KCDF, I&M Foundation Partner to Expand Youth Environmental Innovation Programme./PHOTO;Courtesy
The Kenya Community Development Foundation and I&M Foundation have signed a new partnership agreement to support the fourth edition of the Young Environmentalists Innovation Challenge (YEIC), a programme focused on supporting youth-led environmental solutions across Kenya.
The agreement was signed at the I&M Bank headquarters in Parklands, Nairobi, marking a new phase for the initiative which has been supporting young environmental innovators since its launch in 2023.
Under the partnership, I&M Foundation will match KCDF’s contribution on a shilling-for-shilling basis in the next phase of the programme, increasing financial support for youth-led environmental projects and community innovations.
The Young Environmentalists Innovation Challenge was established by KCDF to support action-oriented young people and youth-led organizations working on environmental conservation, climate adaptation, sustainable resource management and community resilience.
Since its launch, the programme has supported projects ranging from waste management and recycling initiatives to climate-smart agriculture and conservation technologies aimed at addressing environmental challenges affecting local communities.
Previous editions of the challenge have awarded millions of shillings in grants to youth groups and individual innovators across the country. In 2025, KCDF awarded KSh53 million to young environmental innovators under the programme after receiving more than 400 applications from across Kenya.
The initiative was initially established through support linked to philanthropist MacKenzie Scott and has since grown into one of Kenya’s emerging youth-focused environmental innovation platforms.
Organizers say the new partnership goes beyond financial support and will also focus on mentorship, capacity building and strengthening youth leadership in environmental sustainability.
The collaboration comes at a time when Kenya continues to face growing climate-related challenges including drought, flooding, waste management pressures and environmental degradation, increasing calls for locally driven and youth-led climate solutions.
Representatives from both organizations, including board members, foundation officials and programme leads, attended the signing ceremony in Nairobi.
Help us tell more untold stories of African Philanthropy!
To DONATE or Pledge: CLICK HERE
