This newsletter was originally shared on 7/10/2025 by AWASH. The original newsletter format can be found here. To subscribe and get future newsletters emailed to you, please share your details here.

We’ve officially launched in Ghana - here’s what we’ve achieved so far.

Hi, I’m Naveeth, the Founder and Executive Director of AWASH. Although we have been laying the groundwork for a few months, that was all preparation - the real work starts now! I’ve officially moved from the UK to Ghana, and operations have begun.

At its core, AWASH works to improve fish welfare in Ghana’s tilapia industry - reducing mortality and disease by combining on-the-ground collaboration with evidence-based solutions.

Key achievements so far

Hired a local aquaculture specialist

We’re thrilled to have welcomed Dr Kwaku Appiah Duodu to our team! Kwaku is a trained veterinarian who works with Ghana’s Fisheries Commission, regularly visiting tilapia farms to advise on disease prevention and treatment. He will‬‭ play‬‭ a‬‭ pivotal‬‭ role‬‭ in‬‭ shaping‬‭ strategy,‬‭ interpreting research results, designing‬‭ practical‬‭ interventions,‬‭ and‬‭ communicating‬‭ with‬‭ farmers. His expertise also adds credibility to our organisation to external stakeholders.

Secured a speaking slot at a local conference

At the end of October, we’ll be presenting at the  Chamber of Aquaculture Ghana’s upcoming conference. This opportunity reflects the relationship we’ve built with the Chamber through our early research and outreach.

Our presentation will focus on the importance of fish welfare, including how it affects productivity and the practical steps farms can take to improve it. This represents a unique opportunity to engage multiple farms at once, learn more about industry-wide challenges, and establish AWASH as a trusted voice within Ghana’s aquaculture sector.

Conducted preliminary research calls

To test our assumptions from the project proposal, we conducted research calls with a number of experts. These have provided valuable insights and helped us establish early relationships with key stakeholders. We will build on this during our on-the-ground scoping research and in-person conversations.

We've discovered that water quality monitoring and improvements - our initial suggested intervention - may have less marginal impact than originally expected, since larger farms are responsible for most of the production and already conduct some monitoring. However, opportunities remain to improve consistency, expand variables measured, and ensure appropriate welfare standards are maintained.

Other promising interventions include improved biosecurity measures or vaccination procedures, especially at hatcheries. Our scoping visits will allow us to determine which intervention is most likely to be cost-effective and impactful.

Organised scoping visit

We have already arranged a scoping visit at a major tilapia farm in Ghana in October. Some farms prefer to have an off-farm meeting first to establish trust before granting us permission to visit the farm. So we are organising these with several others. Kwaku’s existing contacts will expedite this process, as he already has several trusted relationships on these farms.

Launched brand and website

We’re excited to have unveiled AWASH’s logo and website. Huge thanks to User Friendly for our logo design and to Vegan Hacktivist for building the website. Their creativity and generosity saved us considerable time and ensured a far more professional result than we could have managed alone.

Key goals for the next 3 months

• Scoping visits: Complete the scheduled October farm visit, and arrange additional ones. These will be central to understanding current welfare practices and assessing potential interventions.
• Conference presentation: Deliver our fish welfare talk at the Chamber of Aquaculture conference, using the opportunity to strengthen relationships and gather insights.
• Deciding on interventions: Analyse findings from visits and conference discussions to determine our primary intervention strategy. Alongside this, we’ll design metrics to measure welfare improvements and adoption rates, ensuring we can demonstrate tangible impact.

• Building partnerships: Continue to establish the relationships and infrastructure necessary for implementation, potentially including farms, government bodies, suppliers, training providers, and local organisations.

   

Note of thanks

I’d like to thank Animal Advocacy Africa for their continued guidance and for providing the pilot funding for our project. We are receiving regular strategic advice from Moritz Stumpe, as well as support from Jenna Hiscock, Stuart Craig, and Magda Kwapisiewicz. The contacts and assistance they’ve provided have allowed us to get to this place today.

I’d also like to give a special thanks to Emmanuel Awuni, founder of SHARED Africa (which operates as our fiscal sponsor). He has worked tirelessly to help get me set up in Ghana, without whom it would have been nearly impossible.

Hiring is a pivotal part of building a successful company. For this reason, I’m deeply grateful to Wasseem Emam, Haven King-Nobles, Marco Cerqueira, Daniel Abiliba, Jacob Ayang, and Justin Graham for their advice and support throughout this important process. The speed and quality of the hiring would not have been possible without them - building a strong foundation for the charity to succeed.

Thank you all for being part of this journey - whether you advised, connected us, or simply shared encouragement along the way. We’ll continue sharing updates quarterly as we make progress, and we’d love to hear from anyone interested in partnering, offering insights, or helping us expand our reach.