As he considered hiring the deaf woman at his relaunched factory, Porter realized she’d be an outcast unless she was among peers. “God was nudging my heart,” he said, and was using business-related circumstances to speak loud and clear. While Porter wrestled with staffing decisions, a dispute was brewing with his landlord, and the conflict threatened to bring the development of his business to a grinding halt.
When Porter prayed for guidance about how to handle that situation, he heard God ask, “Why did you come to Rwanda?” The answer was in 1 Samuel 2:8. “He raises the poor from the dust and lifts the needy from the ash heap” (NIV). That message “cut right to the heart because I knew exactly what God meant,” Porter recalled. “God wanted me to lean into hiring the deaf.”
In a foreign country, Porter didn’t know any deaf or hard-of-hearing people, wasn’t familiar with that community, and didn’t know any sign language. But for the businessman, who describes himself as a hard-driving Enneagram 8, connections soon began clicking into place. For example, he heard about an American missionary in Rwanda who was working with a church for the deaf. When Porter asked if that missionary knew any members of the local deaf community who were looking for work, the reply was “all of them!”
At Masaka Creamery, the first employees were four deaf people in their mid-20s. Today, about two-thirds of the factory’s 50+ employees are deaf, including the production manager and the entire production team.
‘Heart Decision’ Becomes a Great Business Decision
Although Porter initially assumed that hiring workers who can’t hear would be a “colossal sacrifice” and would risk his business, the results have proved otherwise. “When we hit a certain critical mass, they just started to flourish,” he said of the workers with hearing loss. “And everywhere we put those employees, that department started to flourish.”
Porter continued, “What I thought was a heart decision has been one of the best business decisions I’ve ever made.” He called the partnership with deaf employees “an incredible blessing,” insisting that he’s not a sponsor of the deaf community but a beneficiary.
Deaf and hard-of-hearing workers in Rwanda are extremely motivated, Porter pointed out. After years of obstacles and rejections, they take seriously any opportunities they receive. Masaka Creamery is just about the only place in the community where deaf people are not at “an insurmountable disadvantage,” said Porter.
Another advantage of hiring hearing-impaired workers? “No one is stealing our employees,” Porter noted, “though I’d be fine with more companies borrowing our hiring strategy.”
At the factory, people with disabilities fit in and are surrounded by others who use sign language to communicate. Employees love coming to work and thrive at their jobs, thanks to the even playing field. Jacqueline Umuhoza, a 22-year-old former hairdresser, said the pay is good at Masaka Creamery, and she gets to work alongside “other people like me.”
Its hiring practices aren’t the only thing that sets the factory apart. Masaka Creamery is known for its fresh, high-quality products. The business has received certification for high standards of food safety and strives to use sustainable, environment-friendly packaging materials. Porter also moved the creamery to Kigali’s Special Economic Zone to be able to offer improved working conditions.
Local and international leaders, including former U.S. Ambassador Peter Vrooman, have visited Masaka Creamery. Last year, the Rwandan business was commended for training hearing-impaired youth in milk processing through a project with the International Fund for Agricultural Development. The creamery also has received grant funding from the United States Agency for International Development (USAID).
