Introduction
A group of women seaweed farmers in Kidoti, North Zanzibar known as “Tusife Moyo” translated as “We should not loose heart” has started to use the seaweed in the country. This work is done under the Zanzibar Seaweed Cluster Initiative of the Innovation Systems and Cluster Programme in Tanzania (ISCP-Tz). The seaweed cluster which started its activities in 2006 is one of the first 8 cluster initiatives. Up to now, the cluster has 3 groups in the villages of Bweleo, Kisakasaka, and Kidoti, all in Zanzibar and working in various aspects of seaweed farming. Seaweeds farmed in Zanzibar are mainly Eucheuma denticulatum and Kappaphycus alvarezii and to a smaller extent K. striatum. The groups have adopted a new method of farming seaweed –the deeper water floating lines method- as a way of combating Kappaphycus die-offs.
The direct use of the seaweeds in the country as a finished product has been a dream of scientists, the government, and other stakeholders. The Kidoti group which also produces spice soaps of cinnamon, clove, eucalyptus, sweet basal, and lemon grass, has recently made seaweed soap for the first time in Zanzibar. The farmers were helped by mainly the Small and Medium enterprises (SMEs) Competitiveness Facility (SCF). Other help came from Tanzania Commission for Science and Technology (COSTECH) and ISCP-Tz. The funds were used for training, acquisition of soap making machines, initial production of seaweed soap and initial market survey.
Acquisition of seaweed soap making machines
The machines acquired are: seaweed solar drier, seaweed grinder (disk mill), kettle with a stove and mixer for boiling and mixing the soap mixture, soap extruder for producing soap bars, and soap moulder for cutting soap bars into pieces. The machines were made at the College of Engineering and Technology (CoET) of the University of Dar es Salaam during May – December 2007. The machines were shipped to Kidoti on 29th December and the training on the use of the machines was conducted between November 2007 and March 2008 when the first seaweed soap was made in Zanzibar. The soaps were placed in specially made seaweed soap packaging boxes which were designed by the cluster and printed by a commercial printing company. The first production was of 600 soap pieces.
Official launching of the technology transfer
The technology of producing seaweed soap was officially launched on 19th February 2008 by the Chairman of the Board of SCF, Mr. Ibrahim Seushi and the SCF Manager, Mr. Sosthenes Sambua. The launching was witnessed by cluster members from Kidoti, Bweleo, and Kisakasaka, as well as the Kidoti village leadership.
Other products from seaweeds
The Zanzibar Seaweed Cluster has also made trial making of seaweed desserts (3 types) and is in the process of producing seaweed candies, biscuits, and soft drink. The cluster will also make liquid seaweed soap and shampoo.
For more information and purchase of seaweed soap contact:
Dr. Flower E. Msuya, Zanzibar Seaweed Cluster Facilitator at flowereze@yahoo.co, mmsuya@ims.udsm.ac.tz, or flowerem@hotmail.com. OR
Phones: +255 786 629374, +255 777 490807, +255 777 220165