised and talked about the good things they have reaped out this business. You might think the firewood is not only sold to the people at the landing site but even to the outside people. So to them it is a quite a wide population consuming this firewood. This becomes an advantage for them make more money as it would limit them if it were only the fish smokers buying it.
Sarah Nansubuga, a 50 year old trader says she has been in the firewood business for over 10 years. She says she doesn’t regret operating such a business because it has helped her sustain her family in terms of paying fees for her children some of whom have been able to complete university level.
Nansubuga also says she also be able to pay her hospital bills adding that this her full job.
“Being an old woman, it is such a tiresome type of business to operate but I have managed to go along for all this time because i have benefits out of it,” she says.
Indeed, looking at how they try running this business is quite not an easy task as one would think. Nansubuga however, says she is still trying to make the best out of it.
“First and foremost, we fetch firewood from different neighboring villages places such as Kyagwe among others. We use different transport means like on water and road using boat, larger trucks, pickups. These carry the logs from wherever they have been bought to the landing site. To make it selling firewood, you have to enjoy the challenge of hard work coupled with hard weather at times,”Nansubuga says.
Challenges in the firewood business
Like any other business, firewood selling as a business on its own has challenges.
“Ofcourse you will sell firewood to a customer who promises to pay so soon but will never pay at the end of the day, but that doesn’t stop me from going on with the business,” she also added.
Nansubuga advises that like any other business, a person should always expect profits or losses at the end of the day and therefore should be prepared.
She says her journey through the firewood business has been insightful. “I have been paid to play, and it doesn’t get any better than that. The benefits have been physical, psychological, financial, and yes, spiritual. Being in harmony with nature is like that,” Nansubuga adds.
