Cassava Waste to Clean Innovation: Evariste Sibobugingo’s Road to AFSF 2025

Now, Evariste is among 17 young changemakers selected to represent Rwanda at the Africa Food Systems Summit 2025 (AFSS25) in Senegal, an international platform for innovative thinkers driving change across Africa’s food systems.

His story is one of creativity, perseverance, and the power of seeing opportunity where others see waste. “Can Waste Be Valued?” A Question That Sparked a Movement

Evariste’s journey began five years ago, not with machinery or capital, but with a question:

“Is it possible that what is called waste can be valued?”

Living in a cassava-rich area, he noticed that the peels discarded in large quantities were an untapped resource. “One day I saw cassava peels being thrown away and wondered if they could be useful. That curiosity became my turning point,” Evariste recalls.

With little industry support and a discouraging environment, he turned to self-education and relentless research. “I once asked my boss about how soap is made. He said, ‘You’ll never know just keep working.’ That drove me to find the answers myself.”

Sibobugingo Evariste has been running a project of making soap from cassava peels for six years.

A brief but powerful encounter with a wealthy businessman also left a lasting mark:

“If you want to succeed, do research on cassava. ”And so he did. From 2018 to 2021, Evariste focused on learning how cassava peels could be transformed into soap and organic fertilizer. His findings showed that cassava peels contain oils suitable for soap-making, and their residues can be repurposed into high-quality agricultural inputs.

Building a Business from the Ground Up

In 2021, Evariste officially registered his business with the Rwanda Development Board (RDB). Today, he runs a small but growing factory that produces liquid soap, bar soap, and organic fertilizer all from cassava peels.

His business now employs 8 permanent staff, over 30 casual laborers, works with 500 smallholder farmers for cassava peel supply ad sources additional raw materials from three large-scale cassava farms (over 30 hectares each).

By purchasing cassava peels at 40 Rwandan francs per kilogram, Evariste is not only creating employment but also incentivizing waste collection and promoting circular economy practices.

Recognition and Awards: Turning Ideas into Impact

Evariste’s work has received national and continental recognition: Top 100 in Africa at the 2019 Youth Connect Awards (RWF 500,000 prize),1st place in the Imari Agri-Business Challenge by Imbuto Foundation, earning RWF 10 million to scale up production, numerous participations in agricultural and agribusiness exhibitions and tenders. These achievements have allowed him to expand operations and build a vision beyond Rwanda’s borders.

Scaling Impact Through AGRA Support

Evariste's breakthrough was not a solo journey. He acknowledges the critical support received from the Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA), which identified his potential and provided both funding and capacity-building support.

AGRA, working through Rwanda Youth in Agribusiness Forum (RYAF), is instrumental in empowering young innovators like Evariste to lead Africa’s agricultural transformation.

“We are grateful to the Government of Rwanda and organizations like AGRA,” he says. “They gave us tools, training, and a voice. Without them, scaling this idea would have been nearly impossible.”

After making the soap, they put on the brands.

Through its initiatives, AGRA champions youth participation in shaping Africa’s food future and ensures that innovators have a seat at high-level discussions like AFSS25 and COP summits.

Africa Food Systems Summit 2025: A Platform for Change

Being selected to attend AFSS25 in Senegal is both an honor and a new chapter for Evariste. “This summit is more than a meeting; it's a platform to learn, to inspire, and to amplify our work. I want to tell Africa’s youth that opportunity lies in seeing value where others see waste.”At the summit, he hopes to exchange ideas, build networks, and share Rwanda’s homegrown innovations with the rest of the continent.

Advice to Youth: Believe in Small Ideas

To aspiring entrepreneurs, Evariste offers powerful words. “Never abandon an idea just because it looks small. Every big thing starts as a small idea sometimes even one that seems impossible. “Learn from the problems around you, because they hold tomorrow’s solutions.”

Looking Ahead

Evariste Sibobugingo is not just building a business he’s building a model for inclusive, sustainable, and youth-led development in Africa. With the support of organizations like AGRA and platforms like AFSS, his vision of turning waste into wealth is no longer a dream it’s a blueprint for the future.

The soap they produce is measured according to the standards set by the Rwanda Standards Board (RSB).

Cassava peels were waste, but Sibobugingo Evariste turned them into cash

Those are Liquid soaps are made using cassava peels.

Once they are ready, they are packed in cartons and sent to the market.