Gastronomy in Equatorial Guinea
The Semillas project that rescues the Bubi identity and generates real employment
In Malabo, where the Hispanic tradition merges with the African roots, the Carlos Maldonado Roots Foundation has planted a seed of transformation. The “Semillas” project is not just a hospitality school; It is an ecosystem of social insertion that uses gastronomy and crafts as tools of freedom. With the support of the Europamundo Foundation, this initiative offers high-level technical training to groups at risk of exclusion, rescuing the cultural heritage of minority ethnic groups to integrate them into the new economic engine of responsible tourism on Bioko Island.
Equatorial Guinea faces a critical challenge of inequality, where 70% of the population lives in poverty. The Bubi ethnicity, originally from Bioko, has a matrilineal and environmentally protective culture that has been historically marginalized.
The project is justified by providing real opportunities to women (75% of students) and people with functional diversity who face systemic barriers to accessing qualified employment.
geographical and demographic
Located in Malabo, North Bioko Island. It focuses on 150 direct beneficiaries of minority ethnic groups (Bubi, Annobonés, Combe) and rural communities with low literacy rates.
Socioeconomic
The local economy depends on hydrocarbons, leaving those who do not have technical training aside. Female and juvenile unemployment is one of the deepest gaps in the region.
Cultural
Bubi society is based on clans with ancestral rites linked to land and the sea. The project seeks to document and value this legacy before it is lost.
Project Title:
Strategic actions for the social and labor insertion of minority ethnic groups in the island of Bioko (Equatorial Guinea) through sustainable gastronomic, craft and tourism projects.
Development:
The program is deployed in Malabo by integrating the following pillars: School-Workshop Malabo seeds, handmade souvenir production, and Digital Education Without Borders.
Stages:
- Participatory identification and diagnosis.
- Design and execution of technical training and online.
- Promotion of entrepreneurship and access to student markets.
- Visibility and awareness.
- cultural recovery and appreciation.
- Monitoring, evaluation and sustainability.
School-Workshop Seeds Malabo
A face-to-face training space where professional cooking, room and food safety techniques are taught, merging local products from “kilometer zero” with culinary innovation.
Artisanal production of souvenirs
Creation of a textile and wood craft workshop to manufacture identity products that are currently missing in the tourism market, promoting family self-employment.
Digital Education Without Borders
Implementation of an online platform for theoretical training to reach rural populations in jungle areas that are difficult to access, guaranteeing that knowledge reaches every corner of the island.
A labor insertion rate of 75% is expected for graduates. In addition, a recipe book with 50 traditional dishes will be published and a documentary video will be produced to give international visibility to the culture of Equatorial Guinea.
1 – Improvement of technical skills of students in gastronomy and traditional crafts.
Indicators in Face-to-face training:
- At least 60 people (75% women) from minority communities will be trained in traditional cooking techniques and/or craftsmanship.
- Development of the least 4 technical training modules (local cuisine, food security, craft design and market techniques)
Indicators in Online training For hard-to-reach rural population:
- At least 200 people (75% women) of hard-to-reach populations will be trained in traditional cooking techniques, Europamundo Foundation.
2 – Reactivation and valorization of own cultural knowledge:
Indicators:
- Identification, search, documentation and transmission of at least 50 traditional gastronomic recipes and 8 handmade techniques typical of the participating ethnic groups.
- Publication of a recipe book with local products, recipes or stories linked to local culture.
- Development of kitchen or specific space for the production of typical products for sale (dehydrated fruits, etc.).
3 – Improved access to employment and self-employment:
Indicators:
- At least 50% of the people trained will generate family income through the activities learned in gastronomy and crafts in the 3 months after training.
- Creation or strengthening of at least 3 local micro-enterprises (restaurants, craft workshops, cooperatives, shops, etc.).
- Creation of a souvenir shop and local products for the inclusion of handmade products produced by the students.
4 – Promotion of cultural identity and social cohesion:
Indicators:
- Realization of community events where to expose the typical and handmade gastronomy of created
Increase, visibility and cultural recognition of different ethnicities.
Sustainability and future
The project is self-sustaining through the creation of a physical store where the gastronomic and artisan products prepared by the students will be sold, reinvesting the benefits in new training scholarships.
Alignment with the SDGs
- SDG 4 (Quality Education): Free technical and professional training.
- SDG 5 (gender equality): Empowerment of rural women Bubi.
- SDG 8 (decent work): Promotion of entrepreneurship and formal employability.
03/31/2026
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