Who we are

Teddy was born in Sierra Leone and Steffi in Germany. Our life as a couple which started for 30 years ago finally brought us to Berlin, where we had the opportunity to witness the historical downfall of the Berlin Wall and the exciting time thereafter. Of course during our time in Berlin we have been making different visits to Freetown but mainly as tourists.

Inspiration for Moringa

During these years in Berlin we started to think about doing something special in Freetown. We thought about a lot of things until both of us saw a report about "Moringa Oleifera" on the TV.
The report was so interesting and at this moment we knew that we would like to do somthing concerning "Moringa" in Freetown, Sierra Leone! Teddy took part in a vocational study program in nutritional consultation which he successfully ended. Through his geined knowledge in this course we were able to understand more about the positive elements of "Moringa Oleifera" and its importance for human beings.

More about Moringa Olefeira

Building a Local Enterprise

Simultaneously we talked with people In Freetown which helped us to take our next step to establish a production enterprise for the production of products like Moringa powder, Moringa tea and seeds. Our producing Equipments like dryer and grinder were produced by Sierra Leone specialists.

Working with Farmers

Of course we needed „Moringa" as raw material for our production. In this connection it was important that we do not only collect and buy "Moringa" from the farmers but we also wanted to explain to these people how important it is that they and their families start to use "Moringa " on a daily basis as this will help to improve their resistance to the out break of sicknesses.

Journey Back to Freetown

In this regard Teddy and Steffi decided to spent 4 weeks in Freetown, Sierra Leone where they could once again meet with the SERTA team and partner farmers with the aim of going through all the official formalities needed for the export of Dried Moringa Seeds from Sierra Leone to Berlin. It was of course not an easy challenge for them to go through all the needed formalities before the Dried Moringa Seeds were finally exported to Berlin. But the interest to once again meet with the SERTA team and partner farmers who have been doing a good work inorder to maintain a well conditioned Moringa farm inspired them to make this journey.

Of course the journey always starts at the Lungi airport where a known airport driver took them to the ferry terminal from where they travelled with the ferry unto Freetown. This welcome moments have always impressed Teddy and Steffi.

Official Export Process

Since this was the first time that Teddy and Steffi wanted to officially export Dried Moringa Seeds to Berlin they had to go through all the official channels needed for this action. The official channel are as follows:

1. Republic of Sierra Leone - Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry & Food Security, Crop Protection Services where they obtained the Phytosanitary Certiicate after a qualified and detailed examination of the dried Moringa seeds was carried out.
2. The Sierra Leone Chamber of Commerce, Industry and Agriculture where the Certificate of Origin for the Dried Moringa Seeds was obtained after going through all the needed formalities according to law.
3. This Produce Monitoring Board where the finally quality control of the Dried Moringa Seeds was carried out inorder to prove that the cultivation of the seeds went through all the needed international organic standards before they are allowed to be exported. Here they obtained the Cetificate to export the seeds.

After going through all these official formalities Teddy and Steffi had to make all the arrangements with a specialised air carrier company for the Dried Moringa Seeds to be transported to Berlin.

Teddyboy at Winterfeld Market

On July 1st, 2023, the time had finally come: for the first time, we presented our products – Moringa oil and Moringa seeds – at Winterfeld Market in Berlin-Schöneberg, close to Nollendorfplatz underground station. Since that day, you can find us there every Saturday.

As so often on our journey, we had the chance to engage in many wonderful conversations – with people from diverse backgrounds and with fellow vendors offering a wide variety of products.

For us, this step was not only an important milestone for our business, but also a moment of personal growth. Every encounter, every conversation, and every experience has accompanied us on a human level and helped us grow.