One of the most unique projects TGE has ever taken on is our new partnership with Karambi Group for People with Disabilities, who conceived the idea to use Black Soldier Fly Larvae (BSFL) to produce animal feed.

The Karambi Group of People with Disabilities is a non-profit organization based in Kasese, Uganda whose goal is to empower people with disabilities and their families to improve their quality of life. They work to advocate and promote basic human rights for people with disabilities through social and economic inclusion and rehabilitation. The group currently supports 272 children and 359 adults with disabilities.

The rural communities supported by Karambi Group of People with Disabilities in the Kasese District are largely dependent on animal-rearing projects to generate income. Over 85% of homesteads around Kasese District have home-based poultry-keeping, livestock, and fish-farming as a means of steady income.

However, the price of animal feed in East Africa has skyrocketed in the last two years due to inflation, the War in Ukraine, and the severe drought. This results in animal-rearing projects to not be profitable and can even put the family in debt.

 The Karambi Group cleverly came up with using black soldier fly larvae (BSFL) to provide a more affordable animal feed to the communities of the Kasese District.

BSFL is high in nutrients, especially proteins. It is versatile, and quick to reproduce. It can be consumed live or in powder form, by poultry, livestock and fish, and has even shown to strengthen the immunity of animals.

How does it work? The Karambi Group gathers their neighbor’s animal waste on which the larvae feed. The flies are confined in insectariums and lay eggs in pieces of wood. Every two days, eggs are collected and hatched, and the larvae start eating in the Larvarium. They feed on any organic decomposable matter, kitchen refuse, animal droppings and fruits. In 8 to 12 days, larvae are mature and are ready for consumption.

Karambi Group sells the BSFL animal feed at a lower cost than the other feeds available. As a result, this reduces the expenses of feed and increase each farm’s chance of success.

41 animals in surrounding farms have been sustained through the feed produced, and the growth rate is promising, unlike before. This project generated over $4,000 profit, which will be used to expand production and start a chicken coop. This project is benefiting 100 families and helping sustain an entire community in a strong and lasting way.