Kamogelo’s story on… a mission to revive indigenous superfoods from Botswana’s garden to the world’s table

Growing up as one of six children in Botswana, Kamogelo discovered her calling early - in the dirt of her backyard garden, where she'd spend hours experimenting and nurturing whatever she could grow. Agriculture was mandatory at school, a subject most students endured rather than enjoyed. But for Kamogelo, it was sacred ground where she could do what she loved most. She tended to her spinach, beans, and onions with care that made hers stand out among all the others. This was the backdrop against which her relationship with food took root and where it would eventually blossom into something far bigger.

“When I was asked at school what I wanted to do - I always answered with: ‘I want to feed people’. I never quite understood what I meant exactly, but I knew I wanted to do something with my love for growing food and helping people.”

Kamogelo went on to study Environmental Forensic Science with a vision to become a ‘lawyer for the planet.’ Alongside her dedication to climate justice advocacy and environmental activism, she was forever ‘experimenting’ in her garden. While working as a project consultant officer for the Botswana Climate Change Network, she transformed her side project - exploring hydroponics and replacing chemicals with her own compost - into a much larger initiative. Encouraged by her brother-in-law to scale the idea, she crafted a proposal that attracted the UNDP's support and secured funding. This led to a village-to-village pilot across Botswana, where she began by meeting with chiefs to earn their trust before introducing the solution to their communities. A deeply impactful project that continues to thrive today.

Next came a role as Youth Climate Justice Digital Activist at PACJA, where her hydroponic experiments matured, now gaining global recognition. Her work on compost fermentation in hydroponic systems earned 2nd prize in the World Bank's Global Youth Climate Network Climate-Smart Entrepreneurship Competition. More valuable than the award itself though, were the relationships she forged at this time - a network of farmers and professionals across multiple countries, all dedicated to sustainable and smart agriculture. Connections that would shape her future in ways she couldn't yet imagine. 

Following her work with the Global Commons Alliance - empowering youth networks, driving impactful campaigns, and demanding accountability for Science-Based Targets for Nature - the biggest twist in her career was about to unfold. When Kamogelo relocated to Germany with her husband, she envisioned continuing her work in climate change and sustainability. But the humble Bambara nut was about to introduce the biggest twist in her career.  Kamogelo had always viewed the Bambara nut as an ordinary staple of her childhood. But when her husband tasted it, he was blown away - not just by the flavor, but by its characteristics as a potential superfood. With the global rise of sustainable proteins, Kamogelo realized she was holding the future of food in her hands.

“At first I tried to build a brand that would simply fit into the global market. I quickly realized that I was holding back the very essence of what made us unique. Tsarona means 'ours': our food, our planet, our bodies. That sense of ownership - claiming our heritage and our story - became the core mission of the business, and it filled me with immense pride.”

To Kamogelo and the Botswana people, the Bambara nut (Ditloo) is far more than a crop; it's a "survivor plant" deeply integrated into daily life. Its uses span every generation and every meal, from serving as a primary source of protein in infant porridge provided at local clinics, to its role as a simple, raw, everyday snack. It can be ground into nutritious milk or flour for baking, and it enriches hearty dishes like her grandmother's Dikgobe (a traditional stew blending multiple pulses). The Bambara nut has always been synonymous with a constant source of reliable nutrition.

"A naturally grown protein rich source. This nut should be out there and worshipped! Climate change is already reshaping what we grow and eat, it doesn't make sense that we are not embracing the food that grows well and is good for us and our planet. With 90% of our food produced by just a handful of plants, while nearly 300,000 edible species exist, it's no surprise that biodiversity is declining and ecosystems are under threat. Countless indigenous superfoods go unnoticed in the lesser-known parts of the world.”

What started as a humble family meal became a mission: to transform indigenous, climate-resilient crops into healthy, everyday food and drinks, rooted in African heritage, crafted for modern tables. Kamogelo's vision for Tsarona stretches far beyond her first Bambara nut milk product. She envisions a marketplace where people can discover and access the globe's forgotten crops, preserving the traditional knowledge of local farmers while building a more resilient food system for everyone.

From the traditional nutritional tea maker in Sierra Leone to farmers in Benin and growers across South America, everywhere Kamogelo looks, she finds people trying to bridge the same gap: connecting their ancestral crops and traditional knowledge to a world that's forgotten them. They fuel her fire. Their stories make it impossible to stay still, impossible not to answer the call. Tsarona is that answer: a place where heritage isn't locked behind glass but lives on tables. Where traditional knowledge doesn't merely survive but thrives. Where the foods that sustained generations rise again to sustain the next.

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