The story of a mango fruit produced in Kenya, consumed in Uganda, producing in DR Congo.

The story of a mango fruit produced in Kenya, consumed in Uganda, and producing in DR Congo. (By Hibert & Susanne Kirongozi, Investhill).

We were a Congolese couple from DR Congo residing in Kampala (Uganda) with our children. We loved taking natural fresh fruits and self-made natural fresh fruits’ juice during our meal.

In January 2017, a group of Kenyans mango traders in a convoy travelled to Kampala to sell their mango fruits produced in Kenya. The Kenyans mango fruits traders’ convoy camped and settled a temporary mango fruits market around Clock Tower roundabout area on Entebbe road. Loving natural fresh fruits, we took the opportunity to visit the Kenyans temporary mango fruits market. We remarked that the mango fruits sold by these Kenyans traders were of a different species than the ones we are commonly used to in DR Congo as well as in Uganda.  We decided to buy the mango fruits from these Kenyans mango fruits traders. After consuming the mango fruits, with appreciation, we realised that the mango fruits species was good for direct consumption and for making juice. We repeatedly stopped by these Kenyans temporary mango fruits market to buy the mango fruits. Being a temporary market, the mango fruits got over, the Kenyans mango traders returned back to Kenya, and the mango fruits market closed. We loved the mango fruits.

An idea came to us why not to keep the mango seeds and take it later to our homecity Kisangani in DR Congo, since this species of mango does not exist in Kisangani. Thereby, we could have our loved mango fruits on our land. Challenge: For how long the mango seeds will sustain till we travel back to DR Congo and reach Kisangani? Determined, we decided to keep six mango seeds till we travel back to our homecity Kisangani. 

In February 2017, we decided to travel back to our homecity Kisangani. After a week of travel from Kampala (Uganda) to Kisangani (DR Congo), we finally arrived safely in Kisangani with our six mango seeds. We planted the six mango seeds in our land in Kisangani. Challenge: Did the six mango seeds sustained? Will it produce mango seeds plants? After some months, from the six mango seeds planted, only two produced two mango seed plants. But the two mango seed plants came up tied together. Challenge: Should we separate the two mango seed plants or leave them together? The risk is too high to lose all if separated. We decided not to separate but to leave the two mango seed plants tied together. The two mango seed plants started growing up together. The two mango seed plants were growing rapidly but not strong enough to stand alone. Challenge: Will this species of mango plants from tropical climate of Kenya adapt to the equatorial climate of Kisangani and grow up? We took all necessary measures and cares we could to support the two tied mango seed plants to survive, adapt and grow up. The two tied mango seed plants survived and adapted to Kisangani climate, grown up and became two in one mango tree. 

In 2022, our mango tree produced its first season flowers, a lot of flowers. The flowers produced a lot of small mango fruits, but almost all the small mango fruits did not sustained and grown up to be consumable mango fruits. Only one small mango fruit sustained, grown up and became a consumable mango fruit. We got the first mango fruit produced by our mango tree. With satisfaction, we consumed our first mango fruit together with our children. But our first mango fruit seed did not produced a mango seed plant. 

In 2023, our mango tree produced its second season flowers, again a lot of flowers. The flowers produced again a lot of small mango fruits. But a big number of the small mango fruits did not sustained and grown up to be consumable mango fruits. Only about ten small mango fruits sustained and grown up to be consumable mango fruits. We got about ten mango fruits produced by our mango tree during its second season. With satisfaction and hope, we shared and consumed our ten mango fruits together with our family in large. But our ten mango fruits did not also produced any seed plant. 

In 2024, our mango tree produced its third season flowers, again a lot of flowers. The flowers produced again a lot of small mango fruits. This time, a good number of the small mango fruits sustained and grown up to be consumable mango fruits. Hundreds of small mango fruits sustained and grown up to be consumable mango fruits. We got hundreds mango fruits produced by our mango tree during its third season. With satisfaction and happiness, we sold and shared and consumed our hundreds mango fruits together with our community in large. This time, our hundreds mango fruits seeds produced around ten mango seed plants. 

Our vision is becoming a reality. The door is opening for us to have the multiplication of next generations of our mango trees. With the hope to see in the nearest future the production of these mango fruits to reach thousands, millions of mango fruits for direct consumption and juice production in Kisangani city and Tshopo province in DR Congo.

Note by the Authors: 

This is a true story of a mango fruit produced and sold in Kenya, bought and consumed in Uganda, planted and producing in DR Congo.

It is a true story of our life. It may inspire you or you may learn something from it. May be in the future, what we are investing in will impact and improve quality of life and well-being in Kisangani or even beyond. May be in the future, what we are writing will be an inspiring or a learning part of history in Kisangani or even beyond. 

What about you? Invest and improve quality of life and well-being of the people and the planet. Write and tell your story and let people get inspired or learn from it.

Susanne & Hibert Kirongozi

Investhill (Investhill Group)

Kisangani – DR Congo

Tel: +243 994346642 

Email: investhill@yahoo.fr or investhillgroup@gmail.com