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BeGreen Africa Initiative — Kenya

Green Entrepreneurship for Kenya's Youth

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

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Implementing PartnersUNICEF / GenUTony Elumelu FoundationIKEA FoundationKNBS
Programme Results

Exceeding Every Target

846
Jobs Created
Nov 2023 – Jul 2025
8.1x
Avg Jobs / Enterprise
vs. 2.6 benchmark
~7x
Revenue Growth
Nov 2023 → Jul 2025
29.9M
Kg Waste Managed
Plastic + Organic
146
Youth Funded
Up to USD 5,000 each
74–90%
Marginalized Youth
Intentionally 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 technical support from KNBS.

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.

Problem Context
22,000
metric tons of waste generated daily in Kenya — less than 10% recycled
39%
of youth aged 18–34 unemployed; 80% in the informal sector
39.8%
of Kenyans live below the poverty line, disproportionately affecting youth
75%
of Kenya's population is under 35 years
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
Application Drive
2,264 youth applied across Kenya
2
Business Management Training
759 started; 502 completed
3
Green Entrepreneurship Training
502 completed both BMT & GET
4
Business Plan Development
320 business plans submitted
5
Pitching Events
207 youth pitched (Nairobi, Kisumu, Mombasa)
6
Seed Funding Disbursement
146 received grants up to USD 5,000
7
Incubation & Mentorship
Ongoing structured support
8
Acceleration Funds
112 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
Conclusion

The BeGreen Africa Kenya Initiative has significantly exceeded its core targets across all three programme pillars: employment creation (846 jobs vs. 260 projected), revenue generation (~USD 2.7M annually vs. USD 1M target), and waste management (29.9M kgs diverted).

As Kenya advances its climate goals, the BeGreen experience affirms that youth are not only beneficiaries but architects of sustainable development.

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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