Flash forward to June 2020 (mid Covid pandemic), and Arianne and Sarah had not talked in over a year. Arianne had just graduated college from Bucknell University with a degree in Business/Management and was on the job search amidst a collapsing job market. Then one day out of the blue while Arianne was living in her grandparent’s cottage on the coast of Maine, an unexpected WhatsApp notification popped up on Arianne’s phone. It was from Sarah, and in the message Sarah explained that her shop was closed due to Covid and she needed help in order to feed her son, support her team, and pay her bills. After studying Managing for Sustainability at Bucknell and Social Entrepreneurship in Uganda, India and Brazil, Arianne did not feel comfortable sending an empty handout, but rather saw an opportunity to invest in Sarah her team of five women’s work.

Arianne then asked Sarah if she was making anything currently and if she could send pictures of the products. Sarah sent pictures of the beautifully vibrant face masks, market bags, and hair scrunchies that she had made. After seeing the products, Arianne took a leap, tapped into her graduation savings and sent Sarah money to purchase the first order of what is now Jinja Prints!

Once Arianne received the package from Sarah and the team in Uganda, she started selling to her close friends and family — people were raving about the vibrant African prints and Kitenge fabric. There was nothing like it, especially in a small town in Maine. Arianne was working at Wallace’s Market and asked the owner if she could sell the Jinja Print face masks and bags next to the checkout counter. They said yes (thank you Archie’s!), and within a matter of days, lobstermen were coming in shirtless off the docks wearing our bold and vibrant face masks. Meanwhile, Arianne and Sarah were in contact almost everyday talking about feedback on the products, coming up with new ideas, and making plans to grow and sustain the business. It was exciting, it was scary, and it was all completely new — but Arianne and Sarah were onto something and their partnership was growing stronger everyday.

Over the summer, Arianne ordered three more shipments of Jinja Prints from Sarah and her team in Uganda. When the summer came to an end, Arianne got a job teaching at Deerfield Academy in Western Massachusetts. She filled an entire suitcase with the handmade bags, masks, hair accessories, and more. There was a short moment where Arianne and Sarah had to decide if they wanted to stop and make this venture just a summer project, or if they were going to continue to move forward and grow. However, their combined entrepreneurial spirit and tenacious personalities, it quickly became clear that Jinja was moving to Western Mass too.

The business continued to grow in Deerfield and Arianne continued to sell through Instagram and word of mouth. The team was busy in Uganda fulfilling another order which would include some more innovative products that the team and Arianne came up with including bucket hats, fanny packs, and men’s ties and shirts. Arianne started building a website and thinking more strategically about branding, as well as calling on mentors and classmates from business school. People were excited and graciously willing to help. It was all the best parts of business, teamwork, and creativity coming together and Jinja Prints continues to grow and thrive. Never did Arianne and Sarah think after that serendipitous meeting in Jinja back in 2019 that they would be not only successful business partners, but also deeply connected and loving friends. “Weebale” and thank you for your support!