When Teddy Ruge left Uganda as a teenager for the United States, he had no idea that years later he would return home — not to work in tech or photography, but to grow a tree known locally as mujaja and globally as moringa.
Today, as the founder and CEO of Raintree Farms, based in Masindi, western Uganda, Ruge is at the center of a business that turns this humble plant into powders, oils, and beauty products for markets as far away as California and Canada.
But the journey to success has been anything but smooth.
Before Raintree Farms, Ruge lived in the US, where he worked as a photographer and climate communications consultant for the World Bank. Yet, his heart remained in Uganda. In the early 2000s, he began visiting home often and even co-founded Hive Colab, a tech incubation hub in Kampala.
Still, he wanted something more tangible — a venture that would connect Uganda’s natural potential to the global market.
His research led him to moringa, a fast-growing, drought-resistant plant rich in vitamins, amino acids, and antioxidants. Nearly every part of the tree can be used — for food, medicine, or cosmetics. “Moringa was simple, sustainable, and scalable,” Ruge recalls.
In 2012, Ruge founded Raintree Farms. His vision was to empower smallholder farmers to grow moringa while his company handled processing and exports.
Convincing farmers, however, was tough. Many had been burned by failed government crop programs. “They told me, ‘We’ve heard this story before,’” he says.
So Ruge decided to lead by example. He bought land, planted moringa himself, and built a small processing center. “We had to show them that it actually works,” he explains. Slowly, trust grew — and so did the trees.
By 2018, Raintree secured organic certification, opening the door to international exports. Then came a breakthrough: a $1.2 million order from Kuli Kuli Foods, a US-based company making moringa-based products.
It was the kind of contract entrepreneurs dream of — but with one big catch. Kuli Kuli required delivery before payment. Raintree needed capital to scale up. Banks in Kampala offered little help, but the Yield Fund, managed by Pearl Capital Partners, stepped in with an equity loan.
By mid-2019, production was in full swing. Raintree shipped its first container to California. Then the unthinkable happened — Kuli Kuli paused all deliveries after realizing it had overstocked.
“That was our first major blow,” Ruge says. “We had put everything into that one order.”
Months later, the Covid-19 pandemic hit. Uganda went into lockdown. Exports stopped. Warehouses filled with unsold stock. Farmers still needed to be paid.
“We had to tell them we couldn’t continue operations until we knew when production could resume,” Ruge recalls. “It was heartbreaking.”
Even after restrictions eased, delays in renewing organic certification meant Raintree couldn’t export. “We had inventory, but we couldn’t sell it. It was one of the hardest times in my life,” he says.
Amid the chaos, Ruge made a bold move. Instead of relying solely on exports, he launched Qwezi Beauty, a consumer brand using moringa oil to make natural skincare products — soaps, lotions, and hair conditioners.
“There’s a growing demand for natural and African-made products,” he says. “We decided to add value right here instead of exporting raw materials.”
The products performed well locally and online, helping Raintree stay afloat. Today, Qwezi Beauty has a warehouse in North America and ships directly to customers.
In 2022, Raintree received a grant from USAID to rebuild its farmer network under the Secure Income Protection (SIP) programme. The goal: pay 250 farmers a steady monthly income while rebuilding supply chains.
By 2023, Raintree was back — with new buyers in Germany and resumed orders from Kuli Kuli Foods.
But just as things improved, the company faced herbicide contamination traced to nearby sugarcane plantations. Since organic rules are strict, exports had to stop again.
Then, in early 2025, came another shock — the new Trump administration announced cuts to USAID, ending funding for the SIP programme. The support for farmers disappeared overnight.
After years of navigating crises, Ruge has learned that African agribusiness requires patience, resilience, and creativity.
“Yes, money helps,” he says, “but patience is the real capital.”
He believes African farmers must find local solutions to local problems. “You’re on your own in agriculture here. Unlike in the US, we don’t have billions in subsidies. You solve the problems yourself — financing, logistics, even soil testing.”
Despite the setbacks, Ruge remains hopeful. He is rebuilding Raintree step by step, focusing on his own farm and smaller farmer networks. “We will return to working with farmers once we’re strong again,” he says.
His long-term vision is to make Qwezi Beauty one of Africa’s leading natural brands — not just for export, but for African consumers too.
“The future of Africa lies in transforming what we grow,” he says with a smile. “If we can process, brand, and sell our own products — that’s when we truly win.”
