Youth in Sustainable Aquaculture - YISA Kenya

Youth in Sustainable Aquaculture - YISA Kenya The program aims to create 150,000 dignified jobs. This initiative specifically targets young women and men aged 23 to 32 years. Email: [email protected].

The Youth in Sustainable Aquaculture (YISA) program is a partnership initiative between the Mastercard Foundation and Farm Africa, implemented in collaboration with a consortium of partners. The Youth in Sustainable Aquaculture Programme, a collaborative initiative between the Mastercard Foundation and Farm Africa, in partnership with Echo Network Africa, Lattice, Aquarech, Ramogi Institute of Adv

anced Technology (RIAT), Hydro Victoria, and Livingwood Consultants Ltd., was launched in December 2023. The programme aspires to generate 150,000 employment opportunities for young women and men, including individuals with disabilities and internally displaced persons, within the aquaculture sector across Kisumu, Kakamega, Siaya, Homa Bay, Busia, and Kilifi counties by November 2028. If you meet the specified criteria and are interested in joining the programme, please submit your expression of interest, including your contact details. We will reach out to you accordingly.

Local Service Providers (LSPs) and Local Implementing Partners (LIPs) in Kilifi County are currently participating in Li...
03/06/2026

Local Service Providers (LSPs) and Local Implementing Partners (LIPs) in Kilifi County are currently participating in Life Skills Training designed to strengthen personal growth, leadership, and collaboration.

Through interactive sessions on self-awareness, communication, financial literacy, leadership, advocacy, and group governance, participants are gaining practical skills that will help them make informed decisions, lead effectively, and create positive change in their communities.

By investing in life skills, the YISA program is empowering young people to take charge of their futures and contribute meaningfully to sustainable aquaculture.


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From inactivity to impact in just two months! 🌊🐟After only 29 days of stocking their nursery, the Mofrey Group has succe...
30/05/2026

From inactivity to impact in just two months! 🌊🐟

After only 29 days of stocking their nursery, the Mofrey Group has successfully sold 9,500 fingerlings weighing 0.6g each at the prevailing market rate of KES 5 per fingerling. The group has already realised a net profit of KES 16,000, a remarkable milestone for this revitalised enterprise.

Even more impressive:
✅ 95% survival rate achieved
✅ Only half a bag of quality fish feed was used
✅ Fingerlings successfully off-taken by Muga Fish Hatchery

Congratulations to the Mofrey Group for this outstanding progress! 👏



With: Farm Africa Mastercard Foundation

Farm Africa is pleased to formalise a strategic partnership with ACRE Africa through the signing of a Memorandum of Unde...
29/05/2026

Farm Africa is pleased to formalise a strategic partnership with ACRE Africa through the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding aimed at strengthening resilience and productivity among young farmers participating in the Youth in Sustainable Aquaculture - YISA Kenya Program.

Through this collaboration, we will work together to co-design and deliver innovative agricultural insurance solutions for soybean farmers across the counties of , , , , and . The partnership will enhance access to risk management services, build the capacity of Village-Based Agents (VBAs), and support farmers in investing confidently in their enterprises.

By combining Farm Africa's expertise in youth economic empowerment and sustainable agriculture with ACRE Africa's leadership in agricultural risk management and insurance, we are creating pathways for young farmers to increase productivity, manage climate-related risks, and build more resilient livelihoods.



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Access to finance remains one of the biggest barriers preventing young women from venturing into aquaculture. Through th...
13/05/2026

Access to finance remains one of the biggest barriers preventing young women from venturing into aquaculture. Through the Youth in Sustainable Aquaculture (YISA) Kenya program, two catalytic financing mechanisms have been established to support young women and men: the Revolving Loan Fund (RLF) and the Challenge Fund.

To date, USD 2,121,060 (equivalent to KES 273,616,736) under the Revolving Loan Fund has been disbursed to 11,353 young women and men during the first and second years of program implementation, with a repayment rate currently standing at 82%.

The YISA program remains committed to ensuring that the two catalytic funds are accessible to all program participants, including persons with disabilities, to strengthen livelihoods and create sustainable opportunities in aquaculture.

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Mastercard Foundation Farm Africa Lattice Aquarech Ltd Ramogi institute of advanced Technology (RIAT) Hydro Victoria Livingwood Ltd

The Youth in Sustainable Aquaculture (YISA) Program warmly welcomes Madaraka Katana , Trupehener Chivatsi, Stacy Lerai...
11/05/2026

The Youth in Sustainable Aquaculture (YISA) Program warmly welcomes Madaraka Katana , Trupehener Chivatsi, Stacy Lerai, Emmanuel Odosi and Naomi Natuku, the new youth nominees to the Investment Advisory Committee (IAC) and the Program Steering Committee (PSC), where they will serve as the voice and representatives of YISA program participants.

We also take this opportunity to sincerely appreciate the outgoing representatives, including Maryanne Mboya, Samuel Odhiambo, Felix Okoyo, Gladys Akinyi and Terry Mbogo, for their dedication, commitment, and valuable contributions while serving in the two committees.

As we usher in the new team, we look forward to continued youth leadership, representation, and meaningful contributions towards the growth and success of the YISA Program.

Photo: Maurice Goga/Farm Africa

Bilhah Akoko’s story is a testament to the impact of the Youth in Sustainable Aquaculture - YISA Kenya program in transf...
11/05/2026

Bilhah Akoko’s story is a testament to the impact of the Youth in Sustainable Aquaculture - YISA Kenya program in transforming the lives of young people within the aquaculture sector.

Through the partnership with the Mastercard Foundation, we remain committed to implementing interventions that promote access to dignified and fulfilling work opportunities for young people, while strengthening sustainable livelihoods and inclusive growth in the aquaculture value chain.

Click the link to read Bilhah Akoko's venture into aquaculture, the Youth in Sustainable Aquaculture - YISA Kenya

https://rb.gy/cxnpp4

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“We moved from surviving to thriving.” 🌱✨In Busia, members of the Amase Disability Group are celebrating a remarkable mi...
07/04/2026

“We moved from surviving to thriving.” 🌱✨

In Busia, members of the Amase Disability Group are celebrating a remarkable milestone—a bumper harvest of nearly 500 tonnes of soybeans.

Just a year ago, this seemed impossible.

The group, formed in 2013 to improve livelihoods for persons with disabilities, had long struggled to sustain their activities. Despite efforts like table-banking, harsh economic conditions made progress difficult.

But everything changed in 2024.

Through the Youth in Sustainable Aquaculture - YISA Kenya program, with support from the Mastercard Foundation and Farm Africa, the group began soybean farming, receiving assistance in land cultivation and farm inputs.

Their first harvest? Just 5 tonnes. But it sparked hope.

Encouraged by this success, the group successfully applied for the YISA Challenge Fund, receiving a KES 1.5 million grant, a turning point that enabled them to scale production dramatically.

Today, they are harvesting nearly 500 tonnes.

💪 Thriving Against the Odds

For Everlyne Namu, the group’s chairperson, the journey is deeply personal.

Despite being visually impaired, she leased and cultivated one acre of land on her own, harvesting 700 kilograms of soybeans.

With the income, she was able to:
✔ Pay school fees for her three children
✔ Lease land for the next planting season
✔ Buy livestock
✔ Support her household

“Through this support, I have been able to provide for my family,” she shares.

As of February 2026 (end of Quarter 1, Year 3), the program has made significant progress in inclusion, recruiting 2512 persons with disabilities (PWDs) and training 1455, of whom 1421 successfully transitioning into meaningful and dignified job opportunities.

Read full story via 👉 https://rebrand.ly/reoj0qf




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“I thought the BSF larvae were scary… now they are my biggest source of income.” At just 26, Lydia is part of a growing ...
17/03/2026

“I thought the BSF larvae were scary… now they are my biggest source of income.”

At just 26, Lydia is part of a growing wave of young women transforming aquaculture through the Youth in Sustainable Aquaculture - YISA Kenya program. A partnership program with Mastercard Foundation and a consortium partners led by Farm Africa

Today, she manages two Black Soldier Fly (BSF) production sites with her husband running a thriving enterprise that supports their family and creates jobs for others.

But her journey didn’t start with passion.

When her husband first introduced BSF farming after training with ICIPE - International Centre of Insect Physiology and Ecology, Lydia wasn’t convinced.

“The wriggling larvae looked scary. I wasn’t interested,” she recalls.

But as the small home unit began generating income, everything changed.

Lydia’s breakthrough came in 2024 when she joined YISA through Hydro Victoria, one of the program’s implementing partners.

Through this support, she received:
✔ Hands-on BSF production training
✔ Continuous mentorship from field officers
✔ Business skills including record-keeping
✔ Exposure through peer learning and networks

“I approached them because I was already doing BSF and wanted to grow,” she says.

With support from YISA, Lydia’s enterprise has expanded:

✔ Constant orders for BSF larvae
✔ 4 young people employed
✔ Expansion into poultry farming using BSF-based feed
✔ Production of organic fertilizer (frass)

Her income from BSF now far exceeds her previous salary of KES 10,000 as a waitress.

“Right now, I’m not interested in employment. BSF is sorting everything; food, school fees… everything.”

Read Lydia's full story via 👉 https://rb.gy/fet92q




Photo: Anne Nasumba/ Hydro Victoria

13/03/2026

Celebrating the young women who are navigating through the challenges in aquaculture and have successful aquaculture enterprises during International Women's Day webinar.

The Youth in Sustainable Aquaculture - YISA Kenya program marked International Women’s Day by hosting a webinar that hig...
12/03/2026

The Youth in Sustainable Aquaculture - YISA Kenya program marked International Women’s Day by hosting a webinar that highlighted the critical role young women play in productivity, growth and resilience within Kenya’s aquaculture sector.

The discussion brought together program partners, government representatives, entrepreneurs, and development practitioners to explore how targeted investments in women can strengthen aquaculture value chains and unlock economic opportunities for young people in Kenya.

Speakers emphasized that while aquaculture presents significant opportunities for employment and food security, structural barriers continue to limit the meaningful participation of young women. Addressing these barriers, they noted, requires coordinated efforts from both state and non-state actors to ensure women have access to resources, leadership spaces, and markets.



With: Hydro Victoria

Address

Kisumu

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Monday 08:30 - 17:00
Tuesday 08:30 - 17:00
Wednesday 08:30 - 17:00
Thursday 08:30 - 17:00
Friday 08:30 - 17:00

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+254716459225

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