Nancy Iraba

Nancy Iraba is an Award-Winning Marine Scientist (MSc) and the Co-founder and CEO of Healthy Seaweed Co. Limited (™️Seaweed Cafe). Her social enterprise champions an inclusive value chain, providing a consistent market for women seaweed farmers in Tanzania and ensuring equitable benefits reach them. As Tanzania leads Africa in producing high-quality edible seaweed through women-dominated farming, Nancy has partnered with 130 women seaweed farmers in Zanzibar and Kilwa. They supply her enterprise with 17 tonnes of raw material annually, while she provides them with technical skills in restorative farming, enhancing carbon sequestration and biodiversity. She further innovates by using low-tech methods to transform seaweed into healthy, nutritious food products. Healthy Seaweed Co.’s vision is to empower these women through an inclusive value chain model while promoting healthy living in her community. Recently, Nancy’s expertise led to her appointment to the University of Dar es Salaam’s industry advisory committee for the marine science cluster, where she will shape curriculum to align with labor market demands in marine conservation.