Goan teenager starts moringa powder business from backyard trees
Grace de Souza, a 13-year-old student, began selling homemade moringa powder in Moira on May 1, 2026.
Grace de Souza, a Class 9 student at St Mary's Convent High School in Mapusa, began producing moringa powder on May 1, 2026. The 13-year-old from Moira, Goa, uses leaves harvested from two moringa trees in her family garden to create the product.
The initiative started after de Souza observed that while her family had access to moringa, many other households did not. She decided to make the leaves available as a powder for easier use in food.
The production process takes three to four days. De Souza harvests the leaves, separates them from stems, and sun-dries them for one day before shade-drying them indoors for two to three days. She turns the leaves hourly to ensure even drying.
One kilogram of fresh leaves yields approximately 250 grams of powder. De Souza sells 100-gram packets for Rs 150. In just over a month, she sold about 20 packets and earned nearly Rs 3,000.
Her mother, Maria de Mello, who runs a home business called The Goan Homestead, said the idea was entirely her daughter's. De Souza often assisted her mother with packing and labelling products in the past.
As demand grows, the family has begun growing more moringa saplings. De Souza intends to continue the venture alongside her studies and may try making other products in the future.