We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Henry Kisitu a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Henry, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. What’s something crazy on unexpected that’s happened to you or your business

Infused with African superfoods like moringa and baobab, Jajja Wellness’ line of tonics is literally and figuratively a refreshing new entrant into the health juice market. Inspired by the indigenous Ugandan recipes of Margaret Luttaaya, her grandson Henry Kisitu is now bringing those traditional health benefits and unique flavors to the U.S. market. Below, Henry shares more about the inspiration for Jajja Wellness and what sets his tonics apart from anything else out there.

Henry, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

The inspiration comes from my grandmother back in Uganda. She was known in our town for making tonics for us kids and our neighbors. Jajja means grandmother in Luganda, my native language, and she really was way ahead of her time when it came to knowing what to put in your body to be healthier. I can speak first-hand to how these tonics make you feel, and they were highly valued by the community for the same reasons. They are absolutely unique in that they are made from indigenous African recipes. The ingredients have been superfoods in Africa for many, many years. That said, I’ve seen nothing like them here in the U.S.A. Another reason Jajja’s tonics are unique is the special way they are made so that the nutrients are easily and quickly absorbed into the body, allowing you to get the full health benefits. That’s a big difference. This is the way my ancestors took care of themselves before the dawn of modern medicine. I’ve experienced the benefits myself and many of our customers report the same, and that is very gratifying. I can tell you that we have had many, many customers come back and tell us that they have felt a significant difference after drinking our tonics. As I said before, it’s really about how we prepare the tonics that delivers the full health benefits. For example, customers have many times reported that our tonics help with stomach issues, poor sleep, or just getting over a cold faster. I had one customer who had a cold for weeks and weeks that she just couldn’t kick, and once she started drinking our tonics, it was gone the next day. I’ve had the same experience myself. That said, I should note that the health benefits of Jajja’s tonics have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration and they are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease or illness.

Let’s talk about resilience next – do you have a story you can share with us?

I am , an Ugandan immigrant and now a proud U.S. citizen, was raised by his aunty from ages 5-17 after his parents, from illness and war, passed away. I moved to the U.S. after earning a scholarship to a university in Minnesota. I worked tirelessly in his studies of Business Management and eventually I achieved my Master’s degree in Leadership as well. I met his wife, Alexandra, in 2008 and they now have two wonderful children and call Minnesota home. While i was still in college, I and my wife sent small quantities of money back to Uganda to help my grandmother’s juice business. Jajja Wellness tonics originated in Ugandan grandmother’s kitchen. I helped and learned from her as she boiled down pineapple and ginger to create a restorative drink. And losing my parents at age of 3 was the most challenging part of my life so far.

We often hear about learning lessons – but just as important is unlearning lessons. Have you ever had to unlearn a lesson?

I have Learnt that everything is connected! And if one thing is missing everything is missing. And everyone person you meet in life is for a reason so treat them as you would like them to treat you!!!

Contact Info:

• Website: www.jajjawellness.com
• Instagram: @jajjawellness
• Linkedin: @jajjawellness