We have some exciting news to share: KEAN International has been selected for Phase II of the Zero Waste Stories Bank Project. This initiative is led by Be Inspired with Stories from Africa.
This new cohort brings together a select group of organizations from Kenya, Nigeria and Egypt, all focused on one goal; telling richer, bolder stories about what a zero waste future truly looks like in our communities.
At KEAN International, storytelling has always been at the heart of what we do. It’s how we have transformed compost heaps in Ruiru and Kikuyu into a movement. It’s how we have highlighted the important role of waste pickers in conversations where they are often overlooked. And it’s how we have engaged communities in the narrative of their own environmental progress.
Being selected for this program allows us to enhance our storytelling skills. In the coming months, we will be diving deeper into impact storytelling and digital visibility. We’ll learn from peer organizations across three countries, all grappling with the same challenge: how to make the concept of zero waste feel real, urgent, and achievable.
This opportunity builds on the work we have been doing through our Organic Rebirth Project, our flagship initiative focused on organic waste management via composting. Through this program, we will showcase:
- Our journey on the ground in composting and organic waste diversion
- The systems and training that make community-level composting sustainable
- The crucial transition for waste pickers and workers; the very people at the heart of the zero waste story, who rarely get to tell it themselves.
Waste pickers and informal workers form the backbone of waste management systems across Africa, but their contributions often go unrecognized and unprotected. This project gives us a chance to change that narrative not by speaking for them, but by amplifying their voices and experiences.
In the coming months, look out for more updates from us field stories, behind-the-scenes glimpses of composting in action, and honest discussions about what a just, community-centered zero waste future requires.
We are incredibly grateful to Be Inspired with Stories from Africa for this opportunity and to all our supporters our composting champions, waste pickers, agronomists, and community partners, who make our story worth telling.
Here’s to learning, sharing, and giving a voice to those who are working towards a zero waste future.
