Winners of the 2021 Youth Adaptation Solutions Challenge (YouthADAPT) were recently unveiled at COP26, at the Africa Pavilion in Glasgow, United Kingdom.
The YouthADAPT Solutions Challenge is an annual competition organized by the Global Center on Adaptation (GCA) and the African Development Bank, as part of the Africa Adaptation Acceleration Program (AAAP). It aims to strengthen inclusive growth, and broaden investment and economic opportunities for youth and women by awarding winners business grants of up to Ksh. 11 million (USD 100,000) each.
The winning enterprises provide climate adaptation solutions in critical social and economic sectors affected by climate change. These include agriculture, waste management, water resources and sanitation, renewable energy and energy efficiency, waste management and ecosystem restoration.
This year’s winners of the Youth Adaptation Solutions Challenge 2021 are
Kimplanter Seedling and Nurseries in Kenya: Propagates drought resistant seedlings at affordable prices and helps farmers improve productivity despite the harsh climatic conditions.
Irri Hub Ke in Kenya: Supplies and installs climate-smart irrigation technology including drip irrigation options, eco-friendly water harvesting options, mulching technology, and farm planning services. The irrigation products are powered by green energy solutions.
Miama General Dealers in Zambia: Produces and promotes the production of hydroponic millet fodders for small holder farmers to feed their livestock. The enterprise is currently working with 1,250 farmers whom are clustered into cooperative societies consisting of 50 farmers each.
Soupah Farm en-Market in Nigeria: Revolutionizes the way fresh food is grown and distributed and cuts down the amount of fossil fuel by localizing production, through rooftop farming.
Simkay Green Global Ventures in Nigeria: Innovates Vertical Sack Farming into a low cost technology for planting crops in the sides and tops of large sacks of soil, enabling farmers grow a large number of crops in a relatively small space by taking advantage of the vertical growth of plants. On average, one single sack contains 50 to 70 vegetable plants.
Bleaglee Waste Management in Cameroon: Uses technology through drones to tackle the challenge of poor disposal of waste that has been the major cause of flooding due to clogging in most Western parts of Cameroon.
Mumita Holdings in Cameroon: Produces African indigenous vegetables using greenhouse technologies and the implementation of irrigational systems to support year-round production.
Salubata Technological Innovations in Nigeria: Collects and converts plastic waste into customized shoes. The company also commits 5% of the profits to the cause of empowering women in local communities.
Sustainable Builders in Zambia: Supports the development of a conducive environment for farmer behavior change towards a more diverse range of production options. This results in increased output and productivity while addressing the critical food security issues.
Global Farms and Trading Company in Ghana: Seeks to increase food security, alleviate poverty, conserve biodiversity, and safeguard ecosystem services through the practice of conservation agriculture.
Seven out of the ten winning businesses are women-led enterprises. The winning businesses will receive grants of up to Ksh. 11 million (USD 100,000) each and the opportunity to participate in a 12-month business accelerator program to help them scale up their businesses, deepen their impact and create decent jobs.
The YouthADAPT Solutions Flagship Program aims to unlock Ksh. 330 billion (USD 3 billion). The funds will be used in financing for the youth, support 10,000 youth-led SMEs in climate resilience and build capacity for one million youth on climate adaptation for job creation.