Levedy Céleste Lossangoye developed a passion for fish farming at an early age. She grew up surrounded by fish ponds on her family’s fish farm in Andem in the Central African country of Gabon. Located around 60 kilometres from Libreville, the country’s capital, her family’s farm has 21 ponds across two hectares and has a production capacity of about 37 tonnes a year. It’s enough to make a comfortable living, but there is untapped potential.

Now 30 years old, Céleste is an agricultural engineer with a vision. She is working with her father, Daniel, to turn the family business into a large-scale operation which not only raises tilapia and catfish but also sells their fish directly to people throughout the country.