Turning Waste Into Wealth: Magamba Secondary School

At Magamba Secondary School in the lush highlands of Lushoto, Tanzania, a team of visionary students turned a local crisis into an opportunity. Faced with two persistent community challenges—unmanaged organic waste and the rising cost of animal protein—they engineered an innovative, homegrown solution powered by a surprising ally: the Black Soldier Fly. Their system uses Black Soldier Fly (BSF) larvae to consume food scraps and agricultural waste, transforming it into protein-rich animal feed, organic fertilizer, and fishing bait. In a country where over 60% of municipal waste is organic and yet a vast majority remains unrecycled, their solution is a powerful step toward circular, sustainable systems.

Livestock farmers in Tanzania spend up to 70% of their production costs on feed, putting immense pressure on local agriculture and food security. By producing affordable, nutrient-dense feed and organic inputs for farming, Magamba’s project directly boosts both environmental and economic resilience. But what began as a creative science idea soon grew into something much larger.

In late 2024, the students entered the King’s Trust International Enterprise Challenge, facilitated by Asante Africa Foundation. Competing against seven other teams at Tanzania’s national finals in Arusha—representing regions like Rombo, Monduli, and Mtumbi—Magamba emerged as the overall winner, earning the highest score of 76% for their business acumen, innovation, and real-world impact. Their project stood out among powerful youth-led ventures tackling menstrual health, clean energy, and sustainable agriculture, proving that impactful innovation often begins with solving local problems. Since 2019, the Enterprise Challenge—part of Asante Africa Foundation’s Youth Livelihood Program—has equipped secondary school students in Kenya, Uganda, and Tanzania with practical entrepreneurship and leadership skills through business simulations and real-world projects. The program gives rural youth the tools to not only dream big but build businesses rooted in community empowerment.

For the students at Magamba, through environmental stewardship and social entrepreneurship, they are redefining what youth-driven change looks like in East Africa.