Meet the women harnessing bean power to fight climate extremes

When Christella Ndayishimiye started weaning her baby, she could not find a flour that met her newborn’s nutritional needs. So, using an open fireplace in her backyard, she started mixing her own composite flour, made from roasted beans. As her baby grew healthy and strong, she wondered how she could hone her skills as an office secretary to help others in the same way.

Today, she is Chief Executive Officer of Totahara Limited, a woman-owned business in Bujumbura. Her enterprise produces bean-based porridge flour rich in iron and zinc, contributing to both the fight against malnutrition and the economic empowerment of women. Her customers range from schools to supermarkets and she buys beans from more than 1,250 farmers –most of them women– creating more income opportunities.

Through partnerships with organizations like World Vision, Christella’s products have reached rural areas where malnutrition is prevalent. From her backyard, her firm has grown to supply more than 15 wholesale outlet shops and non-governmental organizations in Burundi; ten outlet traders in DR Congo and two traders in Rwanda. Her target is to reach 110 tons per month, having started producing just one ton.