This prototype promotes sustainable, circular agriculture by combining eco-friendly farming, waste management, and climate resilience. By equipping youth with practical tools and community-based techniques, the initiative empowers the next generation to grow food, earn income, and protect the planet at the same time.
Sowing Solutions for a Greener Future
Tabitha Chege – Nairobi, Kenya
For Tabitha Chege, environmental activism isn’t a career—it’s a calling. A passionate youth patron and environmentalist, her journey with Ubuntu Lab was fueled by a desire to find innovative, low-carbon solutions to some of Africa’s most pressing challenges. She wanted to drive sustainable development in farming, conservation, and waste management as well as to create real impact through community-driven solutions.
The programme became a pivotal moment for Tabitha when her prototype was selected as a finalist. Her prototype, Integrated Zero Waste Farming, was born out of the challenges amplified during COVID-19—unemployment, food insecurity, and environmental strain. It’s about, “Lifting them from poverty by organizing them to become stronger obtain more support from the governmental organization and non-governmental organization to start project that will empower them that they need to learn technics to intensify diversify and integrate their farm zero waste and adopt climate change to mitigate greenhouse gas emissions,” she says. So far, Tabitha has attended livestock training with 14 young people under her mentorship and is preparing to launch a scalable rabbit farming initiative.
Through her hub experience, she deepened her leadership and learned how to help others rise alongside her. This has honed her leadership style, which she reflects is driven by ethics, innovation, and purpose. She has realized how important it is to organize communities so they can access support, learn new farming techniques, and adopt practices that reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Additionally, the prototype development process has enabled Tabitha to get hands-on experience in volunteering—tree planting, soil health events, and showcasing sustainable waste work. That’s how she continues to build the courage to speak up, take action, and inspire others.
