Addressing waste management issues in Kenya
Taka Taka Zero was founded in 2020 and is led by Priyanka, Anna, and Emily from Durham University. It aims to tackle waste management and youth unemployment issues within Kenya’s informal settlements. Having grown up in Nairobi, Priyanka has seen first-hand the lack of infrastructure in these marginalised communities with inhabitants frequently resorting to open dumping and burning of waste, as well as the fact that a significant number of youths from these backgrounds are unable to support themselves through education or secure employment.
Utilising technology provided by the Community Cooker Foundation, Taka Taka Zero has refurbished a cooker in Nairobi’s Mathare slum which incinerates non-recyclable waste in an environmentally responsible way. Heat energy produced from this process is used to bake bread later sold to the community. With the first pilot project having started in September 2022, Taka Taka Zero is now able to remove 80kg of waste and bake 60 loaves of bread per day while employing 15 local youths as waste collectors and bakers. Over 100 tons of CO2 emissions have been avoided since operations began.
To further their growth, the Ford Family Foundation is providing Taka Taka Zero with grant funding and mentorship to scale up operations in Mathare and to construct additional cookers in other informal settlements across Nairobi and Kenya.
