Frozen Fish Kiosk

by Ali Machava

As a humanist from a poor village in Mozambique, I find the "Frozen Fish Kiosk" project presented by The Free Human Academy both inspiring and practical. The concept a low-cost, step-by-step plan to sell frozen fish using a cooler, block ice, and basic tools aligns with the humanist values I hold dear: dignity, self-reliance, and improving human well-being through practical means. In my community, where poverty limits access to reliable food sources and sustainable income, this project has the potential to improve lives. From a humanist perspective, empowering individuals with tools to feed their families and support their neighbors is one of the highest forms of community development.

Some parts of the project would be easy to implement in our setting. For example, identifying the right place to set up the kiosk such as near the local market, a main path, or a transport stop can be done quickly by people who already know the rhythms of our village. Gathering basic display materials like trays, cutting tools, and signage is also manageable with local creativity and reuse of available items. In terms of daily operations, many community members, especially women who sell in the market, already have experience in serving customers, handling food, and maintaining basic hygiene. These are the strengths of our people skills passed from generation to generation and as a humanist, I believe in building on these natural capacities.

However, there are more difficult steps that must be carefully considered. Securing the initial investment of around $300 is a significant barrier in our village, where even small amounts of capital are hard to come by. This challenge would likely require external support or community pooling of resources. Moreover, the reliability of ice and fish supply is uncertain in remote or rural areas. Without a constant supply of block ice or access to preserved fish, the business could face spoilage and financial losses. Maintaining hygiene and temperature control without electricity is another serious concern, especially given Mozambique’s hot climate. Humanists in my society value integrity and trust if people suspect the fish is not fresh or clean, they will not buy. This makes quality control not just a business challenge but a moral one.

This kind of project would appeal especially to women traders in our markets, small-scale fishers near our rivers and lakes, and unemployed youth looking for meaningful, income-generating work. In particular, women who already sell food and small goods at stalls would see this as a way to expand and stabilize their income. From a humanist lens, it is not just about profit it is about giving people the means to take care of their families, educate their children, and support their community through honest, useful work.

The usefulness of this project extends beyond economic benefit. It would contribute to better nutrition by providing consistent access to protein-rich fish. It would reduce food waste caused by spoilage, especially during the hot dry season. It would give individuals an opportunity to learn valuable business and life skills, including record-keeping, quality control, and customer relations. For a humanist, every small effort to improve a person’s ability to shape their own future contributes to human dignity. And in a poor village like those in Zambézia or Tete province, a project like this not only feeds people it empowers them.

In conclusion, while some aspects of this frozen fish kiosk project may be challenging, especially the startup capital and technical refrigeration issues, I believe that with community effort and shared humanist values, it can succeed. It reflects our belief that ordinary people deserve the tools to build better lives, not through charity, but through mutual support, cooperation, and local ingenuity. As a humanist, I see this as more than a business it is a path to restore dignity, create opportunity, and build a more just and self-reliant community.