Awana Foods preserves nutritional value

Founded in September 2020, Awana Foods sprung from an idea Sara Ekondo has had since 2015, which was inspired by a Kenyan agri-processing start-up Stawi Foods, which sources and adds value to bananas.After seeing how fragmented markets became due to Covid-19, she thought of ways to ensure that healthy food options are available for longer while waiting for markets to replenish and solve the issue of post-harvest loss by farmers.Ekondo says one way to preserve food is to convert fresh produce into forms that retain their nutritional value and can be kept for longer with almost zero ‘special’ storage requirements.The business Awana Foods is a local business that bridges the gap between hungry bellies and wasted food by lengthening the shelf life of produce through value addition and preservation. Ekondo says they source excess and b-grade produce from smallholder farmers and transform it into value-added products with a longer shelf life. Additionally, the business aims to leverage preservation methods that reduce the storage requirements of produce while retaining their nutritional value.Awana Foods’ produce includes lemonade concentrate syrup, hibiscus concentrate syrup, green pepper chutney, and dried cabbage. In the near future, the business aims to expand production.Prevent wastageAwana Foods also aims to relieve farmers of the produce that would have otherwise gone to waste and lead to reduced revenues, boost their production confidence, and keep them motivated to continue contributing to food security.With a business model that carries the potential to create sustainable employment, some preservation methods they use are able to reduce storage requirements while maintaining nutritional value and making good nutrition accessible to people.About EkondoEkondo began primary school in Ompakoya, a village in northern Namibia, before moving to Windhoek at the age of eight for a better education. She was privileged to have been awarded a bursary by the National Housing Enterprise (NHE) at the end of her matric year and receive education at the University of Cape Town (UCT). At UCT, Ekondo completed a bachelor of science degree in construction studies as well as a BSc Hons in quantity surveying.Food Waste Challenge winnerEkondo participated in the 2022 Capricorn Foundation Food Waste Challenge and was selected as the overall winner in October, bagging a N$100 000 cash prize. Capricorn Group’s manager, Rikus Grobler, said the competition was aimed at sharing ways of recycling food waste to make fertiliser or animal feed.Ekondo says she is honoured to have participated. "Acknowledgements in the form of prizes like these go way beyond the winning itself; they are a validation of the vision I have for Awana Foods. These kinds of prizes come with the gift of increased networks and even more support that we would not have had had it not been for the publicity the venture gets, so we at Awana Foods are greatly humbled and grateful," she said.

Awana Foods preserves nutritional value

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Namibian Sun 2025-05-06

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Awana Foods preserves nutritional value

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Namibian Sun 2025-05-06

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