Ojanna Foods and Produce

Precooked Solar Dehydrated Beans (PSDB) offer a transformative solution to the bean challenge in Sub-Saharan Africa, where beans are a staple for approximately 300 million people. According to PABRA (Pan African Research Alliance), beans are widely consumed in dry grain form, containing 22-23% of nutritious proteins, but they require a lengthy cooking time of 2-3 hours, relying on firewood or charcoal for fuel.

PSDB reduces the cooking time to just 30 minutes because it only uses baking, using an efficient steam boiler and solar dehydration processes. This innovation not only liberates women from hours spent cooking, enabling them to pursue other economic activities, but also conserves 87% of firewood, mitigating deforestation and climate change impacts, ensuring a healthy environment for all.

Every day, 75 people - mainly women, die daily in Tanzania from inhaling smoke from poor cooking technologies, such as the three stone stove. The adoption of PSDB addresses the health risks associated with these cooking methods. In addition, our Dehydrating Beans shrink by 60%, reducing 500 grams to 118 grams, enhancing preservation and shelf life without added preservatives. This reduction in water content facilitates efficient transportation of food aid by organisations like the World Food Programme (WFP), optimising shipping volume and minimising resource use.

Additionally, bean cultivation poses an invasive threat to forests. We view ourselves as "Freedom Fighters," striving to liberate women from laborious cooking tasks and minimise greenhouse gas emissions.