In the arid landscapes of northern Kenya, a quiet transformation is taking root—led by young refugees. In Kakuma, a sprawling refugee settlement in Turkana County, youth are turning one of the region’s most destructive invasive species into a resource for sustainable development.
The culprit is Prosopis Juliflora, locally known as the Mathenge tree. Introduced to Kenya in the 1970s as part of anti-desertification efforts, the thorny, fast-growing shrub has since spiraled out of control. Once praised for its resilience and utility, Mathenge now threatens ecosystems, livestock, and water tables across vast areas of Kenya’s semi-arid north.
Now, however, youth from both refugee and host communities are responding with creativity and purpose.
Under a collaborative initiative supported by the Education Above All Foundation (EAA) and the environmental nonprofit Green Youth 360, students are being trained to repurpose Mathenge wood into eco-friendly furniture. The Girl Child Network (GCN) is also playing a key role, integrating the project into over 60 schools in the Kakuma area.
“This training gave me real-life skills,” said Moses Ekadeli, a 16-year-old student at Kakuma Arid Zone Secondary School. “I can now build chairs that are not only affordable but also environmentally friendly.”
The project is not only equipping youth with marketable skills—it is also fostering peaceful coexistence between refugee populations and local Kenyan communities. According to GCN Deputy Director Denis Mutiso, the initiative promotes climate resilience while offering new income-generating pathways for a region long impacted by underdevelopment and environmental degradation.
In an interview with AA‘s Hamza Kyeyune, Patience Rusare, Senior Media Specialist at EAA, described the effort as a way to transform a longstanding ecological threat into a platform for empowerment:
“We aim to turn one of Kenya’s most invasive species into a force for good—supporting environmental protection and youth leadership.”
Environmental experts, however, continue to raise concerns about the widespread impact of Prosopis Juliflora. Louis Obam, Turkana County’s Forest Conservator, noted that while repurposing efforts are welcome, the tree’s deep root systems and aggressive spread continue to endanger biodiversity and water access. Kenya’s national strategy for Mathenge management—focused on “utilization for control”—has yet to see consistent implementation on the ground.
Still, the innovation emerging from Kakuma offers a promising model for other parts of Africa grappling with invasive species and youth unemployment.
By transforming a decades-old problem into a locally-driven solution, Kakuma’s youth are not only reshaping wood—but rewriting the story of resilience in the Horn of Africa.
Source: Hamza Kyeyune
KAMPALA, Uganda (AA)