2024 - 2025

Good morning everyone, It’s a real privilege to be back here at ISK — a place that shaped me in so many ways. I started here in 3rd grade and graduated in 2005. Even though it’s been nearly 20 years, I still carry with me the spirit of this school — curiosity, courage, and a global outlook.

We’re here today to mark Earth Day. But let’s be honest — this day can no longer just be about awareness. It has to be about urgency. And more than that, it has to be about responsibility. Because the world is in crisis — not just ecologically, but socially. The climate crisis isn’t only about melting glaciers or rising temperatures. It’s about people. It’s about children displaced by drought, families pushed from their land by floods, smallholder farmers struggling with declining harvests, and communities fractured by scarcity. Today, over 100 million people are displaced — many of them climate refugees. In the decades ahead, mass migration will only increase as parts of our planet become less habitable. The climate crisis is not just an environmental crisis. It’s a human crisis. And yet — there’s hope. There’s innovation. And most importantly — there’s you. Your generation has more tools, more access, and more opportunity than any before it — not just to slow down the damage, but to reverse it. To rebuild better. To redesign everything.

Let’s look at where we are.

We are living through the sixth mass extinction. Nearly a million species are at risk. Over 75% of the Earth’s land surface and two-thirds of marine environments are significantly altered by human activity. Climate change is here — not as a threat, but as a reality. We see it in floods, droughts, forest fires, rising seas, and failing crops. And below all of that is a quieter crisis: the loss of soil. Over one-third of the world’s soil is severely degraded. And since 95% of our food comes from it, this isn’t just an environmental issue — it’s a direct threat to our food, our health, and our future. And yet, your generation stands at a turning point.

This is the best time in history to dedicate your life to regeneration. Every field — science, tech, finance, education, art, agriculture — is now intersecting with climate. Sectors like clean energy, regenerative agriculture, green construction, and climate tech are growing faster than nearly any others in the world. And Kenya is at the center of it. Right here in Kenya, we are redefining what sustainability looks like on the African continent. Roam, formerly Opibus, is building electric buses and motorbikes for African roads — designed and manufactured in Nairobi. EcoPost, led by Lorna Rutto, recycles plastic waste into strong fencing posts — tackling deforestation and pollution at the same time. Gjenge Makers, founded by Nzambi Matee, turns plastic waste into durable, affordable bricks stronger than concrete. BrightGreen is producing cleaner charcoal alternatives using organic waste — saving trees while creating jobs. In Kakamega, Kenya’s first waste-to-energy plant is converting garbage into electricity. And the Lake Turkana Wind Power Project — the largest in Africa — now supplies almost 17% of the country’s electricity. We’re also seeing a rise in green buildings — like those designed by Urban Green Consultants — that use less water, energy, and materials without compromising beauty or function.

These are not distant dreams. They are happening now. Led by Kenyans. Built for our future. And as we innovate, we protect. Kenya is one of the most biodiverse countries on Earth — home to over 50 national parks and reserves, from the Maasai Mara’s great migration to the ancient cedar forests of Mount Kenya. Our marine parks, like Watamu and Kisite-Mpunguti, protect coral reefs, sea turtles, dolphins, and whales. We’re also global pioneers in community conservation. Over 160 community conservancies across the country are proving that when local people lead conservation, wildlife thrives, and so do communities. But all this beauty is under threat. Wildlife corridors are shrinking. Forests are being cleared. Water cycles are breaking. So we must ask: what if we could grow food and restore ecosystems at the same time?

That’s what led me to co-found ForestFoods.

We grow food through a system called syntropic agroforestry — a way of farming that mimics natural forests. We grow vegetables, fruits, timber, medicinal plants, and spices all together in regenerative, layered systems. We build soil instead of depleting it. We use no synthetic chemicals. We increase biodiversity with every harvest. But ForestFoods is more than just a farm. It’s a vision: A vision where syntropic systems are planted across the country — where farmers, landowners, and communities grow food and forests together. Where we build agroforestry buffer strips around wildlife areas, helping reduce human-wildlife conflict. Where young children are nourished by food rich in minerals, grown from living soils. Where rivers flow again, aquifers are replenished, and the small water cycle is restored. Where biodiversity flourishes, from fungi to elephants. It’s a big and ambitious dream. But one rooted in logic — and in abundance. Because abundance brings balance. When people have enough — enough food, enough income, enough security — there is no desperation. And where there’s no desperation, there’s less conflict. Peace grows from abundance. With restored ecosystems and thriving people, we can build a more stable, equitable society. This is the work we’re doing at ForestFoods. And it’s work that belongs to everyone.

So what does this mean for you?

It means your life doesn’t have to be about fitting into a broken system. It can be about reimagining it. You’re growing up in one of the most ecologically rich, culturally vibrant, and innovatively bold countries on Earth. You don’t have to wait to make an impact. You can start now — with your questions, your creativity, your voice. So this Earth Day, don’t just plant a tree. Plant a vision. One of abundance, regeneration, and justice. Because we’re not just inheriting the Earth — We are rebuilding it.

And that journey starts with you.

Thank you.