A Neno-based youth-owned company Nsawedza Youth Holdings is turning farmyard waste into profit by producing briquettes.
The company, formed in 2021 has thrived within a few years to become one of the reliable producers and suppliers of eco-friendly briquettes.
Nsawedza Youth Holdings director Lawrence Martin has said the company decided to venture into the production of briquettes after noticing a lack of eco-friendly energy solution among people in Neno.
“Although what we are doing is primarily a source of employment for us, the motivation to venture into this kind of business was inspired by the people’s lack of alternative ways for cooking,” he said.
Martin said the company uses farmyard waste such as animal dung, stalks, leaves, straw waste and silage to produce what he described as reliable biomass briquettes.
“In essence, our production process uses locally sourced raw materials, contributing to the country’s economy in the process,” said Martin.
Currently, the company has managed to employ nine youths with dozens of others indirectly benefiting through the sale of the products.
“We are currently supplying most of the briquettes to customers from Neno with plans to start supplying to other districts,” he added.
Nsawedza Youth Holdings’ innovation has not gone unnoticed as the Youth Innovation Fund initiative, run by the National Youth Council of Malawi (NYCOM) has given the company a K15.9 million grant to help the entity scale up production.
“What this company is doing is exactly what we want our youths to be doing in the country,” said director of finance and administration for NYCOM.
