In Tanzania, bananas aren’t just a staple food; they central to our cultural diet. In regions like Kagera, where about 95% of the population depends on bananas as a primary food source, per capita consumption reaches between 280 and 500 kilograms each year. While the fruit nourishes millions, the leftover peels often go to waste, ending up in landfills or rotting in the open and contributing to environmental degradation. At the same time, Tanzanian farmers are struggling with soil degradation and limited access to affordable and effective fertilizers. The average fertilizer usage remains under 13 kilograms per hectare, which is far below the recommended 136 kilograms. This gap continues to limit productivity, especially for smallholder farmers. That’s where YES Group comes in, featured in Episode 005, Season 2 of the Kijana Leo TV program.
Founded in 2022 by Avit Theophil alongside two other members, YES Group is a youth-led social enterprise based in Karagwe, Kagera. The organization is addressing two major challenges at once: managing agricultural waste (banana peels) and improving agricultural productivity. YES Group purchases banana peels from local households and markets at 150 Tanzanian Shillings (approximately 0.06 USD) per kilogram. This approach not only promotes proper organic waste collection but also provides a steady source of income for the surrounding communities. The collected peels are dried and mixed with residues from oyster nuts and sunflowers, then processed into high-quality organic manure. With two machines designed by the team, the composting process has been reduced from 60 days to just 30 days, making production more efficient and scalable.
Currently, YES Group produces around 78 tonnes of organic manure each year. Despite this output, demand continues to exceed supply, highlighting the growing need for eco-friendly fertilizers. Their product has reached farmers in Kagera, Kigoma, Arusha, and Dar es Salaam, with reported yield improvements of up to 30 percent compared to chemical fertilizers. Beyond farming, the impact is also being felt through job creation and skills development. YES Group has directly employed 11 youth, trained more than 4,000 farmers, and reached 1,350 farmers with its organic fertilizer.
YES Group is also working to revive the cultivation of oyster nuts, a highly nutritious and medicinal crop that is nearly extinct in Tanzania. By distributing seeds and offering training, the organization supports farmers from planting to harvesting. Farmers can either sell the nuts back to YES Group or pay a small fee for oil extraction. The oil, certified by the Tanzania Bureau of Standards, is valued for its nutritional and healing properties. Extraction residues are returned to the composting process, completing a zero-waste production cycle. In recognition of its innovation and impact, the YES Group factory was officially opened by the Freedom Torch on 24 September 2024. The organization has received several awards, including second place in the 2025 KAIZEN Award for Small Industries from the Tanzania Ministry of Industry and Trade in collaboration with Japan International Cooperation Agency ( JICA) Tanzania Office, as well as second place in the competition of 2024 UNDP FUNGUO Program won 90 Million Tanzania Shillings (approximately 33,358 USD) to enable purchase raw material from small holder farmers.
They have also received and successfully repaid two zero-interest loans from the Karagwe District Office totalling 30 million Tanzanian Shillings (approximately 11,130 USD). This track record enabled them to secure an additional loan of 50 million Tanzanian Shillings (approximately 18,550 USD) from the Prime Minister’s Office – Labour, Youth, Employment and Persons with Disabilities (PMO-LYED).
From waste management and sustainable agriculture to youth employment and indigenous crop preservation, YES Group is creating a holistic circular model that addresses Tanzania’s most pressing environmental and agricultural challenges. This is more than just an innovation; it is a blueprint for a greener, more prosperous Tanzania. With additional investment and support, YES Group is ready to scale its impact across the country.
For more insights into this groundbreaking work and to see how young changemakers in Kagera are turning banana peels into opportunity, watch Episode 005, Season 2 of Kijana Leo now on our YouTube channel.
