What we do

Rose Ndelwa is the leader of a group of former coral-miners-turned-waterpreneurs, seaweed farmers, and coral restorers in a beach community near Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania. A single mother, Rose wants to expand her simple cash and carry cafe to serve the growing demand for healthful, convenient meals. She is aware of the risks of biting off more than she can chew and has reached out to BGW for business advice and mentoring. We believe in Rose. She is a good cook, a hard worker, and surrounded by a grateful community eager to help. BGW has helped Rose create a bootstrapping financial plan and connected her with other local ‘aquapreneurs’: Daud Salum (sea cucumber farms in Zanzibar) and Fiona Barretto (seaweed and oyster farming venture with women coral miners in the same community).

Her restaurant could also drive demand for local seafood, creating a market for oysters, sea cucumbers, and other native species. Increased seafood demand can lead to more advocacy of the protection of the coral, which many of these animals require to live. Rose’s Seafood Cafe will offer simple grilled seafood and chili pepper sauce condiments for locals, guesthouses, and markets.

If anyone can lead a movement against coral destruction while launching their own seafood cafe, Rose can.