MN Local Spotlight: Jajja Wellness
When you buy a local product from Valley Natural Foods, your dollars support more than just your local economy. You’re supporting individuals — individuals like Henry Kisitu.
Ugandan Roots
Growing up in Uganda, Henry watched his grandmother create tonics in her kitchen after sourcing local ingredients like ginger and turmeric. He was raised by his aunt from the ages of 5-17 after losing his parents to illness and war. In 2007, Henry moved to Minnesota after earning a University of Minnesota scholarship and eventually went on to receive bachelor’s and master’s degrees at the University of St. Thomas.
When Henry’s grandmother “Jajja” (which translates to ‘grandparent’ in Uganda) passed away in 2016, he decided the best way he could honor her legacy was to share the recipes she created in her Ugandan kitchen and keep the tradition going across the world!
He founded Jajja (pronounced ‘jah-jah’) in 2018 while living in Hawaii and sourced his ingredients from local businesses and farmers to ensure the same quality and growing conditions his grandmother was able to obtain in her ingredients. Soon Henry was selling his wellness tonics all over Oahu.
From Hawaii to Minnesota
Henry and his wife, Alexandra (whom he met while attending the University of St. Thomas), and their two young children moved back to Minnesota in 2018, and officially launched Jajja Wellness and has already begun expanding. While the tonics’ claims of detoxing, anti-inflammation, aiding digestion, and overall cell, skin, immune health (to name a few) haven’t been evaluated by the FDA, Henry shares that his grandmother was ahead of the curve in terms of ‘buzz words’ through ancient African recipes, passed down generation-to-generation. Through intricate root preparation, Jajja Wellness tonics are packed full of African superfoods like ginger, pineapple, Rwandan coffee, curcumin, lemon juice, and agave.
Behind the Logo
Next time you reach for a product, consider the people behind the logo.
Your dollar goes further when supporting locally-owned small businesses by creating jobs and keeping the jobs filled by individuals in our community, which (in turn) creates a healthy cycle to grow our local economy. It supports people like Henry, who are living their American dream, which he feels is made even more valuable because of the challenges of being an immigrant.
Try Jajja Today
Jajja Wellness tonics are sold in 14oz. bottles are located next to the kombucha at VNF.
Learn more on the Jajja Wellness website.