Frisita Nakieya

And then there’s Frisita. I don’t know what it is about these remote villages, but they sure do have their share of characters! As I mentioned in another story, Kiyinde is a very remote fishing village on the shores of Lake Victoria. Frisita insisted that I see her business, though it was a 45 minute boda boda ride into the dense tropical forest on a rutted dirt trail. (Read Carol Nakintu's story for more detail). Having come from the wine country of Northern California, I know the smell of fermenting alcohol, and I could smell Frisita’s business at least a quarter mile away.
We got off the boda boda and walked through a large thicket of sugar cane. Right in the middle was what you see in the picture. When in operation, a cow is attached to the log and sugar cane is pressed through the press in the middle squeezing the juices into a bucket in the middle. The raw sugar and juice is then placed in 50 gallon drums to start fermenting. There were five 50 gal. drums full to the brim all bubbling from the fermentation. After fermentation, the liquid is taken to a 50 gal. drum that is laying sideways over a smoldering fire next to a cool stream that was just below. In the stream is a another 50 gal. drum that is kept cool by the stream. A hose connects the two drums. The heated fermented liquid releases the alcohol up the hose and then drips into the cooled drum in the stream and viola! Moonshine!

Now you may wonder why you might want to invest in moonshine. But I’m here to tell you that even if you think this is not the best cause going, you can at least brag to your friends that you’re a moonshiner! And for me, this is a story I will be telling for a long time! The world needs more Frisita’s!! In a more serious manner, her business in Uganda is considered legitimate. She will sell her products in town and also to the island villages.