Bacar Andinane lives in Cabo Delgado, the northernmost province of Mozambique, bordering Tanzania. Living in this part of the world is not easy. According to the World Bank, more than half of the population lives below the poverty line. Education and economic opportunities are often out of reach.

Bacar was a young man who was struggling to make ends meet. But today, he is a successful entrepreneur.

It all started with an Aga Khan Foundation-supported workshop about the nutritional benefits of the leaves of the fast-growing, drought-resistant moringa tree. This workshop, also supported by the government of Mozambique, was part of a larger effort to improve child nutrition. But for Bacar, a lightbulb went off in his mind and he quickly got to work.

He planted his first moringa trees and began selling the leaves. His business grew as quickly as his trees, even attracting the attention of the president of Mozambique, who later gifted him with a small processing mill.

With the mill enabling him to increase production, Bacar decided to build more demand for moringa leaves: first opening a cooking school, then a restaurant, and finally a retail kiosk. He also started volunteering at an AKF-organised farmer’s cooperative, lending his business expertise to other budding entrepreneurs.

Four thriving enterprises that started with a little seed planted at a nutrition workshop.

This article was originally published on the Aga Khan Foundation Canada website.