NAIROBI, Oct. 28 (Xinhua) -- Four African-based green entrepreneurs were declared winners of an international contest that rewards trailblazers in green transition at the 2022 Ashden Award ceremony held Thursday evening in Nairobi, the capital of Kenya.
The four entrepreneurs based respectively in Kenya, Zimbabwe and Togo would be entitled to a cash reward for boosting the continent's quest to tackle the unfolding climate crisis, said Harriet Lamb, the chief executive officer of Ashden, a global organization that supports and promotes sustainable energy enterprises.
According to Lamb, four out of six winners of the 2022 edition of Ashden Awards from the global south were from Africa, reaffirming the continent's emerging status as a hub for innovations that are tackling climate emergencies.
"The innovations showcased by all the African winners are a testimony that climate solutions are readily available at the grassroots and offer green jobs," said Lamb.
She added that Africa-based green innovations will be showcased at the upcoming UN Climate Summit slated for Egypt from Nov. 6 to 18 to help secure new financial and technical support.
Among the winners of the 2022 Ashden Awards shortlisted from a list of 200 applicants include Kakuma Ventures, a social enterprise based at a refugee camp in northern Kenya, that is leveraging solar energy to boost internet access among refugees, providing them with well-paying digital jobs.
Innocent Tshilombo, the founder of Kakuma Ventures, said refugees living in Kenya are keen to harness green energy and digital platforms to help tackle the ecological crisis, poverty and unemployment.
Tshilombo added that increasing access to clean energy and high-speed internet connection at Kakuma refugee camp has provided new revenue streams to the youth besides fostering harmonious co-existence.
The other three African winners of the prestigious green awards include SokoFresh, a Kenyan start-up that is helping small-holder farmers tackle post-harvest losses through access to solar-powered cold storage facilities. Togo-based Energy Generation and Zimbabwe's Zonful Energy won the award devoted to social enterprises that are pioneers in provision of skills required to scale up access to clean energy solutions at the grassroots level.
Wanjira Maathai, the managing director for Africa and Global Partnerships at the World Resources Institute, an international green think-tank, said that the solution to Africa's climate crisis lies with empowering youth and women to promote uptake of clean energy and conserve vital ecosystems like forests. ■