Time frame: May 2016 – June 2018
Currently closed

Budget: USD 1.2 million

In 2016 Yoba for Life, Western Heads East and Heifer International successfully applied for a grant from the Canadian International Food Security Research Fund (CIFSRF) that was part of an IDRC program initiated with the financial support of the Ministry of Global Affairs Canada. The 2-year ‘Fermented Food for Life’ project was rolled out in Uganda, Kenya and Tanzania.

The Fermented Food for Life project aimed to improve food security by increasing local production, distribution and consumption of health-promoting probiotic fermented foods using a pro-poor business model, targeting to reach 250,000 people in the three countries (i.e. reaching 50,000 consumers of Yoba yoghurt in Tanzania, 100,000 consumers in Uganda and 100,000 consumers Kenya). The general project objective was to improve food and nutrition security by increasing local production, distribution, and consumption of probiotic fermented foods.

Based on field surveys it is estimated that in total 234 production units (PUs) were reaching around 258,000 people in Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda per month. This included 116 PUs in Uganda, 38 in Kenya including early development centres, and 85 in Tanzania (total 239). In terms of gender and empowerment of females, the PUs are owned and run mostly by women (>60%), but men and youth are an integral part in managing the value chain.

Overall, the project created a sustainable pro-poor model by which people of different nationalities could utilize local resources and valorize an entire dairy value-chain that started with the collection of milk and ended with production, distribution, and consumption of health-promoting probiotic fermented foods.