A struggling young Ugandan widow who made successful skin products out of ingredients from her garden has inspired a dream that took her great-granddaughter onto the TV show Dragons' Den.

Maria Magembe, 36, of Ruscombe Gardens, Datchet, grew up learning all about her great-grandmother Onyang and is using her basic recipes to produce her own range of beauty products.

She said: "I love the fact that she used ingredients from her own back garden and worked with the environment that she was in to make amazing skincare products.

"Our unique ingredient blends have been inspired by Onyang."

She and her business partner Hellen Lawuo-Meena, 40, of Walpole Road, Burnham appeared on television's Dragons' Den show on Sunday promoting their Daughters of the Soil product.

The response of those ferocious 'dragons' was disappointing and they did not invest in the product.

Mrs Lawuo-Meena said: "Peter Jones was a bit grumpy. But Deborah Meaden was more encouraging."

But the show was actually filmed six months ago when the two had just started the business. Now the business is a year old and has gone from strength to strength.

The pair use shea nut butter just like great granny Onyang had in her garden and import a wide range of other African oils from Ghana, South Africa and Somalia for their range of creams and body washes.

A number of pharmacies now sell their products, while a South African hotel chain has taken up their miniature packages. The pair are determined to expand worldwide.

In memory of Onyang they also work with the charity Mityana they have set up a foundation to provide support and advice to woman farmers in Uganda.

The name of their brand was inspired by Mrs Magembe's father.

She said: " 'Daughters of the Soil' is a phrase that my father often used to describe each of his four daughters when we were growing up and it's a phrase I am still fond of."

Both are mums. Mrs Magembe has two girls aged six and 10 and Mrs Lawuo-Meena is mum to a 17 year old son and 14 year old daughter.

They are also delighted to say the men in their lives have given them 100 per cent support.