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| Spirulina Farm Sansanding |
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| Project Director |
| Scott Lacy, Yacouba Sangare |
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Project Number |
Total Cost (US$) |
Location |
CH08-09 |
$109.41 |
Sansanding, Mali |
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Project Details
On a routine visit to meet with the local government official for the Sandanding region, African Sky
Executive Director Scott Lacy and African Sky Country Directors Tamba Traore and Yacouba Sangare
noticed a strange business operation next to the official's office compound; the operation was a business
to produce spirulina for selling to local communities. Spirulina is basically green algea which is known to
have positve nutritional and health effects for humans. In fact, North Americans spend millions of dollars
a year buying spirulina supplements and getting spirulina "boosts" in their favorite smoothies.
After receiving a tour of the spirulina facility, the owner-director brought the African Sky delegation to
his office to view samples of his product through a microscope. After growing the algea in specially
designed tanks (see photos below) with mechanical paddles to circulate the water, the spirulina is
harvested, dried, quality tested, and then packaged for sale. African Sky purchased a full box of
spirulina packets and distributed them throughout our partner communities. Families in our partner
communities are testing spirulina as an additive in local recipes. We look forward further testing the
efficacy of Mali-produced spirulina to improve nutritional intake and health for vulnerable subpopulations
such as elders, nursing mothers, and infants.
A Note on Spirulina:
Spirulina has been harvested as a food and dietary supplement for centuries throughout the world. To
the east of Mali in Chad, for example, spirulina is dried into cakes (called dihe) that are later used to
make sauces for meals. Whether spirulina is harvested from ponds and lakes, or if it is cultivated at a
facility like the one we visited in Mali, it is a remarkable source of complete proteins (proteins with all
essential amino acids); vitamins A, B, C, D, and E; potassium; and a host of essential minerals. |
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