Kenya: Samburu Youth Climate Action Challenge

This challenge is a 9-month program funded by the Embassy of Sweden in Kenya and  UNICEF Kenya and implemented by Zuhura Impact Organization in Samburu County benefiting youth between the ages of 18 – 24 to innovate business solutions to mitigate the effects of climate change in the county.

The Samburu Climate Action Entrepreneurship Challenge is a component of the broader Embassy of Sweden Funded UNICEF WASH effort to strengthen Community Resilience to COVID-19 and Climate Shocks in Samburu County. The objective is to engage youth in climate action and facilitate the strengthening of Samburu county-level coordination for climate action.

Why the Project?

• Climate Change is everyone‘s business! The youthful population of Kenya represents a huge opportunity for climate change adaptation and mitigation strategies. It is crucial to unlock the potential of Kenya’s youth and involve them in finding innovative solutions to what is not only a local and national but also a global challenge.
• The project aims to improve opportunities for entrepreneurship and climate change mitigation and socio-labor insertion of 75 Kenyan youth in vulnerable communities in Samburu. The program offers a solution to youth unemployment and promotes youth participation, leadership, and empowerment with a focus on environmental sustainability through social innovation and social entrepreneurship, enabling young people to identify social and environmental challenges in their communities and create business solutions to address them.

Youth Climate Action Entrepreneurship Bootcamps

• 75 Youth in Samburu country will apply and get selected for a 5 day climate change innovation and entrepreneurship boot camp in groups of 3-5 culminating in a pitching event before local judges with 5 winning teams proceeding to incubation and acceleration.
  • 60 idea-stage entrepreneurs in climate-smart entrepreneurship
  • 15 early-stage entrepreneurs  with climate-smart businesses.

Incubation and Acceleration

• 6-month training, mentoring, coaching, and linkage to business support services for the 5 winning teams.

Seed Funding

Seed funding will availed to the 5 winning teams during the incubation and acceleration stages

• Idea stage entreprises.
  • Winner  300,000;
  • 1st runners up  250,000;
  • 2nd runners up 200,000
• Early-stage climate-smart enterprises
  • Winner 250,000;
  • 2nd team 200,000

Eligibility Criteria

• Must be between the ages of 18-24 years at the time of application
• Must be a resident of Samburu County
• Must have a demonstrated interest in entrepreneurship and climate change
  • Early-stage entrepreneurs in climate change with a business in operation between 6 months – 2 years at the time of application
  • Idea-stage entrepreneurs must demonstrate knowledge and interest in climate change and entrepreneurship
• Collaboration and Engagement: Successful applicants should be willing to collaborate and form teams with other participants, mentors, and stakeholders in the challenge. Engaging in networking and learning opportunities is an essential part of the experience
• Successful applicants must be willing to commit to 5 full-day training boot camps in Maralal and 6 months of follow-up mentoring and coaching.

For more information, visit Zuhura Innovations Africa.