Meet our awardees
After a thorough reviewing process, we are delighted to announce the following projects that have been awarded.
From Degradation to Regeneration: An integrated land recovery model for Madagascar (Madagascar, Colombia, UK)
Awardees:
- Fenohery Rakotondrasoa (lead applicant)
- Dr Maria Isabel Gaviria Arroyave
- Dr Neil Robinson
- Rina Andriambao
Project in brief: Developing an integrated bio-ecological restoration model. The idea is to use a natural fungal soap to let water into damaged soil and then plants deep rooted vegetation to rebuild land, while teaching local people the green skills need to keep it thriving.
Fresh Pack Boxes to cut food waste and create green jobs in East Africa (Rwanda, Tanzania)
Awardees:
- Dieudonne Ingabire (lead applicant)
- Editha Mshiu
Project in brief: Introducing a portable, electricity free cooling box to reduce food spoilage after harvest. Instead of cold rooms that use a lot of energy, farmers will access cooling as a service. Over 300 farmers, young people, and vendors will be trained in how to use and manage these passive cooling systems.
Demystifying greenhouse gas emissions from fertiliser and biochar applications in Kenyan tea production: A participatory and multi-stakeholder approach (Kenya)
Awardees:
- Dr Imane El Fartassi (lead applicant)
- Ms Aarti Shah
- Dr Evi Viza
- Professor Paul Burgess
Project in brief: Helping tea farmers measure and understand greenhouse gas emissions from fertilisers and biochar. By building practical training and data-collection skills, farmers and estates can make better decisions, improve reporting, and support climate friendly practices across the tea sector.
South-South Strategic collaboration for bio-based solutions in responsible mining and community resilience (South Africa, Colombia)
Awardees:
- Mehdi Safari (lead applicant)
- Dr Maria Isabel Gaviria Arroyave
- Lina Torres
- Associate Professor Fatemeh Hoseinian
Project in brief: Testing a bio-based product designed to clean up oil-contaminated mining waste. The project will study how well it removes pollutants and improves soil conditions, helping mining communities adopt safer and more sustainable environmental practices.
Unlocking informal green engineering skills in Africa: A comparative pilot for scalable recognition pathways
Awardees:
- Dr Tariq Umar (lead applicant)
- Annet Nsiimire
- Lovans Owusu-Takyi
- Javan Chiro
- Eliud Kibet Bitok
- Emmanuel Choge
Project in brief: Exploring how informal green engineering skills can be recognised within national training systems. By working with training authorities and innovation hubs, it will map existing informal skills, develop competency pathways, and pilot community-based recognition. This aims to boost youth employment, improve mobility in the labour market, and strengthen locally led climate solutions.
Bridging the Recognition Gap: Participatory certification for informal electrical practitioners in Uganda
Awardees:
- Eng. Annet Nsiimire (lead applicant)
- Catherine Maina
- Dr Tariq Umar
- Dickson Azik Okay
Project in brief: Improving the safety and quality of electrical and solar energy installations in Uganda by recognising and certifying the skills of experienced but unlicensed electricians. Since most rural wiring is done informally, certification aims to reduce fire risks, improve system performance, and support safer renewable energy expansion.
Recognising green skills in makerspaces across Africa (Kenya, Ghana, Rwanda, South Africa, Australia, Canada, UK)
Awardees:
- Andrew Lamb (lead applicant)
- Catherina Maina
- Donald Presant
- Martin Oloo
- Joseph Agyina
- Kirstin Wiedow
Project in brief: Co-developing a green skills framework for makerspace managers, covering repair, recycling, eco-design, energy efficiency, and more. It will also create five digital badges that allow managers to showcase their green skills publicly and promote recognition across the sector.
From theory to resilience: Developing cyclone-proof bamboo construction skills in Madagascar
Awardees:
- Tahiana Ramananantoandro (lead applicant)
- Joel Lobsiger
- Dr Hector Archila
Project in brief: Proving that bamboo can be a strong, low-carbon option for rebuilding after disasters. It will train engineering students and carpenters in cyclone-resistant bamboo design, test building techniques, and produce a construction guide to support safer, more resilient infrastructure..
Compostpulse: Modular, intelligence ready composting infrastructure for urban organic waste in Kenya
Awardees:
- Phyllis Wanjiku Mburu (lead applicant)
- Dr Tariq Umag
- Derrick Ndung'u Muriithi
- Kook Machar
- Catherine Maina
Project in brief: Testing fast, compact composting units that can process organic waste on-site in Kenyan towns, reducing the need for costly dumping and long distance transport. It seeks to deploy 1-3 units with municipal and private partners and gather performance and cost data while identifying the skills needed to run and maintain the systems. The goal is to support cleaner waste management and help build green skills in Kenya’s informal waste sector.