The day began with a symbolic and practical act: a tree-planting session. Leaders from the various organizations present joined together to plant trees, offering words of affirmation and hope for their growth. This act represented a tangible commitment to climate action, with the trees envisioned to provide shade, habitat for birds, and contribute to the institution’s environmental well-being. Furthermore, the leaders recognized the trees’ potential to provide raw materials essential for timber industries, highlighting the interconnection of environmental sustainability and economic development. This opening ceremony set the tone for an event focused on tangible solutions and long-term impact.

Martha Njambi of Giving Light to Society delivered a compelling presentation highlighting the organization’s multifaceted approach. She emphasized how their programs directly contribute to climate resilience by tackling period poverty and mental health. Njambi explained the significance of their “Kairetu” program, meaning “girl,” which focuses on providing reusable sanitary pads to women and girls from vulnerable backgrounds. This initiative not only addresses the pressing issue of period poverty but also directly combats the environmental impact of non-biodegradable waste. She further underscored the disproportionate impact of climate change on women, particularly those reliant on agriculture, and detailed how the organization’s free counseling and mentorship programs address climate-related anxieties and stress. By recognizing the vital link between mental well-being and effective climate action, Giving Light to Society is demonstrating a holistic approach to building community resilience.

Joseph Makokha of Ubunifu Hub, a project of Greenpeace Africa, showcased their commitment to empowering youth through economic opportunities. He detailed the organization’s programs, which provide youth funds of up to Ksh 50,000 to support sustainable climate action initiatives, regardless of gender. This investment in youth-led solutions is further strengthened by their “aftercare” program and learning trips, which ensure that young entrepreneurs receive the necessary support to implement their ideas effectively. Makokha also highlighted the role of their podcast in amplifying youth voices and advocating for climate action. By providing both financial and educational resources, Ubunifu Hub is fostering a generation of climate leaders who are equipped to drive sustainable change.

Tony Kennedy of the Peer Mentor Association of Kenya emphasized the organization’s focus on nurturing future climate leaders through mentorship and education. He described their work in establishing environmental clubs in schools across various regions, including Kiambu, Nairobi, Turkana, and the Nyanza region. Alongside their tree planting initiatives, they provide essential mentorship to young girls on teenage pregnancies, menstrual health, and the importance of abstinence. Recognizing the interconnection of social and environmental issues, the organization also addresses economic disparities by providing sanitary towels and school uniforms to those in need. By integrating mentor-ship, education, and material support, the Peer Mentor Association of Kenya is cultivating a generation of young people who are committed to both environmental stewardship and social justice.

The event underscored the importance of integrating gender-sensitive approaches into climate action, recognizing that youth-led initiatives are playing a crucial role in driving sustainable change. Addressing period poverty, mental health, and economic empowerment were identified as essential components of building climate resilience. The work of Giving Light to Society, Ubunifu Hub, and the Peer Mentor Association of Kenya, among others, is vital to the communities they serve, offering hope and practical solutions in the face of climate change. Let us all support these vital initiatives and work together to create a more just and sustainable future for all.

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To protect community resources, the Act has made it mandatory that every land-based project carried out under the Act must protect the community’s economic, social, and cultural well-being. This is more so for the projects found in community land.

To eliminate the ambiguity on what constitutes a community for purposes of carbon projects, the Act has defined the community as “a consciously distinct and organized group of users of community land who are citizens of Kenya and share any of the following attributes: (a) common ancestry; (b) similar culture or unique mode of livelihood; (c) socio-economic or other similar common interest; (d) geographical space; (e) ecological space; or (f) ethnicity.

The benefits themselves yet to be harvested by the Communities from the Carbon Markets are clear, but the link to emission reductions can be elusive. The REDD+ Projects more so those developed in community land, should be centered in the communities’ self-governance. Communities ought to choose the development of activities focusing on an array of social, health, and economic development issues.

The big question

But the big question begs, will the communities benefit from this scheme, or is it going to be another philanthropic add-on?

Most of the long-term projects in rural areas that actively involve local communities and generate carbon credits operate within the Voluntary Carbon Markets (VCM), with the intention of empowering these communities by creating additional income streams and promoting sustainable living practices. Carbon credit trading occurs primarily in two distinct markets: compliance trading and voluntary trading. Compliance trading is subject to government regulations and enforcement, while voluntary trading operates on a voluntary basis without a government mandate.

Agreed on at the Convention on Biological Diversity COP14, three principles to further promote alignment between the rights of communities and the VCM were identified: recognition, participation, and transparency.

1. Recognition

Land tenure rights of communities should be explicitly recognized and secured. This begins with recognizing land rights and is followed by assisting Indigenous peoples and local communities in their capacity to describe, price, and trade credits. All captured in the Community Development  Agreement together with who the stakeholders of the projects are, the annual social contribution of the aggregate earnings of the community to be disbursed and managed for the benefit of the community, manner of engagement with local stakeholders, sharing of benefits from carbon markets and carbon credits between the project proponents and impacted communities and the proposed socio-economic development around community priorities. To support this effort, the mandatory period for review or amendment of a Community Development Agreement is 5 years with the Agreement providing for framework on how disputes can be solved.

2. Participation

Equitable projects should engage Local Communities and Indigenous People through inclusive project design and robust distribution of both monetary and nonmonetary benefits like cash payments, tenure security, and ecosystem protection. To ensure participation throughout project design, project developers should respect and advance the Free, Prior, and Informed Consent (FPIC) right, recognized in the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. The FPIC empowers people to negotiate the conditions for project design, implementation, monitoring, and evaluation. By leveling information and power asymmetries, FPIC is a powerful tool to ensure that community-led climate action is delivered.

3. Transparency

Communities often have reservations about the concept of revenue generation and the market system in the context of carbon credits. They often prefer to take control over the determination of the quantity or allocation of carbon credits. Project proponents must disclose things like credit and transaction data which is reflective on the ground.

What’s next?

Transferring these principles from paper to practice will not be achieved if we don’t first create the appropriate market infrastructure. Urgent climate action needs a purpose-driven VCM designed to serve people and the planet alike, relying on improved visibility through data, robust monitoring and evaluation, and a leveled field to engage Indigenous peoples and local communities.

Well-drafted contract structures between the communities and the project proponents can support trust and protect IPLCs and local communities from future price increases that benefit buyers only. Capital markets can serve equity as well, but only if properly regulated and if carbon-based securities are not separated from their underlying assets. Market regulators are catching up. Without oversight, the market is prone to litigation. Access to the market should be limited to good faith sellers and buyers who refrain from predatory behaviors.

Mercy Chepkemoi is an Advocate of the High Court of Kenya

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Huge disparity between the sexes

The ripple effects of this omission have been felt with the just concluded Africa Climate Change Summit held in Nairobi-Kenya, it was clear from the speakers that Kenyan women and by extension children bear the hard painful burden of climate change ranging from flash floods, drought, rising sea water levels and the high levels of heat waves. Women, as opposed to men, are by no doubt seen as more vulnerable to the impacts of climate change mainly because they represent the majority of the world’s poor group, and they directly depend on threatened and depleting natural resources. The huge disparity between the two sexes is also evident in the place of women in their different roles, responsibilities, decision-making, access to land and natural resources, and opportunities held by both sexes.

The vulnerability of women can be attributed to social, economic, and cultural effects in the African Culture. In most Kenyan households, women are the sole breadwinners who shoulder major household responsibilities ranging but not limited to looking for water supply, the source of energy for cooking and heating the household. The women who are also engaged in small-scale farming to fend for the households have little to no access to avenues to participate in decision -making nor are they involved in the distribution of environmental management benefits. These women who carry the burden of their entire households have little or no time to attend or have access to training and education seminars to develop skills to better their livelihoods. The level of illiteracy doubled up with lack of mobility puts these women at the forefront of receiving the brunt of climate change.

Women should also be given a seat at the table

Climate-induced stressors can also impact access to education and the labour market for women and girls, increasing the time they must spend on household chores and therefore perpetuating a cycle of disempowerment. Moreover, in the aftermath of climate-induced disasters, women and girls can be more vulnerable to gender-based violence and therefore need access to quality services essential for their safety and recovery.

To improve women’s participation in adaptation to climate change, women ought to be seen not as victims but as active agents in the fight against climate change. Women for a long time have been carriers of indigenous knowledge who pass knowledge from one generation to the next and in this same breath, they are known to have immense knowledge and skills related to water harvesting and storage, how to mitigate adverse changes of weather conditions such as floods and drought and food preservation. This knowledge must be tapped and passed down from one generation to the other to enhance local adaptive capacity.

Women should also be given a seat at the table in both the national and county level platforms to give opinions regarding the allocation of resources in climate change initiatives. Both levels of government should also formulate women-inclined programmes to mitigate the effects of climate change.

I acknowledge efforts to promote gender equality in climate change policies, programmes, and initiatives, including the UN Secretary General’s initiative on Gender and Climate Change, launched at the Global Climate Action Summit 2019 and with only 7 years left to achieve the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, notably Sustainable Development Goal 5 on achieving gender equality and empowering all women and girls, there is a lot to be done to improve women’s and girls’ participation and leadership in all climate actions.

Mercy Chepkemoi is an Advocate of the High Court of Kenya and a Climate Justice Champion

masiechebett@gmail.com

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The CS emphasized the vital role of African women in addressing climate change during a pre-Africa Climate Summit workshop in Nairobi.

She acknowledged their resilience, knowledge, and leadership as indispensable in combating climate change. African women often bear the brunt of climate-related disasters, and Jumwa recognized their outstanding leadership in climate action.

During the workshop, she launched the African Women and Gender Constituency to amplify the voices of African women and gender-focused organizations in climate action. The Africa Climate Summit (ACS) will run from September 4-6 and aims to secure ambitious pledges from African leaders.

Africa faces severe climate challenges, including drought, desertification, cyclones, and displacement. The continent is disproportionately affected by rising temperatures and requires urgent action, including debt relief and increased liquidity, to respond effectively to the climate crisis.

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The main wall of the museum will display the artwork near the entrance of Friedman Court. Despite her success, Mathenge still credits her father for her artistic development. 

Mathenge moved to the US to pursue a career in finance after pursuing business administration in Kenya. She took classes at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago because she realized her true calling was in art. The sale of her artwork reflects recognition and acclaim in the art world and serves as an inspiration to aspiring artists.

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One option of empowering women economically is by funding female-owned businesses. In Kenya, women, the youth, and the disabled are exposed to funding opportunities such as The National Government Affirmative Action Fund, Women Enterprise Fund, and Uwezo Fund. 

Uwezo Fund is a flagship program for vision 2030 aimed at enabling women, youth, and persons with disabilities access finances to promote businesses and enterprises at the constituency level. The fund launched by Former President Uhuru Kenyatta September 8, 2013, enhances economic growth by eradicating extreme poverty and hunger and promoting gender equality and women empowerment. 

Since inception, the Uwezo Fund has disbursed more than Sh7.2 billion and directly supported over one million beneficiaries including 69  percent of women and 31 percent of men.

Loans are accessible in all 290 constituencies in Kenya. Women, youth, and people with disability are encouraged to apply by following these steps:

1. Group must be registered with the relevant government body such as the Department of Social Services, Cooperatives, or the Registrar of Societies body with a valid group registration certificate.
2. Youth groups must be 70 percent youth aged between 18-35 years and leadership, 100 percent youth.  Women groups should be made up of women aged 18 years and above comprising 70 percent women, and 100 percent women in leadership. Persons with Disabilities, members should be 70 percent PWDs, and 100 percent PWDs in leadership. Also liable are registered institutions that have listed youth, women, and PWDs groups within them.
3. Groups must be based and operational at the constituency where they seek to make an application. Please note that the applicant group applies for the loan from the constituency, is appraised, and is recommended for funding by the respective Constituency Uwezo Fund Management Committee (CUFMCs).
4. Groups must operate a table banking structure or any other group fund structure where members make monthly contributions according to the groups’ internal guidelines. Evidence of monthly contributions is a requirement.
5. Groups must hold a bank account in the name of the group.
6. Fill an application form from the respective Constituency Uwezo Fund Management Committee office or download the application form from the Uwezo Fund website. 
7. Submit the application form and relevant documents to the Constituency Uwezo Fund Management Committee office and wait for feedback. 

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Dan David prize board member Aviad Kleinberg says” A culture that does not understand its past is like an individual with acute amnesia”

Dan David Prize is the world’s largest history prize that celebrates next-generation outstanding curators, digital humanists archaeologists, and historians. The award recognizes historians for “changing our understanding of the past.” According to Dan David Prize board member Aviad Kleinberg, “A culture that does not understand its past is like an individual with acute amnesia,”

Chao who is a specialist in digital heritage uses her technology to uncover hidden historical narratives allowing communities to access them and engage actively with their cultural heritage.

She has been passionate about History from a tender age and considers herself a historian by birth and a digital explorer by profession. 

Chao pursued a BSC in Mathematics and Computer Science from JKUAT and an MSC in the International Heritage Visualization program from The Glasgow School of art.

Notable projects

Between 2012 and 2016 the digital explorer started the Save the Railway project. She documented the history of Kenya’s disappearing railway infrastructure bringing together photographs, stories, and 3D images in a bid to preserve the history of the railway. She co-founded the African Digital Heritage and Museum of British  Colonialism. African Digital Heritage encourages African cultural institutions to adopt new technology.

Other recognitions 

Chao was awarded the Google Anita Borg scholarship for women in technology and the Governor’s International Postgraduate scholarship (Glasgow School of Art). Chao is a recipient of the Google Anita Borg scholarship for women in technology.

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Nthenya says that it came to her as a surprise and only learned that her $300 bag would be used at the US-based awards when Bianca tagged her on Instagram.

Prior to the feature on the Grammys red carpet, the designer had also participated in the PreEmmys gifting suite, pre-Oscars Gifting suite, and Cannes Film Festival gifting suite. All these contributed to the Grammy’s red carpet feature.

About Nthenya Mwendwa’s bags 

The designer is famed for dealing in unisex travel bags which she exports to the US, Mexico, the UK, Puerto Rico, and Dubai. The bags are made from Maasai beading, top grain leather hair on cow-hide as well as fish leather, which is a unique raw material that is sustainable, versatile, and allows for exploration and experimentation. Nthenya’s most expensive bag costs $420 (Sh47,640) while the cheapest is $150 (Sh16,950).

About Nthenya Mwendwa 

She is the founder and designer of a luxury leather bag brand labeled THE.LABEL. SABA represents “Redefined Nomadism.” 

She aims to empower women through community-based projects to help support the women who work in the fish leather industry and those in her community as well.

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For Susan, a trained lawyer, being in the limelight is not a new thing. In 2005 she became Miss Earth as a teenager and since then, her stardom has been unstoppable. Currently, she is one of Kenya’s leading, youngest Beauty-preneurs, CEO of Posh Palace, Polish cosmetics, and Polished by the Posh Palace.

Speaking on Her Standards, Kaittany said hard work and humility have put her ahead of the game.

“Women get judged a lot. How we should be, how you should behave yet, the people who judge you don’t know you. The truth is women can be everything but you probably have to work five times harder,” she told Queenter Mbori, TV host of Her Standards.

Coming from a humble background, Susan learned business apprenticeship from her mother, a former teacher. Mother and daughter have sold everything in and out of Nairobi including popcorn and crips.

“There’s no shame in being an entrepreneur. You are a literal beggar,” she said adding, “I have begged, but once you know the customer is the boss, you lay low.”

Susan urges women to be their own cheerleaders. “Don’t expect claps at the start of your business because it is a very lonely journey. You really have to be determined, ignore the haters, and march forward.” 

To young women getting into the business – Start already. “All you need is a dream, resilience, and grit,” said Susan, Woman of Impact Award 2019 winner, Women in Business Kenya Awards.

The first episode of ‘Real House Wives of Nairobi’ (RHO Nairobi) officially airs on 23, February 2023 on Showmax. 

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Robai, a student at Kenya Medical Training College Kitale, simply  loves dancing for fun, especially to cheer up the patients. 

“The inspiration is very natural, not driven by anything. I have a program called Project Transformational Dance Ministries where I dance in the hospital when administering drugs to my patients,” she says.

Robai, an orphan, was raised by a single mother, who died a year before she sat for Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE). Since then, Kinyago Secondary School has supported her education through a scholarship programme. She has never met her father. 

Having grown up through hardship, Robai derives joy from being part of people’s everyday lives. 

“I wanted to be a medical practitioner because I love taking care of the sick. I have never thought of any other career,” she said.Following her kind gesture, the student nurse met Trans Nzoia Governor George Natembeya who has offered to clear her tuition fees and a promise of employment upon completion of studies. 

Meanwhile, Simon Kanu of Bonfire Adventures is giving the nurse an all expenses 3-days paid trip to Mombasa.

“Looking for this Nurse for her to get a 3 days Mombasa package courtesy of Bonfire Adventures. We should respect our medical practitioners; nurses, Clinical officers, Doctors, pharmacists, phycologists, nutritionists and many others. Your job is a calling. You are just the best. Hats off to you,” Kabu wrote on social media.

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