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Green Entrepreneurship for Kenya's Youth

BeGreen Africa Initiative

A multi-partner programme building green entrepreneurship in waste management — simultaneously addressing youth unemployment and environmental degradation.

Implementing PartnersUNICEF / GenUTony Elumelu FoundationIKEA FoundationKNBS

Programme Results

Exceeding Every Target

846
Jobs CreatedNov 2023 – Jul 2025
8.1x
Avg Jobs / Enterprisevs. 2.6 benchmark
~7x
Revenue GrowthNov 2023 → Jul 2025
29.9M
Kg Waste ManagedPlastic + Organic
146
Youth FundedUp to USD 5,000 each
74–90%
Marginalized YouthIntentionally reached
About BeGreen

What is the BeGreen Initiative?

The BeGreen Africa Initiative is a multi-partner programme implemented in Kenya by UNICEF/Generation Unlimited, the Tony Elumelu Foundation, and the IKEA Foundation, with incubation support from STEM Impact Center Kenya.

It targets youth aged 18–35 years to build green entrepreneurship in the waste management sector — simultaneously addressing youth unemployment and environmental degradation.

The programme aligns with Kenya Vision 2030, the Bottom-Up Economic Transformation Agenda (BETA), and national commitments under the Paris Agreement and multiple SDGs.

Waste Sectors

Green Business Focus Areas

  • Plastic Waste Management

    Youth enterprises processing and recycling plastic waste across urban and rural Kenya.

  • Organic Waste & Biogas

    Converting organic waste into biogas and compost, creating circular economy value chains.

  • E-Waste Enterprises

    Highest-earning sub-sector — responsible collection and processing of electronic waste.

  • Waste-to-Value Innovation

    Transforming waste streams into marketable products, creating jobs and reducing landfill pressure.

Programme Structure

8 Phases of Implementation

  1. 1
    Application Drive2,264 youth applied across Kenya
  2. 2
    Business Management Training759 trained; 502 completed
  3. 3
    Green Entrepreneurship Training502 completed both BMT & GET
  4. 4
    Business Plan Development320 business plans submitted
  5. 5
    Pitching Events207 youth pitched (Nairobi, Kisumu, Mombasa)
  6. 6
    Seed Funding Disbursement146 received grants up to USD 5,000
  7. 7
    Incubation & Mentorship146 innovations supported
  8. 8
    Acceleration Funds112 received USD 1,000–3,000 additional
Impact

Key Programme Outcomes

Employment Creation

  • 846 total jobs created — far exceeding the 260 projected
  • Average 8.1 jobs per enterprise vs. 2.6 benchmark
  • Each entrepreneur supports ~4.6 household members
  • Mentored enterprises created 531 jobs vs. 104 without mentorship

Revenue Generation

  • ~7x revenue growth from Nov 2023 to Jul 2025
  • Avg monthly revenue grew from KShs 81K to KShs 203K
  • Annualized projection ~USD 2.7M vs. USD 1M target
  • E-waste enterprises averaged KShs 679,000/month

Environmental Impact

  • 29.9 million kgs of waste managed total
  • 11.6M kgs plastic + 18.4M kgs organic waste diverted
  • Incubated enterprises managed 27.9M kgs vs. 76K without
  • Significant contribution to Kenya's circular economy
Inclusion

Reaching Marginalized Youth

Between 74% and 90% of all participants were classified as marginalized — demonstrating the programme's strong inclusion focus. Even among funded youth, marginalization rates ranged from 74.3% to 82.4%.

68.9% male
30.9% female participants
40.5% female
among funded youth
59% urban
39.8% rural participants
57.6%
aged 25–30 years
Collaboration

Key Partners

UNICEF / Generation Unlimited
Lead implementation, youth engagement, curriculum development
Tony Elumelu Foundation
Entrepreneurship content, mentorship structures, seed funding
IKEA Foundation
Principal donor, strategic oversight and financing
Kenya National Bureau of Statistics (KNBS)
Technical backstopping, data integration and validation
Government Agencies (SDYA, Ministry of Youth & Environment)
Policy alignment, endorsement and local integration
Private Sector (UBA Bank, recyclers, investors)
Market linkages, funding pathways, business model vetting
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