Blog How market activation is strengthening nutrition access and job creation at Totahara in Burundi
For more than a decade, Christella Ndayishimiye’s Totahara in Burundi, backed by SDC, Sall Family Foundation, Global Affairs Canada and the Alliance of Bioversity and CIAT through PABRA and partners, has been scaling nutrient-rich bean porridge to reach 40,000 families monthly, create jobs, and improve nutrition access through market activation and stronger farmer linkages.
Great ideas often grow out of small experiments; sometimes planned, sometimes accidental. For Christella Ndayishimiye, one such moment set everything in motion. The Burundian office secretary-turned entrepreneur started processing bean porridge flour out of an urgent personal need. When it time to weaning her baby, she could not find the right nutritious flour in the market. Determined to give her child a healthy start, she began mixing her own bean-based composite flour at home. The results were immediate and encouraging. Her baby grew strong and healthy, and what began as a mother’s solution soon sparked a business idea. That simple experiment eventually gave birth to Totahara, now one of the leading bean composite flour processors tailored to women and children, in Burundi.
Making significant strides through her porridge.
Through Kura Porridge Project, Totahara has made a measurable impact on child nutrition and household food security. By 2025, the initiative had supported 1,242 malnourished children, while every month more than 40,000 families - an estimated 120,000 people - consume its enriched porridge products. Totahara’s products are widely distributed across Burundi and extend into markets in the Democratic Republic of Congo, reflecting steady regional growth. This reach is enabled by a strong retail network comprising 253 semi-retail outlets and 122 female retailers, ensuring access even in underserved communities. The company currently employs 38 staff members - including 18 women and girls and 20 young men - who oversee production, packaging, and distribution, reinforcing Totahara’s commitment to both nutrition and inclusive economic empowerment.
Further, with co-financing from a World Bank-supported program, the company is expanding its factory. Once the new facility is fully operational, it aims to produce up to 220 tons of enriched porridge. This expansion is expected to reach 6,000 children in 50 schools, create 76 additional jobs, prioritizing women and youth, while linking more than 30,000 farming households to reliable markets.
New factory facility being built by Totahara.
Despite this growth, the enterprise has been operating in a challenging environment. Demand was increasing, but production systems, packaging, and market coordination needed to improve. Expanding beyond local outlets required stronger business planning, better links to grain producers, and more structured engagement with markets. As a result, there was need to unlock these barriers to enhance the capacity of Totahara to operate optimally for desirable growth.
