THE COOKS

About the team

Our team consists of two architecture students focused on community-centered, sustainable design strategies to tackle environmental challenges, alongside a food scientist specializing in value-added food processing and technology. We are backed by a researcher who provides data-driven insights to refine solutions, making a wholesome team. Together, we share a vision of driving transformative, sustainable change.

Our vision

Kampala faces a growing waste management crisis, with urban slums disproportionately affected as dumping grounds for refuse, exacerbating poor living conditions and environmental degradation. At the same time, Uganda’s reliance on staple foods like bananas and cassava, which make up 60% of the diet but are nutrient deficient (FAO, 2020), has contributed to a 29% malnutrition rate among children under five (UNICEF, 2021). Our vision is to transform these interconnected challenges into opportunities by upgrading kabalagala, a traditional snack using a nutrient-rich flour blend. Paired with innovative biodegradable packaging made from by products, embedded with seeds, this solution not only reduces waste but restores the environment through edible landscaping. We aim to create a circular system tackling malnutrition, sustainable waste management, and ecological restoration. This also presents a scalable solution with global potential, applications in space exploration, where nutrient-enriched packaging can transport and nourish seeds for growth in constrained environments.

Our solution

Our idea combines sustainability and nutrition by reimagining kabalagala, a traditional Ugandan snack made from ripe bananas and cassava flour, which is primarily carbohydrate-rich. We enhance its value with a nutrient-dense flour blend made from crickets, mukene (silverfish), cassava, and bananas. This upgraded kabalagala provides essential proteins, omega-3 fatty acids, vitamins, and minerals, making it a healthier, more balanced snack. The innovation extends to biodegradable and food grade optionally edible packaging. Designed with a double-layer structure, the inner layer is safe for human consumption, while the outer layer can be fed to poultry or left to decompose naturally. The packaging is made from the peelings of cassava and bananas, reusing by-products and closing the cycle of food waste. When decomposed, it enriches the soil with nutrients, releases embedded seeds that grow into trees or edible plants. This dual-purpose design reduces waste, supports reforestation, and provides additional value to local farmers. By directly aligning consumer habits with ecological restoration, it integrates circular economy principles into everyday life. Unique its ability to serve multiple purposes—offering nutrition, reducing waste, fostering reforestation, and supporting space exploration—creates a transformative and scalable solution.