Empowering Youth for a Greener Future

March 18, 2025

In 2025, it is becoming evident that our world is facing the dual challenges of climate change and educational inequality. On Global Recycling Day, we celebrate the transformative power of education and the resilience of youth, who are turning waste into opportunities, even in the most challenging of circumstances.

A Global Crisis with Local Solutions

Climate change is the defining issue of our time. Rising temperatures, erratic weather patterns, and environmental degradation threaten the very fabric of our societies. In addition, youth are some of the most vulnerable to the lifelong environmental effects caused by climate change, despite being the least responsible for it. According to a report from WHO, UNICEF and Lancet, excessive carbon emissions – disproportionately from wealthier countries – threaten the future of all children and youth. If global warming continues unabated, it would have devastating health consequences for children and youth, from sea level rise, heatwaves, diseases, malnutrition, and more¹. As such, it is hardly surprising that another recent study revealed that 70% of 16–25-year-olds feel extremely or very worried about climate change, and this number exceeds 80% in some countries in the global south².

Yet, while the climate crisis is a global challenge, its impacts are felt most acutely at the local level, especially in vulnerable communities like Kakuma in Kenya. While Kenya is a country that deals with multiple effects of climate change, including floods, drought, landslides and rising lake waters, Kakuma, home to one of the largest refugee camps in the world, is a place where the impacts of climate change are compounded by the challenges of displacement, poverty, and limited access to education.

The Power of Education for Climate Action

As a critical tool for achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly SDG 13 on Climate Action, education is at the heart of the crisis. Addressing climate change through education is complex and context specific. These are interlinked issues, that need to be analysed in order to find solutions. An inclusive and safe education can be a major contributor to addressing this the climate crisis, through reducing vulnerability and, crucially, improving communities’ resilience. It is particularly important that who are closest to the impacts and harms are empowered to produce workable sustainable solutions. Yet, for many young people in Kakuma, access to quality education has been a distant dream.

From Waste to Wealth and Seeing Innovation in Action

In response to these critical challenges, the Education Above All (EAA) Foundation, through its Reach Out To All (ROTA) Programme, is pleased to partner with the Girl Child Network (GCN) in Kenya for the joint Green Youth 360 Project. This impactful Education for Climate Action initiative, is not just focused on teaching young people to recycle or plant trees, it is fundamentally about empowering refugee and host community youth in and around the Kakuma and Dadaab refugee camps to become leaders in the fight against climate change.

Here, the Green Youth 360 Project is proving that young people don’t have to accept being victims of climate change, rather, they have the potential to be powerful agents of change. By equipping them with green skills, the project is cultivating youth innovators who are tackling environmental challenges directly in their own communities. From recycling plastic waste into useful products to creating organic compost for community gardens, these young leaders are demonstrating the true meaning of sustainability.

Take for example, Ali Omari Washikala, an 18-year-old student at Vision Secondary School. Ali’s passion for the environment led him to join the Green Youth 360 Project, where he learned how to turn waste into resources. “I now know that waste can become a source of income,” Ali says. His story is a testament to the transformative power of education. By teaching young people like Ali the skills to recycle, compost, and innovate, the project is not only addressing environmental challenges, but also creating economic income generating opportunities.

Similarly, Acampo Ramadhan, a 15-year-old student at Joy Primary School, has become a champion for waste management in his community. “I felt bad seeing how waste polluted our river and spread diseases,” Acampo recalls. “But now, I know I can create change.” Through the Green Youth 360 Project, Acampo and his peers are leading clean-up initiatives, educating their communities, and transforming waste into valuable resources.

One of the most inspiring aspects of the Green Youth 360 Project is its emphasis on innovation. In a resource-constrained environment like Kakuma, creativity is key. Young people are turning plastic bottles into planters, old tires into nursery beds, and paper waste into briquettes for fuel. These innovations are not just practical, they are also symbolic in demonstrating that hope and ingenuity can thrive in the face of adversity.

Brilliant Edamit, a 15-year-old student at Arid Zone Primary School, embodies this spirit of innovation. “I used to see litter everywhere,” Brilliant says. “But now, I see waste as a resource.” Under her leadership, her school has implemented a waste management system that includes recycling and composting. “We’re not just cleaning up our school, we’re cleaning up our future,” she reflects.