Move over, kombucha—there’s a new elixir on the block.
Growing up, Henry Kisitu used to watch his grandmother Margaret boil and mix indigenous African healing tonics in her kitchen in Uganda. When she passed away in 2016, Kisitu decided to honor her by sharing those recipes with others through his startup company Jajja Wellness. “I know my grandma would be really happy to see that her legacy is being continued here in America, miles and miles away from Uganda,” he says. “It’s great to keep the tradition going.”
Kisitu was raised in Uganda by his aunt after he lost his parents to illness and war. He moved to Minnesota in 2007 after earning a scholarship at the U and went on to study at the University of St. Thomas, where he received a bachelor’s degree in general business and a master’s in human resources. It was also where he met his wife Alexandra.
Jajja (pronounced jah-jah) means “grandparent” in Uganda. Kisitu founded the company while he was living in Hawaii and began to sell tonics all over Oahu, partnering with businesses and local farmers to ensure quality and growing conditions.
The tonics—free of artificial preservatives, sweeteners, and colors—come in 14-ounce bottles and 2-ounce shots for those in need of a quick pick-me-up.
In Uganda, tonic drinks are commonly used to prevent and treat sickness. Jajja flavors like baobab turmeric are packed with vitamins and purportedly easy on the intestines. Moringa ginger is supposed to support brain health and boosts immunity. African coffee is Kisitu’s unusual twist on our daily fuel, where he infuses Rwandan coffee with pineapple and ginger to create an unexpected, flavorful profile. “You should see people’s faces when they test it,” he says with a laugh. “I can’t even explain it. Once you drink it, you know exactly what I mean.”
The preparation is unique, Kisitu says. “When you’re using roots, you have to prepare it a certain way so that you can get those nutrients out of them. That’s all I’m going to say without giving away a lot of recipe secrets.”
Kisitu is most focused on how people react. He loves interacting with his customers and emphasizes their role in making the drinks popular. “It’s all about the other people that we’re trying to help,” he says. He calls the business his American dream, which is made more valuable because of the challenges of being an immigrant.
Jajja Wellness will have a tent at farmer’s markets in Plymouth, Excelsior, East Isles (Uptown), Linden Hills, and Midtown throughout September and October, in addition to the Twin Cities VegFest on September 15. Kisitu is aiming to stock the shelves of Kowalski’s, Lunds & Byerlys, Whole Foods, and local co-ops with the brightly-colored pink, yellow, and green bottles as soon as September.
