Malaika Ssali, a nine-year-old pupil of Aga Khan Primary school, Kampala, Uganda is changing the lives and narratives of her fellow pupils through the production of deodorants.
“Recently at party, some people said my friend was smelling and should not sit next to them,” Ssali narrated the incident that changed everything.
She said that incident reminded her of other school moments where some children are made fun of because their body Smelt badly. This inspired her to start making deodorants for fellow children.

The Entrepreneurship club of Aga Khan Primary School, annually, teaches children about business. The children are then expected to generate business ideas to Show at the entrepreneurship expo to the school and parents.
Ssali decided that she would impact on the lives of some of her schoolmates that were ill-treated by making deodorants for sale at the business expo.
At the beginning her mother did not approve of the idea, but Ssali was able to convince her. “My mum used to apply deodorants and once I saw her apply, I asked her if I could I also use them but she said they were not for children. So for the expo, I thought I needed to make something child appropriate,” said Ssali.
Ssali’s mother eventually supported her cause and showed her a videos on how deodorants are made which greatly guided her.

Ssali hopes to continue making them at an even larger scale with time for everyone seeing as she is already earning her money. “I do not want to stop here. I hope to continue and take it on as a business in the near future,” she said.
Ssali has already got the name of the company which is “Dido Deodorants” with so far 49 tins, each costing at Shs5,000.
She’s inspired by this and she feels very happy when her fellow friends and parents come to her to buy the deodorants because she is sure. the children will not be criticized for bad body odour anymore.

Culled from www.monitor.co.ug