Inspiring transition: How Ugandan Simon Zaake moved from fish waste collector to global analyst

For years, the pungent smell of fish waste hovered above several Ugandan fishing communities, a constant reminder of pollution and neglect. While most passersby covered their noses to navigate the area, Simon Zaake saw potential.

A trained forester with deep concern for the environment, Simon’s path changed the day he joined the ENABLE TAAT Compact, under the Youth in Agribusiness Program of the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture. The training, designed to equip young Africans with agribusiness and entrepreneurial skills, became a turning point, giving him a platform to turn his passion for sustainability into purpose-driven action.

That purpose soon took shape in the form of FHS+, a youth-led agribusiness venture he founded, focused on transforming fish waste into organic agricultural inputs. While others were nauseated by the smell, Simon and his team got to work, reimagining waste as a resource. He launched the fish hydrolysate fertilizer, a natural soil enhancer created through the enzymatic breakdown of discarded fish waste, which reduces existing environmental challenges and promotes healthy soil and sustainable farming practices.

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