Entrepreneurship Zone: 10 January 2025 : Kenya: How this entrepreneur found opportunity in fish cookies

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Entrepreneurship Zone: 10 January 2025 :  Kenya: How this entrepreneur
found opportunity in fish cookies

 


 

 


 <https://www.firstcapitalbank.co.zw/> 

 


 

 


 

 



Frank Thoya, founder of Samaki Biscuits (left) and Ngumbao Kazungu, pastry
chef (right), preparing ingredients for making fish cookies. Photo: Velma
Pamela, bird story agency

By Velma Pamela, bird story agency     

Things looked bad for Frank Thoya when the event planner lost his income
and became a shark meat seller. But that led to an ‘aha’ moment that has
since become a win-win for him and his community.

A delicious smell of baking fills the air, making its way down the street
in a semi-industrial area of Kilifi County on the Kenyan coast. Frank Thoya
is busy baking his fish cookies.

“I wanted to create something useful, affordable, and healthy,” Thoya says,
sitting in his small factory, which is the centre of his efforts to make
nutritional foods available to everyone.

Thoya’s efforts began after the COVID-19 outbreak flipped his entire world.
Before 2020, Thoya worked as an event planner, focusing on birthday parties,
weddings, and other functions. However, his once-thriving business came to a
halt as social gatherings were prohibited due to the nationwide lockdown.

In an attempt to adjust, Thoya started selling dried shark meat. He thought
it was a sensible decision that would help people stockpile food during
lockdowns because shark meat has a long shelf life.

However, the business soon encountered difficulties. When the supply of
shark meat dried up due to over-fishing, Thoya had to abandon the business.
There was also the issue of the meat’s overwhelming stench.

“I remember walking home one day, and some ladies joked that I smelled of
shark. It was really tough,” he says with a laugh.

However, a door then opened. While looking for a sustainable business idea,
Thoya came across Kilifi County’s malnutrition data. According to the data,
pregnant women and children under five in the region were experiencing
significant nutritional deficits.

This information was a revelation. Thoya began looking at ways to combat
malnutrition with accessible resources in his area. He investigated the
health advantages of fruit and cassava. Then he remembered his experiences
with fish and began speaking with specialists and nutritionists. He began
experimenting with a baked concoction of all three ingredients. He settled
on a cookie solution – something that would be palatable to children as well
as adults.

After months of trial and error, Samaki Biscuits was born – a
straightforward, reasonably priced snack made to offer the most nutrients
with the fewest ingredients.

“These biscuits are high in essential vitamins, omega-3 fatty acids, and
protein. Cassava gives you energy, fish aids with brain growth, and fruits
give you natural sweetness and essential minerals. It’s a well-rounded
solution with each bite,” Thoya notes.

A local pastry chef came across Thoya’s effort and was then inspired to
join the venture. Recognising Samaki Biscuits’ potential, Ngumbao Kazungu
decided to join the cause, offering his culinary experience to help refine
and improve the production of these nutrient-dense cookies.

Fresh fish is cleaned, dried, and pounded into a thin powder. The fish
powder is combined with cassava flour, a major crop in Kilifi County.

To add taste and nutrients, fruits like pineapples, mangoes, and bananas
are either dried and processed into powder or mixed into a puree.

“We combine everything – fish, cassava, and fruits – in precise amounts. A
little water and butter hold it all together, and sometimes we add icing
sugar for sweetness,” Kazungu says.



Fish cookies on display at Frank Thoya’s office. Photo: Velma Pamela, bird
story agency

 

After that, the mixture is formed into cookies and cooked for 45 minutes to
an hour at a regulated temperature. This gives the baked result a crunch
while preserving the nutrition. To further preserve their lifespan and
freshness, they are placed in airtight packing after cooling, ready to be
sold over the counter.

Pwani University, located in Kilifi County, tested the biscuits in its lab
and found them to be a workable solution to a challenging problem, according
to Professor Jofrey Kashindi, a researcher in the university’s Research and
Extension Division.

“This project integrates all the key value chains of this county – fruits,
fish, and cassava. We hope to carry out additional research to find
additional benefits these cookies might offer beyond what we already know,”
Kashindi says.

Beyond better health, the community has also benefited from the
introduction of Samaki Biscuits in other ways. Thoya purchases fruits and
cassava from nearby farmers, promoting sustainable livelihoods for
small-scale farmers in Kilifi.

Additionally, local fishermen have another reliable market for their catch,
increasing their revenue and reducing waste.

“It’s a win-win situation. In addition to addressing nutritional issues, we
are building the local economy,” Thoya explains.

Thoya continues to encounter difficulties despite Samaki Biscuits’
popularity. Funding is a major obstacle that restricts the scope of
production and distribution.

While Samaki Biscuits remains a cottage industry for now, Thoya has bigger
dreams. He intends to increase production, form alliances with nearby
educational institutions and medical facilities, and broaden distribution
outside of Kilifi County.

“This is my mission, not just my work,” he said. “I want to demonstrate
that major problems may be solved without the need for large machinery or
opulent factories.”

/bird story agency

*         —Howwemadeitinafrica

 

 


 


 


 

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