T U R A C O T E A M
Between 2018-2020, COHERE began exploring different agricultural business opportunities in Rwamwanja Refugee Settlement. This involved experimenting with milling maize grain on rented equipment. We observed the ability to generate sufficient margins to fund agricultural development interventions while directly providing farmers with a more equitable market linkage. Many farmers in Rwamwanja were already enrolled already in training programmes with refugee-led organisations & NGOs, however few had access to secure markets. This gave rise to Turaco Valley Foods in 2021, with its unique goals targeting all levels of key agricultural value-chains locally. Turaco operates as an explicitly refugee-focused social enterprise and subsidiary of COHERE.
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Our management team has been built up of those transitioning from COHERE and joining from elsewhere. We have a passionate team who have all played a key role in overcoming different challenges through the company’s infancy as we learn the barriers of agro-processing in from the ground up. Our team is highly committed to supporting local farmers, respecting our partners including the soil itself, and maintaining the highest quality food products to create something truly special within the refugee-hosting context.
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Matthew Hopewell
Co-Founder & CEO
Matthew has a passion for food production, an academic background in political ecology and enjoyed previous work on a small regenerative farm in the UK. While working in Rwamwanja in 2019, he learnt first-hand the role agri-based social entrepreneurship can play in sustainable development. Since then he has taken on the challenge of founding Turaco through Cohere. He believes Turaco is a practical means to overcome declining aid budgets, contribute to more robust regional food systems and develop market opportunities for marginalised refugee smallholders.
Moses Kusemererwa
Admin & Compliance Lead
Moses is a business administrator by training and helps supervise the team in Rwamwanja. He has over 17 years of experience in the financial and general management to ensure the steady growth of Turaco. He enjoys efficient human resource contribution and will inspire staff to offer services that sustainably meet the needs of customers. As part of the team, Moses longs to see Turaco's business grow exponentially to the benefit of all stakeholders.
Benon Twinomujuni
Extension & Procurement Lead
Benon is an agronomist, nutritionist and food safety expert with 14 years experience. Benon seeks to inspire and empower smallholder farmers to grow nutritious food that customers will love, igniting real results for agri-businesses in Uganda.
Julius Tusiime
Production Supervisor
Julius is performance-driven with more than 7 years of hands-on experience in manufacturing processes and mechanics. He has a proven ability for troubleshooting, ensuring smooth operations and optimal functionality of the company’s equipment. He has strong leadership skills and takes responsibility in motivating the production team to attain significant results.
Gloria Babirye
Accountant
Gloria has more than 5 years experience in the field of Accounting and Finance. Gloria help the company meet its long term financial goals and deliver financial solutions that empower decision-making. Gloria is also committed to building long-lasting relationships with clients and the team based on trust and honesty which are the foundations of her work.
Turaco has 19 full-time staff, of which 6 are registered refugees from the D.R.C. We also employ 27 part-time community trainers and outsource around 20 people per month to help manage larger farm or mill tasks.
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Job opportunities will be posted on our News page and social media.