The Kenya Community Development Foundation (KCDF) has given KSh 53 million in grants to 10 youth-led community organisations and two individuals for projects on environmental sustainability and conservation.
The awardees are the finalists of the second Young Environmentalist Innovation Challenge (YEIC), a KCDF initiative supported by philanthropic funders to promote action-oriented environmental solutions.
The recipients are MOMA Renewable Energy (Kisii), which converts organic food waste into bioethanol; Vermi-Farm Initiative Limited (Meru), which supports smallholder farmers with sustainable agriculture and climate adaptation; M-taka Waste Solutions Limited (Kisumu), which links communities in the waste value chain; Eco Nasi Limited (Machakos), which makes eco-friendly materials from pineapple pulp waste; Timao Group (Nairobi), which produces building materials from plastic waste; Megagas Alternative Energy Enterprise Ltd (Nairobi), which turns plastic waste into clean cooking gas; Pollen Patrollers Limited (Kiambu), which offers pollination services to farmers; Zalika Greentech Limited (Nairobi), which provides renewable energy and off-grid electrification; Adumu Limited (Nairobi), which makes fashion items from recycled materials; and CropScan Smart Farming Technologies (Nairobi), which uses artificial intelligence and the Internet of Things to improve yields and climate resilience.
Individual awardees Erick Sankale Olkiado and Nthuku Mumo Osoro were recognised for grassroots environmental work with potential for national impact.
KCDF said the 12 finalists were selected from over 400 applications received after the June 2024 launch of the competition. The selected projects cover clean energy technologies such as bioethanol and plastic-to-gas, smart agriculture using the Internet of Things and artificial intelligence, circular economy solutions such as biodegradable leather and recycled construction materials, and climate-focused technologies including forest monitoring sensors, biogas storage systems, and carbon credit platforms.
The foundation stated that the grants will help the innovators expand their projects and strengthen their role in Kenya’s transition to green and digital economies.
At the event, KCDF launched the third edition of the challenge under the theme “Scaling Innovations for Environmental Impact,” which will focus on expanding proven community-level solutions in areas such as climate resilience, sustainable agriculture, renewable energy, circular economy, and ecosystem restoration.
The challenge is open to applicants aged 15 to 35 years, with submissions to be made through the KCDF website. The event was attended by Dr. Tonny K. Omwansa, Chief Executive Officer of the Kenya National Innovation Agency, as the chief guest.
