The East African Diaspora Media Watch (EADM)

 

In Summary: A Ugandan-born entrepreneur, Augustine Guma, pitching for his spicy pies (samosa) at the Super Bowl Fan City in San Francisco, broke the glass ceiling in a publicity stunt no other East African in the American Diaspora has pulled off before. With a mobile self-contained kitchen on the roll and moving from tailgate party to another, the much-sought-after mouth-watering Gumax spicy pie brand by thousands of revelers at the expansive Super Bowl village was simply mind-boggling. This year’s Super Bowl game in which Denver Broncos stunned the Carolina Panthers 24-10, was played at  the 75000-seater-Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara, 45 miles North of San Francisco City, California.

Dallas, Texas—The Guma Spicy pies, popularly known as samosa or sumbusa in the East African region, is an exotic global product of Gumax International Ltd, branding as both a product and service, which, by all accounts, is an unconventional business model, a departure from the orthodox way of doing business, writes Samuel Muwanguzi, in this first of a series of articles on this innovative model. Breaking the proverbial glass ceiling where no other Ugandan-born or East African entrepreneur had ever scaled, Augustine Guma, was in a publicity stunt at the Super Bowl City for his mouth-watering ‘guma spicy pies (samosa) that are systematically becoming a staple feature on the regular menus for North Americans. Exactly what are ‘Guma Pies’?

 

They are made of chicken, crab, exotic pies, lobster, beef, or vegetables, depending on the client’s choice.  “The Guma pies main brand are meat-beef, chicken, lamb, cheese, steak, Italian style – sausage, pizza, vegetables; eggplant, tomatoes,  spinach, peas, potatoes, carrots, with delicately flavored rice, sea food; lobster, crab, and shrimp; or exotic – buffalo, ostrich, and alligator,” the enterprising Augustine Guma, founder and CEO of the spicy ‘Guma pies’ told EADM News in a phone interview after pitching camp at the Super Bowl Fans Village in San Francisco, California last week.

Augustine Guma explains that the Guma Spicy pie—with North-South and East-West culinary eclecticism—combines the culinary finesse from Mid-East, the rich spicy combo from the Far-East, the diverse recipes from African cuisine and the Mediterranean Diet Style.”  It is even more sumptuous if taken with mustard, salads and pastas. For a multi vegan and beef diet, the spicy pie chefs recommend a salad Cake to follow the pi to experience a fabulous new flavor sensation!”,   Guma says. The Guma Spicy pie is a combo! —has officially taken root in USA—at gatherings, the Guma pie, with production headquarters in Woodbridge, Virginia, is one of those much looked for after snacks and most favorite in the State. “Once upon a time around 1992, Guma cut slithers of onions, chopped part of a tenderloin, ground bits of tender bon, and the result was a first class product adding to the rich cuisine and food choices in USA, a former co-worker of Augustine Guma writes in a testimony on the company’s Web site. “Our spicy pies are perfect snacks for parties and all gatherings and are now the leading veg-non vegetarian food chain that is highly popular because of its exotic spices, delicate herbs with vegetables or meat—providing a wide menu list that includes delish dishes—tasty meals appreciated by clients for their amazing flavor and spice at most affordable  and irresistible rates,” Augustine Guma says.

Why a profile-raiser for the spicy pie at the Super Bowl Fans Village?--Because, in the United States, “there is no better place to launch a publicity stunt for any product than in the Super Bowl City/village where millions of people; venture capitalists, investors, entrepreneurs, celebrities, and regular consumers gather annually for a week-long carnival that has become a major highlight of the most popular sporting extravaganza in the world,” a retired sports economist with the NFL and TV sports commentator told the EADM News in an interview Tuesday. Also, “because a single pie is rich in nutrients and can help to boost energy and enhance health especially in hyper-active environments where a lot of energy is required for the merry-making rounds at congested tailgate parties that have become trademark fiestas at Super Bowls, munching a couple of Guma pies is a good idea,” Augustine Guma, founder and CEO of the Guma pies brand says. He says that in such crowded environments, one may choose from the vegan green vegetable pie rich with cucumber, lettuce, broccoli, chard, or dandelion to avoid exhaustion, dehydration, and to ensure enduring energy.

What is the Super Bowl Fan City? --The Super Bowl Fan City is an arena, space or village designated by the Super Bowl host city organizing committee in conjunction with the National Football League (NFL) offering  a fun – and free – way for locals and visitors alike to enjoy the extravaganza, the sporting world’s biggest annual spectacle. This year’s Super Bowl City fan village, the NFL experience and the media center were hosted in San Francisco Bay area, 45 miles from Santa Clara, the venue for the Sunday.Denver Broncos stunned the Carolina Panthers 24-10 at the 75000 seater-capacity Levi’s® Stadium, home of the San Francisco 49ers. This year’s Super Bowl City or village, sponsored by Verizon, was designed to showcase the best the Bay area has to offer, with interactive games and activities highlighting the region’s technological prowess, culinary excellence and cultural diversity, as well as celebrating the 50th Super Bowl and the Bay Area’s place in professional football history. The NFL Experience Driven by Hyundai – pro football’s interactive theme park experience was held at the nearby Moscone Center.

Opened January 30 to February 7, 2016, the fans’ village, centered in Justin Herman Plaza, on the Embarcadero at the foot of San Francisco’s famed Market Street in front of the Ferry Building, was the hub of a weeklong fan energy and excitement-series of public events featuring family-friendly activities for fans of all ages. The Super Bowl extravaganza is estimated to have attracted  over 1 million visitors to the Bay area and city leaders hoped to make back the money spent on hosting the event in tax revenues from revelers. The Fan Energy Zone included three different but interlinked areas: the Fan Dome, the Fan Wall and the Fan Stage. More than 35 free performances by Grammy-winning headliners, community performers and local Bay Area favorites were on show on The City Stage presented by the Levi’s, including Grammy-winning artist Alicia Keys, Matt Nathanson, OneRepublic, The Band Perry and Chris Isaak. The San Francisco Bay Area was rocked to its core by the 50th annual Super Bowl and there are estimates suggesting the game had an impact of an excess of $500 million on the local, regional and state economies. Savvy businesses began seeking permits to advertise their products and services years in advance and paid the local organizing committee to gain entry into the arena—it was definitely an opportunity to strike big deals, contracts, and money for businesses. And Augustine Guma did exactly that. To take his Guma Pies to the arena, he had to part with $20000 in addition to going through a myriad of stringent food vending certification processes before his trademark ‘Guma Pies’ van chauffeured by Raymond Kabenge was allowed to make a grand entry into the arena to join other businesses at the carnival. 

Despite the hefty sum he paid, Guma and his pies got more than they had bargained for.  “Whether you’re a Broncos fan, a Panthers fan, or neither, there’s a good chance you gathered around the TV to catch the big game and eat some of America’s favorite tailgating food. From food and beverage companies like Nona Lim and Guma Spicy Pies, San Francisco was booming with small business last night! …and they made a conscious effort to leave a lasting positive impact on the community,” the Inner City Capital Connections reported on Monday. “Good Job Guma Spicy Pies, SB was indeed a game changer for you!” screamed one of the reviewers. “We are now working with our ambitious 50 small business partners; Super Bowl Superstar companies who want to lead the world and we are running towards that goal!” the upbeat Augustine said at the end of the festival. And there is even more: Guma and his ‘Guma Spicy Pies’ van are heading to Los Angeles to scale yet more heights at this year’s 58th Grammy Awards ceremony at the Staples Center on Monday February 15!

Who is Augustine Guma— the Man; background, immigrant, and professional?--Augustine Guma was born in 1971 in Kasubi, near Kampala but his Late Parents were born in Oluve village, Maracha county, Arua district. Oluve village is 1 mile from the Congo boarder, and 30 miles from the border with the Sudan. “My deceased parents; Joseph Amatre and Satina Oso Amatre, lived in Makerere, Kampala for most of our life in Uganda,” Guma says. The third of five siblings, three boys and two girls, Guma lost his elder brother at the peak of the AIDS epidemic, leaving three children that Guma adopted. “I attended Kasubi Primary School (Nakyekoledde) up to P 5, then moved to Oluve Primary School in Arua before the 1979 war but fled to Congo during the Ombachi Massacre. I am one of the few children who escaped and survived the Ombachi massacre in 1979,” he recalls. He returned to Uganda and sat for his Primary living exams which he passed with flying colors and admitted to Namilyango Boys Secondary School but due to lack of school fees, he joined a relatively low-cost Kitante Hill secondary School but even then, his Mom could hardly afford to pay the tuition. “I had to sell sumbusa (now my global Guma Pies) to schools and canteens around and within Makerere University to buy school supplies in addition to the help I received from my two elder brothers,” he narrates. But he managed to complete his secondary education and even proceeded to Kyambogo University where he attained a diploma in mechanical engineering.

"My father had a nice farm with several head of cattle and a convenient store but all that was destroyed during the war that ousted Iddi Amin in 1979," he recalls with emotion. Miraculously surviving death during the Ombachi Massacre and the subsequent Ugandan civil wars during the Obote and the Museveni regimes, he came face to face with life as a refugee in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) where hunger, destruction, and death were the order of the day. But while there, Guma recalls that he saw: “Strong giant people with large feet, yet softhearted with love and compassion. They were giving out food, blankets, and even ate grasshoppers with local people when food was scarce. I later found out that they were from the American Red Cross and US Army." He said: “If a stranger can love you with no strings attached , so much so that he will sacrifice his life to protect you , suffer with you, and even die for you, who am I not to pay back?” he asks rhetorically but with conviction.  He says that when he grew up, he came to learn that Only 2 forces have ever offered to die for you and me; Jesus Christ and the American soldier. “One died for your soul, the other for your freedom. Because of that, I salute the American soldier and my company does their taxes for free and they have continued to refer clients and help expand our company nationwide,” he revealed.

Guma said that ever since the time he encountered those kind American soldiers in the Congo, he aspired to be like them, just as much as he aspired to be like his father, who was always generous. He says that his father instilled in him the will to survive and thrive. Guma recalls that before his hardworking father, Joseph Amatre died, he told to him: “After everything  he had worked for was destroyed during the war, he told me, 'My Son, I am sorry I cannot afford to educate you beyond the 7th grade, but I can tell you this, if you have a burning desire to change and trust in the Lord, with determination and dedication, you can achieve anything, even buying your own shoes,'" adding, “I had my first shoe at age 10,” Guma revealed in an earlier interview posted on his Web site. To this day, those words still guide him. Although Guma got involved in the gold business and became a successful gold merchant at 20, Congo, the country where he lived as a refugee was increasingly getting ever so dangerous. He returned to Uganda but "civil wars that followed the fall of Iddi Amin continued to interrupt my previously simple, yet beautiful childhood," he recalls. “Encouraged by his late Dad & missionaries from the US that with a burning desire and trust in God, even the sky would not be the limit, Guma eventually escaped the war-ravaged country of his birth, Uganda, and settled in Cape May, New Jersey, United States in November 1991.

Initially working as a dish washer, he gained 16 years of professional cooking experience , financed his education, attending Richard Stockton College of New Jersey along the way, earned multiple degrees, including a BSc in Computer science and Accounting, to become an accomplished chef, software engineer, accountant, entrepreneur, and philanthropist. Guma worked as an intern for RMS Information Systems in software development and testing where he discovered similarities between computer algorithms and food recipes. ”it’s all some form of precise instructions to create something fabulous! I preferred the latter because of the instant appreciation of the product, the dish created,” he says with a chuckle.

   

He was also a General Manager of Dock Mikes, Inc. for over 15 years in  Cape May, New Jersey. Bruce Tempest, an independent financial services professional, says, “Augustine is diligent, honest, hardworking and gets the job done. I would recommend him to any of my friends and anybody else.” Guma later worked as a test engineer with RMS Information Systems for 5 years before striking it on his own. Married to Dr. Stella Kintu Guma Nalongo, they have 5 children: a 17-year-old son; a 14-year-old girl; a 10-year old boy; and 6-and half old-twins, a boy and a girl. Augustine Guma Salongo, (father of twins) says. Guma speaks seven languages including his native Lugbara, Luganda, Luo, Kiswahili, Lingala, English, and Spanish.

Augustine Guma, the Entrepreneur; Vision and Mission—In 1998, Augustine started Gumax International, Ltd as a tax preparation business but has now  morphed into a solid accounting and consulting firm backed with a wide range of experienced professionals in all accounting fields and state of the art financial software. Today, GUMAX is a multi-faceted business with branches in the United States, Uganda, and South Africa; specializing in, among others, accounting services (www.gumaxCPAs.com) , Guma Spicy Pies (www.gumapies.com), and a food manufacturing enterprise with A chain of restaurants-‘Gumax Café and Grill’( www.gumaxcafeandgrill.com).

    

GUMA-X International Ltd, “where X denotes all in partnership with Guma, founder and CEO, espouses a mission that “seeks to empower and partner with its clients or employees who have helped it to expand over the years and to give others with an entrepreneurial spirit an opportunity to be in business for themselves but, not by themselves,” the soft spoken Guma explains. He says he founded the company through some inspiration from volunteers; American Red Cross, US Soldiers, the British and Swedish volunteers who have continuously dedicated their time and lives to help improve living conditions in Uganda. “Having been a beneficiary of such volunteer work, I developed a burning desire to give back to the world. There are many more good people out there and other sources of power to change the world especially those with the Power of Money, knowledge, and Love, who, if used positively, can impact the world in a significant way,” he muses.

 

      

The GUMAX Business Model—The GUMAX business model revolves around empowering its partners by supporting individuals, small businesses, and charities inclined towards love, compassion, and peace. This unconventional business model is not only gaining traction among its growing partners and clients but is also attracting thousands of foot soldiers around the United States as it continues to capture the imagination of the nation. On a daily basis, franchises are opening up, networks developing and expanding, and company affiliates are making quite a fortune. “For me, this is the American dream come true. I have tried many a business in the 15 years I have lived in this country, but since I joined Gumax, my life has never been the same,” a Ugandan-born businessman in San Francisco told EADM News Monday. Noteworthy, however is the dramatic twist of fate in this saga; the samosas Guma hawked as an impoverished student in Uganda are now his premier photo-shoot global brand flowing lifeblood into thousands of people both in the Diaspora and in Africa.