Fair & Sustainable Consulting, together with DanChurchAid (DCA), is supporting youth to set up commercial Black Soldier Fly (BSF) Farms in Nakuru county.
The BSF initiative is part of the Agritech Solutions Project implemented by DanChurchAid and financed by DMDP – Danida Market Development Partnerships – a Danida funded initiative.
After an extensive selection process , the best entrepreneurs were selected. Since July 2022, 8 ambitious young people are being trained and coached to develop their knowledge and skills in running a commercial-size BSF business.
As a first step in that process, they started with a five-day training tailor-made to the entrepreneurs’ needs, which were identified during the selection process. Training topics included marketing, finance, human resources, and the development of soft skills. Trainers Wangechi Kuria and Annelien Meerts ensured that the training was interactive, by blending theory with a wide variety of small-group assignments, roleplays, and individual assessments to enhance learning.
The participants gained knowledge of how to develop a marketing plan and recruit and retain staff for their BSF farm, and gained an understanding of how to read financial statements, such as the cash flow and income statement. In addition, they have further developed their skills of giving feedback and job instructions, how to lead a team and delegate tasks, and how to set priorities.
The entrepreneurs gave the following feedback on the training:
“I really loved the tailor-made teaching methods used. This is because I was able to think of scenarios that I may get in the future. And I was able to understand how to handle it.”
“I have learned effective and efficient communication skills to help me run a successful business in the future. Skills to hire and retain employees and tools to help recruit the best of the best.”
“The highlight of the training for me was its relevance and practicality. Not only will I apply the knowledge acquired directly into my BSF farm but also in other aspects of my life”
About Fair & Sustainable (F&S) Insect Farms
F&S has started its own initiative in Black Soldier Fly farming in Kenya, called Fair & Sustainable Insect Farms. The overall goal of this initiative is to promote commercial BSF farming as a profitable circular innovation in agriculture, through a model that enhances youth entrepreneurship and women economic empowerment. BSF larvae are a sustainable, high-quality alternative for conventional protein in animal feed. Moreover, they transform organic waste that traditionally ends up in landfills, into organic fertilizer.
F&S aims to set up 100 farms in the next few years under the umbrella of F&S Insect Farms. Through the franchise model, the young entrepreneurs have full access to technical, financial, and managerial support for seven years
Interested to learn more or collaborate with us? Contact us –
In the Black Soldier Fly farms initiative: emmy.mugasia@fairandsustainable.org
In tailor-made entrepreneurship training:annelien.meerts@fairandsustainable.org
