As you go towards Kibuyuni village in the Shimoni area, you can't help but notice the towering Mubuyu trees dotting the landscape like majestic giants, with their massive trunks and sprawling branches. This is why the village carries the name Kibuyuni. Their seeds give us mabuyu—a sugary, reddish snack.
However, you can't fail to notice how some have incorporated these Mubuyu colossal trunks into their homes. Imagine a massive baobab tree standing as part of a wall or the corner of a house. This could be a clever way to save on building stones, or perhaps the tree is too monumental to remove. Whichever the case, the sight is bizarre, almost comical, as if nature and human ingenuity are locked in a silent partnership.
You will also catch a glimpse of the ocean, a vital partner to the people of Kibuyuni and a constant presence in their daily struggles and triumphs. For most villagers, it is a livelihood through fishing or cultivating seaweed.
Here, we meet the dagaa fishers with whom we build a rapport through a thorough value chain assessment to understand the current landscape and these resourceful people's unique challenges.
We then form a group of thirty-two members (22 women and 10 men)- Kibuyuni dagaa processors, giving them a sense of ownership and pride. We train them in leadership to shape their mindset and lay a foundation for lasting group leadership.
If you own a business or are interested in one, you know that its success requires more than technical expertise; it also involves life skills as an essential tool for sustainable success. Without these, it is like trying to pull a cart without wheels—no matter how skilled you are, progress will be slow. So, for about six weeks, we trained these processors in business skills, fish handling, and hygiene practices to help them understand how to manage their ventures effectively.
"What have you learned or key takeaways from these trainings?" one trainer inquired.
"Most projects fail because they don't involve the community in assessing their needs and also fail to conduct enough training. Without life and leadership skills, most groups dissolve once the donors exit. But COMRED," he continues, "has done things differently. They've listened, involved us, and provided us with the tools to succeed." Hassan, the Kibuyuni Dagaa Processors chairperson, responds
In Kibuyuni, we don't just have fishers—they are empowered processors ready to turn their dagaa business into a stronger, more sustainable livelihood for their families and community.
This project is funded by NORAD, Blue Ventures, UNDP Ocean Innovation Challenge, and Livelihood Impact Fund