Rather than just being the go-to place for hunting games, Forests act as a stabilizing force for the climate especially during this global fight against climate change. They play an important role in regulating ecosystems, protecting biodiversity, contributing to the carbon cycle and the list goes on and on.
Despite the benefits of luxuriant forest ecosystems, deforestation and forest degradation keep rising to alarming levels. It has been estimated since the 1990s, about 420 million hectares of forest have been lost.
Recognizing this danger, the Kenya Climate Innovation Centre (KCIC) supported by the United Nations Development Program (UNDP), has launched the Green Economy Youth Activation Program, an innovation challenge to support new businesses, provide Kenyan youths with sustainable incomes while protecting the forest ecosystems.
Female applicants are encouraged to apply.
About the program
The Green Economy Youth Activation Program (GrEYAP) aims to strengthen youth-led businesses in the forestry and agroforestry sectors by building their capacity to start and run sustainable enterprises. The objective is to provide holistic and country-driven support to accelerate the development, deployment, and transfer of locally relevant climate technologies.
Through the program, KCIC will offer incubation, capacity building, and financing options to Kenya’s new, small and medium business ventures and entrepreneurs working to develop innovations to address the challenges of climate change.
40 outstanding youth-led green economy businesses will be selected to participate in a series of boot camps and training. At the boot camps, entrepreneurs, through the assistance of technical advisors and mentors, will co-create sustainable solutions for their businesses that will reduce greenhouse gas emissions and positively impact climate change.
Eligibility criteria
To qualify for the Green Economy Youth Activation Program, youth entrepreneurs
must be:
- Between the ages of 18 to 35 years
- Clearly demonstrate sustainable practices in forest management and tree harvesting to build resilient forests
- Capable of using technologies to grow and monitor forest coverage that reduces deforestation and degradation
- Aware of innovative best practices in agroforestry (includes fruit trees) that enhance agricultural landscape resiliency, facilitate species movement to more favorable conditions, sequestering carbon, and reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
- Have commercial tree nurseries and seeds production facilities
- Engaged in efficient production, processing, and use of wood raw material
- Involved in agroforestry value chain activities (for timber and non – timber products) including harvesting, cleaning, transport, design, processing, production, transformation, packaging, marketing, distribution, and support services.
Deadline
Applications for the program are open until Friday, August 27, 2021. Click here to apply.
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