Country of Residence
Kenya
Age
18
Project title
Aquatic Sustainable Solutions
Project Summary: Describe your project in one sentence
Aquatic Sustainable Solutions is a youth-led circular economy initiative developing affordable poultry, fish and animal feeds from Black Soldier Fly larvae and cassava by-products while reducing organic waste, supporting food security and creating green livelihood opportunities for young people and smallholder farmers.
Website URL(s) or social media handles.
https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61584973298346
Project Category
My project is a brand new / emerging idea
Project Stage
Pilot-Stage (We’ve tried an activity or two)
Founding Story: What was the spark that led you to start your project? What was the "Aha!" moment that led you to get started and see the potential for this to succeed?
The idea for Aquatic Sustainable Solutions grew from seeing two challenges affecting communities in Busia County at the same time: the rising cost of animal and fish feed and the amount of organic and agricultural waste that is often discarded or underutilized. Through my involvement in community climate action, agriculture, aquaculture and youth empowerment, I began asking how waste could become a resource instead of a problem. The “aha” moment came when I learned more about Black Soldier Fly larvae and their ability to convert organic waste into a valuable protein source for animal and fish feed. I also saw an opportunity to combine this approach with locally available cassava by-products and solar-powered processing. This could create a more circular and locally driven feed system while reducing waste and dependence on expensive conventional feed ingredients. I decided to develop Aquatic Sustainable Solutions as a youth-led initiative that can connect environmental action with food security, aquaculture, agriculture and livelihood creation. My goal is to turn an environmental challenge into an opportunity for farmers, young people and communities.
The Problem: What problem are you helping to solve? Why does it matter to you and your community?
Smallholder farmers and fish farmers in communities such as those in Busia County face high and fluctuating costs of animal and fish feed, which can reduce profitability and make farming less accessible to young people. At the same time, agricultural and organic waste, including cassava by-products, is often poorly managed or left with limited economic value. This contributes to environmental problems while a potentially useful resource is wasted. The challenge matters to me because I have seen how closely livelihoods, food security, agriculture and environmental sustainability are connected in rural communities. Young people need practical economic opportunities, while farmers need affordable and locally available inputs. Aquatic Sustainable Solutions seeks to address these challenges together rather than treating them separately. By converting suitable organic and agricultural by-products into useful feed ingredients through Black Soldier Fly larvae and complementary processing, the project aims to reduce waste, improve access to alternative feed ingredients, strengthen circular food systems and create opportunities for youth and smallholder farmers.
Your Solution: How are you solving this problem? Share your specific solution.
Aquatic Sustainable Solutions is developing a circular feed-production model that turns locally available organic and agricultural by-products into valuable inputs for poultry, fish and animal feed. Our approach combines Black Soldier Fly (BSF) larvae production with the utilization of cassava by-products. Suitable organic materials are used as feedstock for BSF larvae, which convert the material into protein-rich biomass. The larvae can then be processed as an alternative protein ingredient for formulated feeds. Cassava by-products can also be processed and incorporated into appropriate feed formulations, helping increase the value of an agricultural resource that might otherwise be wasted. We are also exploring solar-powered processing to reduce dependence on conventional energy and support cleaner, decentralized production. The model is designed around locally available resources and the needs of smallholder farmers and fish farmers. Rather than focusing only on producing feed, the project aims to build a circular system: agricultural and organic waste becomes an input; BSF larvae and processing create useful feed ingredients; farmers gain access to alternative locally produced inputs; and young people can participate in production, processing, distribution and other parts of the value chain. As the project develops, we intend to conduct appropriate trials, improve formulations, document results and build partnerships with farmers, technical experts and community organisations.
Impact: How has your project created impact / made a difference so far? Or, if at an early stage, what will impact look like?
Aquatic Sustainable Solutions is currently at an early development stage, so we are not claiming commercial sales, revenue or large-scale beneficiaries yet. Our immediate impact is the development of a practical model that can address waste, feed affordability and youth livelihood challenges together. Over the next stage, we aim to test suitable feed formulations, demonstrate the potential of Black Soldier Fly larvae and cassava by-products, and work with local farmers and community partners to gather evidence on usefulness and feasibility. Our intended impact is to help smallholder farmers and fish farmers access alternative locally sourced feed ingredients, reduce the amount of suitable organic and agricultural waste going to waste, and create green livelihood opportunities for young people and women. As the project grows, we aim to measure impact through indicators such as kilograms of waste converted, quantity of feed produced, farmers reached, youth engaged or trained, livelihood opportunities created and adoption of the resulting feed solutions.
Your Innovation: What is different about your project compared to other programs or solutions already out there? How is your project new or innovative?
Our innovation is not simply the use of Black Soldier Fly larvae or cassava by-products individually, but the way we are combining locally available resources into a circular feed system designed for rural communities. Many conventional feed systems depend heavily on costly external inputs, while agricultural waste is often treated as something to dispose of. Aquatic Sustainable Solutions approaches these challenges as connected problems with a shared opportunity: waste can become a resource for producing valuable feed ingredients. The project combines BSF larvae production, cassava by-product utilization and exploration of solar-powered processing within one locally focused model. This creates an opportunity to reduce waste while producing inputs for poultry, fish and animal feed. The approach is also designed around youth participation. Instead of viewing young people only as beneficiaries, we want them involved across the value chain, including production, processing, digital record keeping, marketing and community outreach. Our innovation therefore lies in applying circular-economy principles to a practical rural feed challenge and connecting environmental sustainability with food systems and youth economic opportunity. We intend to validate the model through trials, farmer engagement and evidence-based improvement before scaling.
How many people are on your team?
5
Your team: What role(s) do your team members play? How do you share leadership with them?
Our team has 5 members. Emmanuel Keith Mang’eni is Founder & Team Lead, coordinating the vision, partnerships and overall development. Meshack Mark Musumba supports operations and production planning. John Wabwire Shikuku provides aquaculture expertise. Emily Wesonga leads community engagement and outreach. Josephine Maira supports finance and administration. We share responsibilities according to our areas of strength.
What’s Next: What are the next steps you plan to take to grow or strengthen your project over the next year? If your project is still in the idea stage, describe the steps you will take over the next three months to launch or begin developing it.
Over the next year, our priority is to move Aquatic Sustainable Solutions from an early-stage concept toward a tested and evidence-based model. First, we will strengthen our technical knowledge and develop appropriate BSF and cassava-based feed formulations with support from qualified technical and aquaculture experts. We will conduct small-scale trials to assess the suitability, consistency and practical performance of the feed ingredients. We will also strengthen relationships with smallholder farmers, fish farmers, youth groups, community organisations and other relevant partners who can support testing, learning and outreach. Solar-powered processing options will be explored to improve energy efficiency and make the model more practical for rural settings. We will document lessons from the trials, improve the production process and develop simple records for measuring waste converted, feed produced, people engaged and other outcomes. Finally, we will seek mentorship, incubation, technical assistance and appropriate funding to strengthen the model and prepare for responsible expansion. Our goal is to demonstrate a workable circular feed solution before pursuing wider commercialization.
How do you encourage other people to join your project or learn about the problem you’re working on? If you have a new idea, tell us how you will do this in the future.
We encourage people to engage by connecting the problem of waste with issues they already care about, including food security, farming costs, environmental sustainability and youth livelihoods. Through my community involvement in Bunyala, I engage with young people and community members around climate action, agriculture, aquaculture, digital skills and environmental issues. As Aquatic Sustainable Solutions develops, we plan to use community meetings, farmer demonstrations, youth networks, digital platforms and partnerships with community organisations to explain how organic and agricultural waste can become a useful resource. We will encourage young people to participate not only as beneficiaries but also as learners, producers, entrepreneurs and community advocates. Our approach will focus on practical demonstrations and sharing lessons rather than simply telling people about the problem. We want farmers and young people to see the process, ask questions and contribute their own ideas. Over time, we aim to build a community of people who understand circular economy approaches and can participate in developing locally appropriate solutions.
