Babu Shelugendo

During the German colonial period from 1885 to 1916 the Germans were determined to make German East Africa, as it was then called, a productive agent supplying the German homeland with raw materials. The Spice was first introduced in the 1890s by German settlers in the Usambara Mountains situated in the north east of Tanzania, between Mount Kilimanjaro and India Ocean, ideal climatic conditions foster top - quality spices. Usambara became famous for its spices.

In early 1930's the brave farmer cum livestock trader Babu Shelugendo Kombo whilst trading livestock at the top Usambara mountain's villages saw a pepper tree in Amani Nature Reserve and became so curious about it, he managed to obtain few rooted cuttings to try in one of his fields at his home village Kwamhosi in Muheza. This was the starting of all pepper fields you see today in Usambara mountain's low villages. Babu Shelugendo was genuine face of entrepreneurship courage, he is a living testament to what humanity can do, when we put our minds to it, despite of age or other thing that can act as a limitation. Today, we celebrate him by bridging his success globally.

Babu passed in 2011 at age of 112.