Ruptly
"Young entrepreneur Joella Buhendwa is transforming organic waste into animal feed and fertiliser in Bukavu, farming black soldier flies (BSF) to support agriculture in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Footage captured on Monday shows Buhendwa collecting BSF eggs, processing larvae and preparing them for sale, with dried output packaged into bags for customers. The insects go through a four-stage life cycle, with the larval stage being the most important, as they consume large amounts of waste for 14–21 days and can reduce organic material by up to 80 per cent in under three weeks. “So we sterilise the waste; after that step, the flies lay their eggs. Then we collect those eggs, and when they hatch, the larvae feed on the waste to grow. When they reach a certain size, we’ll dry them and process them," she said. "But before drying the larvae, we’ll extract oil that will be used in cosmetics [...] the decomposed waste and the larvae’s faeces serve as fertiliser for the fields,” she added. Through her company AstiFerme, Buhendwa is applying a circular model to address waste management and agricultural input shortages. She said demand for her products remains strong, but production is constrained by limited equipment and space. "Demand is high, really strong. But we, with our low production capacity due to a lack of necessary equipment, and also because we don’t have enough space to process a very large amount of waste [...] we are limited, and consequently unable to satisfy all our customers,” Buhendwa explained. BSF farming is increasingly seen as a sustainable alternative to traditional feed sources. Valued at around $1.18 billion in 2026, the sector is rapidly expanding, driven by demand for waste reduction and alternative protein. Beyond production, Buhendwa is involved in youth and community initiatives, including serving as Vice-President of the U-Report Girls Club and working as a Peace Ambassador with UNICEF and the PROSANI USAID programme. “Our vision is to become an international leader not only in waste recovery but also in the production of animal proteins," she said. Buhendwa has trained more than 300 young people in green skills, with a focus on women’s participation in the sector. "We want to be recognised internationally; we plan to soon expand into certain strategic provinces of our country so that we can not only feed our own country but also try to feed other countries in Africa and even around the world,” she added. In November, she won first place in the Farming category at the Women in Ag Award during the Agritechnica exhibition in Germany."
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