When you think about climate heroes, your mind probably often drifts to scientists, politicians, or international summits. But what if the most transformative solutions were taking root in a Nairobi backyard or a reclaimed coastal mangrove?
What if climate leadership looked like a mother in Kibera, digging her hands into once-toxic soil?
That’s exactly what the Green Champions for Change project revealed and it is changing how we understand power, resilience, and what real climate action looks like in Kenya.
Why Climate Justice Must Be Ground-Up
Kenya faces a complex climate future according to its second Kenya’s Second Nationally Determined Contribution (2031-2035)NDC from 1st January 2031 to 31st December 2035. The climate report indicates the country has warmed by 1.0°C since 1960, with projections estimating a rise up to 2.5°C by 2050.
Rising sea levels, frequent droughts, and erratic rainfall now disrupt livelihoods across nearly 80% of Kenya’s landmass, particularly in arid and semi-arid regions. Agriculture, a sector that employs most Kenyans, is rain fed and therefore highly vulnerable.
The reality is most responses remain top-down schemes. Despite efforts like the National Climate Change Action Plan (NCCAP) and Kenya’s participation in global frameworks like the Paris Agreement, implementation often excludes the voices of those most affected: women, youth, and persons with disabilities (PWDs).
The Green Champions for Change (GCC), led by Community Advocacy and Awareness Trust (CRAWN Trust) with support from Akina Mama wa Afrika (AMwA) and the Voices for Climate Action (VCA) programme, seeks to address this imbalance. Rather than viewing marginalized groups as vulnerable beneficiaries, GCC positions them as leaders with insights, innovations, and lived experience.
Climate Change Is More than About the Planet: Its People
Climate change is about more than rising seas and melting glaciers. In Kenya, it is about families walking farther for water, youth watching their farms wither, and persons with disabilities (PWDs) unable to escape flash floods or attend community forums because infrastructure isn’t accessible.
The GCC model recognizes this. It centers lived experiences by elevating local voices through training, advocacy, and grassroots projects across Nairobi, Siaya, Lamu, and Homabay.
The question it asks is bold: What if those most affected were the ones leading the response?
Real People. Bold Solutions.
Here are just a few examples of how Green Champions are changing the landscape, socially, economically, and environmentally:
In Kibera, a dumpsite becomes a thriving farm
Young parents in Nairobi’s Kibera turned a trash heap into an urban oasis using permaculture and recycled materials. Kale, spinach, amaranth, and tomatoes now grow in the same space that once harbored waste.
“This is our therapy,” said Mary, a mother and GCC participant. “Digging the soil, watching things grow; it helps us reset.”
The garden feeds local families and employs youth. It also teaches children about food security, climate resilience, and circular economy practices like composting.
Here is a video from ASSOCIATED PRESS (AP) taken in Nairobi, Kenya – 19 June 2023 showing how these communities in Kibera are doing urban farming.
In Dagoretti, disability does not mean exclusion
Aiang and Teresa, both women with disabilities, began growing food in small raised gardens supported by GCC. They did not stop at feeding themselves. They advocated for and achieved better representation in Nairobi County’s climate policy review processes.
“Even if you’re challenged, you can still do something different,” Teresa said.
Their advocacy influenced revisions in the Nairobi Disability Act and encouraged budget allocations for inclusive farming programs.
In Kamukunji, youth reclaimed public space
What was once a dark, unsafe park in Kamukunji now serves as a community hub. A coalition of 25 youth groups, trained in budget tracking and advocacy, successfully petitioned for lighting, clean-up crews, and safer access.
Kevin, a youth coordinator, shared: “We learned that knowing the budget cycle is more powerful than complaining.”
From Community Action to Policy Influence
The GCC movement did more than just clean spaces or plant gardens. It rewired how systems include, or ignore marginalized voices.
Policy Outcomes:
- Nairobi and Homabay counties increased climate budget allocations to women and PWDs by 15% and 20% respectively.
- GCC-trained champions submitted five official policy recommendations across the counties.
- Representatives from GCC were invited to join the national Gender and Climate Change and Disaster Risk Reduction Subcommittee.
Economic Outcomes:
- Participants in Kibera and Dagoretti reported income increases of 30-40% through vegetable sales and composting.
- Urban farms began forming supply partnerships with schools and local businesses.
Social Impact:
- 112 grassroots leaders trained (74 women, 28 youth, 10 PWDs).
- 22 climate literacy workshops held, reaching over 1,100 people.
- 4 counties formally included community reps in environmental planning forums.
The Ripple Effect: Why This Model Works
The biggest shift was mindset.
- Women became leaders, not just caretakers.
- Youth moved from informal to formal civic participation.
- PWDs became advocates shaping laws.
And perhaps most powerfully: the belief that those often labeled “vulnerable” are not weak, they are vital.
The Green Champions model proves that investing in dignity yields sustainable results. It doesn’t require billion shilling programs, just commitment, community ownership, and inclusive design.
Let Us Build Bigger, But Stay Grounded
CRAWN Trust is working to replicate and adapt this model in more counties, starting with West Pokot, Nyandarua, and Kakamega. Plans include developing a toolkit, expanding peer-to-peer exchanges, and supporting gender-disaggregated data in climate planning.
But scale must preserve what makes this model powerful: deep community roots, shared decision-making, and respect for lived experience.
“We are not growing a program. We are growing a movement,” said Daisy Amdany, Executive Director, CRAWN Trust.
Join the Movement, Join CRAWNTrust
If you’re a donor, policymaker, advocate, or ally who believes that climate justice must be inclusive, here is how to support:
- Fund what works — Support grassroots models with proven policy and social impact.
- Center affected communities — Inclusion must go beyond consultation.
- Partner with purpose — Empower groups already doing the work.
Climate resilience is not built in boardrooms. It is grown in gardens. It is spoken in community halls. It’s shaped by those whose hands, voices, and visions have too long been ignored.
The Green Champions are not just Kenya’s future. They are Kenya’s now.
Partner with us to explore how we can grow together and make the planet safe for everyone including you and I.