Ahairwe Johnan
Inspired by the famous electric vehicle developed by a team of engineers at Makerere University in 2009, my passion to become an innovative engineer evolved. 9 years later at the age of 24 I graduated with a B.Sc. in mechanical engineering from the same institution and came out to the world skilled to create sustainable solutions convertible into revenue streams. With my entrepreneurship skills acquired from Educate Africa in 2011, gained experience through pineapple jam business at elementary school, started research on post-harvest losses in horticulture 2016, in 2018 trials for off grid-solar absorption chillers were successful and we launched it as a revenue stream and has since been the main stream business for my start-up Madraam Engineers Ltd.
Background & Expertise-Johnan
My career started to take shape in 2012 with a 2 year entrepreneurship course with Educate Africa that saw us with my team make and sale pineapple jam at school centenary celebrations that were officiated my President Y.K Museveni, the first revenue to ever drop in my pocket, I later joined Makerere University in 2014 where I graduated with a BSc in Mechanical engineering holding the best developed student project “the solar cold Room for citrus fruits”. I went ahead with research to develop the solar cold room into a 100% off-grid solar cold room that I was able to launch commercially in late 2018 with Madraam Engineers Ltd. It is with this solution that Madraam saw its first revenue in late 2019 after 11 months of no return.
In early 2020 we won a seed fund of 20,000 USD with UNCAP that helped us stretch our solution to 20,000 tonnes preservation capacity with four performing branches across the four corners of the country with fully established structures and ground to execute our solutions. I want to continue and use my experience and engineering background to develop sustainable solutions for reducing food losses to net zero and stretch our capacity to exporting our products to the entire glob.
Aside from business and engineering am a fun of Moto Sport mostly Formula1, I do play simple school league football, I love swimming and creating new ideas. Connecting with people across the world, with great desire and passion to extend a helping hand where means are possible.
He is currently working on sustainable systems to reduce food losses in horticulture with extended shelf-life while preserving the natural and nutritious content for a healthy living across the East Africa with innovation systems and clusters program. He has developed a number of technological interventions for the agricultural sector that include clean energy biomass dryer, improved maize Sheller convertible into revenue models.
Current activities
Currently am using off-grid solar absorption refrigeration in Eastern Uganda to extend the shelf life of horticulture produce with a fully built preservation station with 20,000 tonnes preservation capacity in the region, we are working on developing the solution to extend capacity to 120,000 tonnes in 2022 with four solar cold hub branches across the country. We intend to commit our enhancement solutions to reducing food losses to net zero while preserving the natural and nutritious content of horticulture products for a healthy living across the world. We make revenue through preservation of horticulture produce at a service fee, resale of preserved horticulture produce, manufacture and resale of solar cold rooms and Transportation of horticulture under preservation. We intend to reduce food loss and zero hunger by setting up natural fresh fruit and juice solar cold-hubs in major cities across the country while promoting a healthy living.
Madraam Engineers Business
Currently Madraam uses off-grid solar absorption refrigeration in Eastern Uganda to extend the shelf life of horticulture produce with a fully built preservation station with 20,000 tonnes preservation capacity in the region, we are working on developing the solution to extend capacity to 120,000 tonnes in 2022 with four solar cold hub branches across the country. We intend to commit our enhancement solutions to reducing food losses to net zero while preserving the natural and nutritious content of horticulture products for a healthy living across the world. We make revenue through preservation of horticulture produce at a service fee, resale of preserved horticulture produce, manufacture and resale of solar cold rooms and Transportation of horticulture under preservation. We intend to reduce food loss and zero hunger by setting up natural fresh fruit and juice solar cold-hubs in major cities across the country while promoting a healthy living.
