Success Reports

In our success stories, we present the results of the projects in the form of quantitative results and concrete data. The projects selected here have not only fulfilled their planned objectives but have exceeded them or have created a solid foundation for further growth. 

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Mmachukwu Obimdike Loretta – Nigeria

Project title: Green Action Pathway (GAP)

 

 

 

 

 

Drawing inspiration from her time in Hamburg, Germany, Obimdike L. Mmachukwu has spearheaded a groundbreaking project aimed at transforming climate change education in Nigerian schools. Through innovative curriculum development focusing on ecosystem restoration, nursery establishment, and climate change education for secondary schools, Obimdike has achieved remarkable progress in just a few months.

Project progress:

• She received a grant worth 10,000 pounds from the Movement Trust for her pilot implementation.
• Environmental clubs in 10 secondary schools were created with a minimum of 20 members each.
• School environmental clubs have established 10 nurseries with a minimum of 100 seedlings per nursery.
• A manual on environmental education and an activity booklet were published and distributed to 250 members of the environmental club.
• 86 students, 12 teachers, and two parents were trained in green skills (solar energy systems for homes, environmental art, and upcycling).
• 21 Nigerian youth were trained on Nigerian Policy Frameworks such as the NDCs, National Forest Policy, and the Climate Change Act.
• She received a grant from Stiftung Unternehmen Wald, Germany to restore 15 hectares of degraded land in Awka, Anambra State, Nigeria.
• With her project, Mmachukwu received a WeNaturalist People of Nature Award under the category Environmental Educator of the Year 2023. 
  

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• Cynthia Onyangore – Kenya

Project title: Developing a sustainable African Indigenous Vegetables (AIVs) value chain in Kenya

 Enter the realm of Cynthia Onyangore’s groundbreaking project, where each seed planted signifies a step towards a brighter future for Kenya’s agricultural landscape. Her mission? To create an inclusive and sustainable African Indigenous Vegetables (AIVs) value chain, empowering resilient women and nurturing communities. Through innovative practices and stakeholder collaboration, Cynthia’s vision is taking root, with the following achievements

Project progress:

• The pilot farm was successfully developed for the minimum viable product (MVP), the African Nightshade vegetable producing 1,000Kg of vegetables and scaling up to 1 acre of land for the 1st season.
• 10,000 seedlings were produced for the African Nightshade Vegetable which led to a new income stream.
• She got a new position as a senior consultant with SME for vegetables value chain for 2 Wageningen University & Research training courses, Rural Entrepreneurship and Inclusive Market Development held in Eldoret, with 22 participants each from one of 10 different African countries.
• Successful multistakeholder engagements with 10 different stakeholder groups in the vegetable value chain in Uasin Gishu County and a chainwide learning workshop with 150 stakeholders which resulted in the development of a strategic action plan to address gap areas.
• The price of African Nightshade vegetables within her enterprise has increased from 0.13€ to 0.33€ per kilogram farmgate, and to 0.65€ per kilogram when sorted and washed, because only organic vegetables are produced.
• Their supply also increased from 1,000kg in a season to 2,000kg in 2023.
• 8 internal stakeholders and staff have been trained using the toolkit on sustainable production of indigenous vegetables.
• Secured a research opportunity with Wageningen University & Research to contribute a case study on the role of informal actors in Kenya’s indigenous vegetable value chain. This will culminate in a book publication slated for 2024, featuring 24 case studies from Africa and Asia
• Cynthia employed an additional four part-time workers primarily engaged in production and harvesting activities.

 

 

3. Jackson N Sebigunda – DR Congo

Project title: Transforming Lives with Climate-Smart Urban Agriculture

Step into the visionary project led by Jackson, where innovation meets sustainability to shape a brighter future for urban farming in Goma, DR Congo. Jackson’s mission? To pioneer hydroponic and urban farming systems, leveraging eco-friendly techniques to support plant cultivation within controlled environments. With a focus on training farmers and students in urban farming, Jackson not only aims to reduce hunger but also advances sustainable production and consumption. His achievements speak volumes.

• More than 1400 people including 50 female farmers are trained in Climate-smart agricultural techniques.
• 12 newly established Greenhouses are used as cultivation and research fields.
• 40 Urban farms were launched and mostly led by women.
• Over 5000 refugees including 1500 children are fed from the products of the project.
• 4 tons of food are harvested every month.
• Jackson’s remarkable accomplishments within both his university and the city of Goma earned him state recognition, leading to his 2024 promotion as Dean of the Faculty for Environment and Agronomy at the University of Goma.

4. Lateef Salami – Nigeria

Project title: Redefining the Future of Printing through ink cartridge recycling by Lateef Salami

Embark on the journey of sustainability with Lateef, whose visionary ISA project aims to revolutionize the ink and toner cartridge industry through eco-friendly practices. Lateef is dedicated to implementing a sustainable business model centred on the reuse of ink and toner cartridges, reducing waste, and promoting environmental stewardship. His project achievements have spotlighted Ecopath, Nigeria’s first recycling company for ink cartridges.

• Ecopath is the first Nigerian recycling company for ink cartridges.
• The enterprise has gained access to over 1000 major customers in Nigeria in 2023.
• Production of recycled ink cartridges has increased by 40% in 2023 with the collection of over 400 empty cartridges.
• The enterprise has expanded to two major Nigerian states – Lagos and Oyo.
• More than 300 stakeholders have endorsed the transition towards recycled ink cartridges.

5. Sneha Murali – India

Project title: Pioneering curriculum-based online education for deaf kids

Meet Sneha, the kid raised by deaf parents, an author and activist committed to advocating for inclusivity and education for all. With a fervent dedication to integrating deaf children into mainstream education, Sneha has crafted an inclusive and digital curriculum that has become the pleasure of students and their parents.

 

• The minister of education endorsed the interactive curriculum-based online education for deaf kids as a tool to promote inclusive education.
• The platform has been introduced to over 300 schools.
• Over 380 independent students within the pilot school are subscribed to the platform.
• The project has expanded to other regions with the creation of ‚The positive school‘.

6. Chibunna Ogbonna – Nigeria

Project title: Kiru – Powering the African Dream with Clean Energy

The Kiru energy project is dedicated to addressing Africa’s energy challenges. Through a pilot phase in regions of Nigeria with limited electricity, it aims to establish renewable energy as the most accessible and affordable source of energy in Africa. Utilizing solar-powered smart grids and digital platforms, the project aims to connect businesses and homes to clean, reliable and affordable electricity. While this project is still in its early stages of development, its progress illuminates the transformative potential of Chibunna, a young university graduate, in fueling the aspirations of the Nigerian people.

• Providing reliable backup power solutions for low-energy applications to over 25 customers.
• Kiru solutions are now available in 8 Nigerian major cities.
• ‘Pawabiz’It provides reliable clean energy to power Small and medium-sized businesses in Nigeria with the aid of digital technology and innovative business models.
• They just launched their ‘PawaHauz’ unit which provides clean and reliable energy to power Nigerian homes. The present pilot phase provides energy to 5 households.
• 6 partner companies have joined the team of collaborators.
• Kiru was among the top 5 finalists of the World Clean Tech Start-ups Award 2023 hosted by the Clean Tech business club France/Dubai.

7. Fatoumata Kassama – The Gambia

Project title: Girl’s Pride

Fatoumatta project focuses on developing a board game tailored and promote the use of reusable pads among youths in The Gambia. The board game addresses taboo topics such as menstrual hygiene management, reproductive health, child abuse, and other taboo subjects. As the founder of Girls‘ Pride, a social enterprise addressing period poverty and promoting menstrual hygiene, Fatoumatta aims to use edutainment and educative campaigns to break taboos and normalize conversations around periods, abuse, and reproduction. Through the board game, Gambian youths and adults will have the opportunity to learn about these topics in an engaging and stigma-free manner, fostering open dialogue within homes, schools, and communities. Girl’s Pride has recorded amazing progress since implementation began.

 

• 3,250 students have played the game and its impact on their lives has been significant.
• The board game has been introduced and integrated into 65 secondary schools in The Gambia.
  • Training of 25 Home Science Teachers in the North Bank Region on Hand-Made Reusable Pad Production and setting up pad banks in their schools (Funded by the US Embassy in Banjul)
  • Nationwide school campaign (150 schools, junior & senior) on menstrual health and hygiene management and gender-based violence (Supported by UNFPA-Gambia)
  • Training of 25 Home Science Teachers in the Lower River Region on Hand-Made Reusable Pad Production, setting up pad banks in their schools, and gamified menstrual health and hygiene management education using the Funneh Board Game
• Pads for Plastic (P4P) initiative:
  • 54 girls are engaged in the P4P project.
  • The volume of plastic waste collected: each girl collected 100 used plastic bottles exchanged for a kit of reusable pads (3 pads per girl, pads reusable for 3 years)
• Over 5,000 reusable pads have been produced and distributed to women in The Gambia
• Public events where the Funeh board game has been presented:
  • UNFPA International Women’s Day Celebration 2023
  • Gambia Youth Chamber of Commerce Trade Fair (Ministry of Health of The Gambia-World Bank SWEDD Project Stall)
  • High-Level Event – Caring Territories Against Gender-Based Violence (Conference for Mayors from Africa and Europe)
  • UNDP Gambia Youth Dialogue event with the presence of the UNDP Regional Director for Africa

 

8. Christian Amoako – Ghana

Project title: Coastal Watch – Marine Plastic Pollution Education and Awareness for Sustainable Development

Christian’s project addresses marine pollution in coastal regions of Ghana through education for sustainable development. After witnessing the growing quantities of waste on beaches, Christian recognized the need to address the degradation of Ghana’s coastal areas. His project aims to raise awareness about single-use plastic and marine pollution among children, young people, and communities by designing toolkits for implementing ocean clubs in basic schools. By equipping the younger generation with knowledge, skills, and values to combat marine plastic pollution, Christian hopes to foster a sense of responsibility and stewardship, ultimately contributing to a cleaner, healthier, and more sustainable coastal ecosystem for future generations.

 

• Collected 900.24kg of waste from the beach.
• Build the capacity of 50 persons living with disabilities on waste management as an income-generating activity.
• Trained 100 schoolteachers who will facilitate the management of the school Ocean clubs.
• Established Ocean clubs in 16 schools with a minimum membership of 20 members per club.
• Organized a boot camp with 500 participants from 16 schools.
• 25 volunteers were trained to support the community sensitisation campaign. Over 50 households and 3000 individuals were sensitized during the campaign.

9. Olamide Olabimpe Olayiwola

Project title: The Green Mind Academy

Olamide’s „Green the Mind“ project in Nigeria focuses on researching improved conservation practices, particularly the impact of displacing local communities in protected areas. She aims to involve these communities for better conservation outcomes. Additionally, her project includes hosting a 4-day boot camp and awareness campaigns through Green Mind International Academy to engage young Nigerians in protecting their environment. The academy’s flagship initiative, the National Nature Camp, gathers youth aged 18 to 29 for a four-day camping experience to promote environmental awareness and climate action.