KENYA – Mombasa’s young innovators addressing marine plastic pollution (Twende Green Ecocycle) have caught the attention of King Charles III and Queen Camilla during their royal visit to Kenya.
King Charles, known as the Green King for his fervent dedication to environmental causes in Britain and worldwide, holds a strong commitment to climate change and sustainable environmental solutions.
To celebrate his passion for sustainability, the UK Foreign, Commonwealth, and Development Office (FCDO) and the UN Environment Programme (UNEP), in collaboration with the Mombasa County Government, organized a beach cleanup at Nyali Beach on November 2nd, 2023.
This event brought together forward-thinking innovators from Mombasa’s conservation ecosystem to discuss strategies for reducing marine plastic waste along Kenya’s coastline, including participants from the Mombasa Plastics Prize, a USAID-funded initiative led by Challenge Works.
Among the standout environmentally conscious enterprises showcasing Mombasa as an environmental innovation hub was Twende Green Ecocycle.
This start-up, led by CEO Zainab Mahmoud, creates eco-friendly school desks from recycled plastic.
Zainab, a fourth-year medical student deeply concerned about environmental conservation, highlighted the initiative’s mission during her presentation to His Majesty.
“Approximately 90% of schools in Kenya lack adequate furniture due to the high cost of wooden school desks,” Zainab explained.
“Our goal is to ensure that no young student in Kenya faces the discomfort of learning in an under-furnished environment. That’s why our eco-desks retail at $50, offering a 20% reduction compared to wooden desks, all while being environmentally conscious and upholding quality.”
Mombasa grapples with producing around 1.2 tonnes of waste daily, with only 5% being recycled, leading to vast amounts flooding landfills and crucial marine ecosystems.
Twende Green addresses this by involving communities in plastic waste collection, ensuring fair payment for every kilogram collected.
“We’ve initiated a program in local schools that encourages learners to collect plastic waste,” Zainab shared. “For every 370 kilograms collected by one student, another learner receives a desk and chair.”
Zainab’s team secured a Ksh 3.5 million cash prize at the Mombasa Plastics Prize Celebration and Awards event in May 2023, allowing them to progress to the second phase – the Mombasa Plastics Prize Incubator. This program continues nurturing ideas into sustainable businesses.
“Participating in the Mombasa Plastics Prize training program equipped me with valuable skills to address enduring issues in my community,” Zainab concluded.
