Category: Youth for change

The Art of Traditional craft: How Mzee Edward’s Skill can inspire modern designers.

Mzee Edward Namuye from Busijo Village in the Samia community is a skilled artisan dedicated to traditional craftsmanship. At 76 years old, he has spent his entire life making chicken coops (Amadiri,) a craft that has sustained and helped him educate his children.

Beyond chicken coops, Mzee Edward also remembers the traditional fishing baskets called Vibamu and Mikono. These baskets, commonly used in the community, were designed to catch fish sustainably, ensuring that only sizable fish were caught while allowing younger ones to grow. Unlike modern fishing nets, which often deplete fish populations indiscriminately, these traditional methods reflect a respect for nature that is becoming increasingly rare.

Despite the value of his craft, Mzee Edward faces a growing challenge—none of his grandchildren are interested in learning the skill, and none of his children, while growing up, expressed interest in learning his craft either. He notes that younger generations are drawn to quick financial rewards and  are reluctant to invest time in a craft that requires patience and dedication. He earns close to KSH 700 per basket and often struggles to keep up with demand, yet this does not attract the younger generation to take up the skill.

Looking toward the future, Mzee Edward hopes for support in setting up fish cages to promote sustainable fishing practices within the Busijo community. He also believes collaboration between elders and youth is essential for preserving cultural heritage and environmental sustainability. He notes that by forming intergenerational groups, they could engage in activities like beekeeping and sustainable agriculture, ensuring that traditional knowledge is passed down and creating economic opportunities in our communities, country, and globally.

From Design Reparations, Cecilia Scolaro emphasizes the importance of looking into ancestral wisdom to combat climate change. She notes that traditional practices, like those upheld by Mzee Edward, offer valuable insights into sustainable living. By integrating these traditions with modern design approaches, communities can create innovative and deeply rooted cultural heritage solutions. As part of their ongoing efforts, Design Reparations plans to feature Samia traditions at the Nairobi Design Week to educate a global audience on the importance of preserving indigenous knowledge.

Mzee Edward's story serves as a powerful reminder of the value embedded in traditional craftsmanship. For modern designers, his work inspires how age-old techniques can inform contemporary design, promoting sustainability, cultural continuity, and respect for natural resources. By bridging the gap between past and present, there is an opportunity to create a future where tradition and innovation coexist harmoniously.

The article was written by Ian Francis Onyango, the Co-founder of Kenge Content Hive.

Climate change: Urgent Action Needed for Youth’s Future

The Cambridge dictionary defines climate change as changes in the worlds weather, particularly an increase in temperature, thought to be caused by things such as carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. Currently, climate change stands as the biggest challenge of our time affecting both the environment and human lives, strikingly the youth. Escalating temperature have increased extreme weather events which have further resulted in droughts, floods and other calamities. It is imperative to highlight that these occurrences directly affect food production and hence leading to food insecurity and poverty.

The consequence on youths is worrying. Being a majority, they face an increased frequency and danger of natural disasters, food scarcity and even displacement for youths who are in marginalised areas. These adverse effects are projected to worsen as temperatures rise and weather patterns become more unpredictable.

Moreover, climate change poses a health threat to the youth. Exposure to air pollutants, such as industry smoke, exposes youths to respiratory illnesses such as Lung Cancer and other health complications. Additionally, extreme weather events such as flooding can easily result in physical injuries and fatalities.

Economically, escalating temperatures results to lower or reduced crop yields and hence leading to food shortages, inflation of prices of goods and services and general economic hardships. Natural disasters such as droughts, floods and fires wreak havoc on businesses and infrastructure, which mainly results in job losses which has been evident in Kenyan Markets where several youths work as shop vendors. Such circumstances could have a devastating impact on young individuals, already grappling with a challenging job market.

Climate change leaves a psychological trauma on young people. The uncertainty and fear surrounding climate change can induce stress and anxiety. Additionally, the destruction of homes and communities by governments around the world to build infrastructure can lead to feelings of displacement, sorrow, and grief. In 2016, a study titled “The Effects of Climate Change on Mental Health and Well-Being: A Systematic Review of the Literature” was conducted by Fritze J.G., Blashki G.A., Burke S., and Wiseman J. This study provides a comprehensive review of how climate change affects mental health, focusing on the mechanisms through which climate stressors can exacerbate conditions such as depression and anxiety.

The effects of climate change on young people across the world are alarming and demand urgent attention. It is therefore crucial for Government to take decisive action and implement effective climate change policies such as curtailing greenhouse emissions, reduction of in use of fossil fuels. Equally important is educating young people about climate change massive impacts and encouraging them to plant trees en masse. Moreover, governments involving their young individuals in the decision-making process is crucial because it ensures that their voices are heard, and their concerns addressed accordingly.

Addressing climate change comprehensively is vital to safeguarding the future of our youths. By acting decisively, we can mitigate and adapt to the worst effects of climate change and secure a sustainable and thriving planet for generations to come.

The Writer is the Co-Founder of Kenge Content Hive, a passionate Climate Action Advocate.  

It’s time for youth to act in helping shape Climate Change Agenda.

Climate Change, Our Problem and Prime Concern.

"Visionary People face the same problems everyone else face; but rather than get paralyzed by their problems, Visionaries immediately commit themselves by finding a solution"

Lake Victoria Basin is under myriad environmental threats including Biodiversity loss, Habitat destruction, massive soil erosion and pollution. It's now estimated that the lake's indegineous fish species have been reduced by 80% and over 70% of forest cover in catchment area has been lost. In terms of pollution in the lake, we can best term it as " community septic tank" with how the practice of discarding rubbish and sewerage in the lake is common which inturn has led to detoriation of water quality and cause of water related diseases such as malaria and bilharzia.

With all the crystal clear environmental threats facing L.V.B and the globe, it takes visionaries to rise up and make a change. It took a Nature Enthusiast, Oscar Ryan Ouma to learn the act of changing and turning his feelings and reactions into a thirst and hunger to want to do something about the evident challenge of deforestation and climate change in the communities along lake Victoria basin, after having and suffering from ecological grief witnessing nothing being done when natural world is drastically changing before our eyes. This led to coming up with an idea that founded Kenge Content Hive, a youth led non-profit Community Based organization that works with communities along lake Victoria basin on Environmental Protection, Health and sanitation, Nature Conservation, Youth and economic empowerment and Sustainable development through Education, Advocacy and Activism. KCH aims to create a generation of Environmentally responsive persons in the community by running programmes on Environmental health and protection while also focusing on tree growing for impact to help fully implement nature based solutions to the climate crisis.

Many of today's environmental challenges along lake Victoria basin and around the globe are responsible for adversely affecting the health and livelihoods of individuals and communities, and so, if we fail to protect and restore nature and if as Youths we fail to lead and participate in the restoration and protection process, we will totally fail to prevent and help reduce vulnerability to future pandemics and calamitous climate change breakdown. As we fully recover from Covid 19 pandemic, Environmental health stands as a very crucial component of overall health prime concern to inform policy responses in the preparedness for future pandemics and secure the future.

There have been several efforts to conserve natural resources of lake Victoria basin but all haven't been fruitful due to short term period of projects, Limited awareness of results, ineffectiveness and Limited Funding. Collaboratively working together, the challenges can be reduced through; Strengthening ability of institutions to do work, sharing of Content and best practices, partnerships for goals:helping institutions work together well, Better and matching policies and regulations across institutions and agencies, Encouraging stakeholders to take action, Regular Funding, Educating the public on various alternative sources of livelihoods and creating a conducive space that will allow organizations tap into other investment opportunities.

In KCH viewpoint, going it alone can't be successful and this conversation about climate change should be a young person's problem and prime concern. Untrammeled minds of youths like me and you have the most potential to succeed especially when we can see and feel for ourselves on what is happening to our surrounding. To the youths, the time is now! Lets rise up and make a change!..

The writer is an international environmental ambassador at Vikela.earth , the founder of Kenge Content Hive Organization and a Member of Green Commodities community.