Beyond Reintegration: How Formerly Incarcerated Women are Leading Waste-to-Energy Solutions

In this episode, we hear from Cedric Alusa, Communications Manager at Clean Start Africa, and Jane Kiio, a remarkable rehabilitated woman who is now a 'Trainer of Trainers' with the organization.

Cedric introduces Clean Start Africa as a social enterprise dedicated to rehabilitating and reintegrating formerly incarcerated women who face challenges including the absence of good conduct certificates, societal stigma and poverty.

He explains that vulnerable women often resort to odd jobs that lead to them to jail on account of petty offenses due to their inability to afford legal representation or fines.

Jane, a mother of four, shares her experience of six years in prison. She explains that Clean Start Africa provides intensive, two-month training covering economic activities, crucial life skills, and business acumen, empowering these women for successful reintegration and livelihood.

One of their core economic activities, relevant to climate change mitigation, is the making of charcoal briquettes. Jane explains the process which involves utilizing charcoal dust and carbonized potato peels, materials sourced from waste, thus managing environmental impact. These are compressed into briquettes using machines, which the women have innovatively improved for better burning results and efficiency, moving beyond manual compression.

The briquettes offer numerous eco-friendly advantages, including longer burning times and reduced smoke, addressing health concerns.

This initiative not only provides income for the women but also helps manage organic waste and reduces deforestation by offering an alternative to traditional charcoal.

They hope to expand this model to other counties, leveraging on locally available waste like sugarcane waste in Nyanza, rice husks in Kirinyaga, and banana peels in Meru. They are advocating for partnerships to help spread these sustainable practices and empower more women.

They also call for a revision of petty offense laws. They recommend alternative corrective measures, including engaging women found to have committed petty offences in climate-related responses like tree planting and waste collection. This approach would address both social justice and environmental sustainability.

From Gangs to Green Solutions: How Youth are Driving Climate Adaptation in Mukuru kwa Reuben

We meet Mitchel Wanja Kamau, a trained water engineer and a vital member of Kwa Reuben Ubuntu Community Based Organization in Mukuru kwa Reuben informal settlement.

Mitchel explains how this CBO emerged from reformed gang members who sought to counter the exploitative use of youth for political goals.

She highlights Mukuru kwa Reuben's climate-related challenges such as severe water scarcity and rampant poor waste disposal. To address these, the group has pioneered an innovative Black Soldier Fly (BSF) initiative.

She meticulously explains their process which includes collecting and sorting organic waste from hotels, schools, and households, sometimes for very low pay, then feeding it to BSF larvae.

She details the entire BSF lifecycle, from eggs to adult flies, and the resulting protein-rich feed being used to sustain their own chicken and much more available for sale.

Mitchel emphasizes the ease of implementing BSF farming and encourages more youth to engage in this climate-smart venture for economic benefits.

Beyond BSF, she describes their crucial waste water management efforts, including unblocking drainages and sewer lines to reduce health risks, particularly for children. The CBO also creatively recycles old tires into gardens, promoting urban greening.

While lamenting the continued dumping of waste into the Ngong River, which they strive to clean, Mitchel suggests that the government should lead initiatives to ensure industries safely drain their wastewater away from rivers.

She proudly shares that over 60% of the community participates in their clean-ups, noting the positive impact of engaging youth who might otherwise turn to crime and drugs. She also touches on gender roles within the CBO, where men typically handle physical tasks like cart-pulling, and women lead the waste sorting.

Despite resource limitations, she remains optimistic. She encourages schools to establish environmental clubs to foster early engagement in climate action.

The Sacred Connection: How Traditional Healers Are Safeguarding Plants and Knowledge for Climate-Resilient Health

In this part of discussion, Dr. Lydia Matoke expands on best practices rooted in traditional wisdom, highlighting the nutritional and medicinal benefits of indigenous foods like sorghum and millet. She emphasizes their dual role in mitigating chronic diseases while simultaneously contributing to broader climate change mitigation efforts.

She stresses the critical importance of integrating the teaching of herbal medicine and traditional food knowledge into all learning institutions, to propagate this dynamic cultural heritage. She encourages involving youth through dedicated seminars to enlighten them about traditional medicine and career opportunities.

Dr. Matoke also addresses the current policy landscape, noting that existing regulations have standards that are prohibitively high for local practitioners, underscoring the need for policies to be "domesticated". She argues that traditional healers should be officially recognized by the Ministry of Health, rather than being classified merely as artists under the Ministry of Culture, despite acknowledging the latter's significant role in raising their visibility.

Dr. Matoke raises a concern about the future sourcing of traditional medicines, particularly for conditions like HIV and cancer, given potential shifts in international health funding, such as America's cessation of aid. This fuels her passionate call for the government to make substantial investments in the development and research of traditional knowledge and medicine, especially as older, experienced herbalists are passing away, taking invaluable knowledge with them.

Dr. Matoke shares her own successful work, primarily dealing with common ailments like stomach-related diseases (including H. pylori), offering cognitive health solutions for infertility, and addressing chronic conditions such as arthritis and cancer, contrasting this with modern medication's tendency to create dependency.

She also details practices that build resilience, such as drying various parts of plants for preservation to ensure year-round availability.

She urges the involvement of youth in accessing land for nurseries, creating both income and conservation opportunities.

The Vanishing Herbs: Dr. Lydia Matoke on Indigenous Healing and Climate Threats

In this compelling first episode, we delve into the world of Dr. Lydia Matoke, a highly respected traditional healer whose connection to herbal medicine stems from a rich family lineage of healers, including a grandfather who was a surgeon.

She shares her unique journey, blending indigenous knowledge passed down from her grandfather with modern education in medicine.

Dr. Matoke recounts the establishment of traditional medicine within the government's framework, her leadership role in national associations and her efforts to foster collaboration with the Ministry of Health.

Through her Hope Natural Health Care Centre, she passes on practical knowledge on herbal medicine to a new generation.

Dr. Matoke raises a critical concern on the waning availability of herbal plants and shrubs due to modern farming practices, deforestation, and the shifting seasons which are direct impacts of climate change. To counter this, she explains how she contracts farmers nationwide to grow specific herbs without fertilizers and how she involves youth in collecting avocado seeds for income.

She strongly encourages herbalists to cultivate their own gardens for conservation and domestication.

Dr. Lydia Matoke challenges the government to partner with traditional healers in identifying and planting indigenous herbal trees for re-afforestation efforts, thereby creating jobs, mitigating climate change and adapting to the climate crisis.

Unlocking Bamboo's Future: How Bamboo Cultivation is Paving the Way for Climate Adaptation and Economic Empowerment

In this episode, Laura Koech unravels the reasons behind the limited popularity of bamboo farming in Kenya. She attributes this to a potential disconnect from the indigenous knowledge that once surrounded bamboo, coupled with past depletion of the resource.

Laura also shares her personal experiences, noting the surprise people express at encountering a young, educated woman actively involved in farming.

She emphasizes the availability, though limited, of resources and funding opportunities for those interested in pursuing bamboo cultivation.

Despite the long-term nature of bamboo farming and the challenges of land access, particularly for youth and women, Laura highlights its significant economic potential, surpassing that of traditional tree farming, especially when cultivated on community land.

Laura informs us about the possibility of cultivating bamboo without the use of chemicals.

She advocates for planting bamboo in public spaces like schools, hospitals, and town centres, recognizing its value as a shade provider and its suitability for growth and profitability in equatorial regions.

Laura also shares unique insights into permaculture farming techniques.

Kenya's Green Gold: Laura Koech on Bamboo's Untapped Potential for Climate Resilience

Laura Koech, a Yale University alumna, shares her inspiring journey into the world of bamboo, sparked by its innovative use in construction which she witnessed in China.

Getting in touch with a bamboo expert at the Kenya Forestry Research Institute (KEFRI), further set her ambition to unlock the potential of this useful resource in Kenya.

Her project focuses on cultivating bamboo both individually and in collaboration with farmers in the Kuresoi South Subcounty, a significant area within the vital Mau Forest water catchment area.

Laura highlights the advantages and features of bamboo, particularly its effectiveness in water filtration on riparian land and its ability to thrive even in degraded soils, making it ideal for reclaiming deadland. Its adaptability to unused land and the high yield potential of 6-10 poles per seedling every six months, present significant business opportunities within bamboo farming.

From her, we learn about the relatively simple cultivation process, requiring minimal watering after establishment and allowing for harvesting for up to 70 years. This underscores its viability and long-term benefits.

With a relatively short maturity period of 5-7 years and the potential for harvesting every 6 months, bamboo offers a sustainable source of wood for diverse applications, from construction to utensils, thus reducing reliance on plastics.

She informs us that beyond its practical uses, bamboo plays a crucial role in increasing tree cover and acts as an effective carbon sink, even after harvesting, making it attractive for carbon investment.

Lessons from the Ground: Ernest Chitechi on Gender, Youth, and Policy Integration in Climate Action

In our continuing conversation with Ernest Chitechi, we explore some of the outstanding innovations fostered by KCIC. He highlights unique enterprises such as the KOKO network, Power Hive, Power Gen, Hydroponic Africa, Sunergy, Kings Biofuel, and Exotic EPZ, demonstrating the diverse range of climate-smart solutions being developed.

Mr. Chitechi also touches upon KCIC's work in carbon trading, which involves aggregating various groups to maximize their impact.

He emphasizes the role of cultural knowledge in inspiring innovations, for example in the development of cooking stoves and high-yielding agricultural crops that align with community preferences.

Mr. Chitechi shares experiences related to gender issues, including the importance of male engagement in women-focused programs. He also discusses innovative financing approaches, such as disbursing funds in instalments or based on project milestones, rather than providing lump sums upfront.

He mentions specific initiatives being implemented in Nakuru County and strongly encourages enhanced participation and increased funding opportunities for youth, recognizing their potential for innovative ideas.

Mr. Chitechi addresses the existing gaps in integrating national and county policies for seamless implementation and emphasizes KCIC's role in promoting assisted compliance. He underlines the need for homegrown solutions to community challenges and advocates for combined media engagement to raise awareness about climate change and available funding opportunities.

In the first part of this two-part series, we speak with Ernest Chitechi about the crucial role of the Kenya Climate Innovation Centre (KCIC) in shaping the climate change financing landscape.

KCIC stands as a leading incubator and accelerator in Africa, part of a global network dedicated to catalysing climate entrepreneurship. The centre strategically identifies and supports Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs) with climate-smart solutions across diverse sectors, including renewable energy, agriculture, water, waste management, and commercial forestry.

The Centre support extends to businesses at various stages of development, from early-stage ventures to those requiring growth capital, and includes crucial capacity-building initiatives.

Mr. Chitechi reflects on the achievements of KCIC over the past decade, highlighting their work with over 3,500 enterprises, the creation of more than 57,000 decent jobs, and the mitigation of over 500,000 tonnes of CO2 emissions.

He shares with us that their efforts have contributed to over 70 government policy initiatives related to climate action.

He also provides valuable guidance on the specific steps and criteria for entrepreneurs seeking to access the various funding opportunities and support programs available through KCIC.