From Coconut Yoghurt to New Possibilities: A Visit from Kilifi Tourism

24 September 2026 | Kibarani, Kilifi

There are moments in a community project when an idea begins to feel less like an experiment and more like something with a future.

For the Rare Vrienden team, 24 September was one of those moments.

We were pleased to welcome Tourism Board Acting CEO Ms.Nancy Mwangemi, Kilifi County Government, to our Kibarani office for a conversation about community enterprise, tourism, local products and the future of YoCoCo.

The visit came at an exciting time for the initiative. Developed by Pwani University postgraduates Geoffrey and Henry, YoCoCo aims to turn locally available coconuts into a value-added product while creating opportunities for young people and women to participate in the wider value chain.

Following the important milestone of receiving KEBS approval and clearance to begin yoghurt production, the focus is now shifting toward building markets and developing the enterprise responsibly.

Ms. Mwangemi's experience in the tourism sector brought valuable new perspectives, particularly around the hotel and hospitality market. Her guidance helped us see new possibilities for positioning YoCoCo for different customers and markets, while exploring connections within Kilifi's tourism ecosystem.

The conversation also touched on the potential for a more zero-waste approach. Early trials suggest that coconut shells and other materials could potentially be developed into products such as decorative items, scrubs, massage oils and other value-added products.

Oils and decor by-products from the yoghurt production

These ideas are still at the experimentation stage, but they demonstrate how much more potential there may be beyond the yoghurt itself.

For Rare Vrienden, YoCoCo is about more than producing coconut yoghurt. It is about bringing together local resources, young entrepreneurs, community participation and partnerships to create opportunities that can grow over time.

We are grateful to Ms. Nancy Mwangemi for visiting us, sharing her insights and helping us explore new pathways for YoCoCo within Kilifi's tourism and hospitality sector.

From one coconut, there may be more possibilities than we first imagined.

The team and Ms. Nancy discussing the progress and future of YoCoCo.