Moses Ekadeli, 16, cuts through a thorny mathenge branch with practised precision, his focus unwavering for hours as his hands deftly shape the wood to craft a chair out of it.
Scores of teenagers like Moses living in the Kakuma refugee camp of northern Kenya’s Turkana County have learnt to make eco-friendly furniture from the same invasive plant species that has destroyed swathes of community farmland.
This spark of innovation born out of necessity isn’t just about making the most of a bad situation – many experts see the initiative as the region’s best bet against a worsening environmental problem.
Mathenge, also known by its scientific name Prosopis juliflora, is a species introduced to Kenya from South America in the 1970s with the best of intentions.
According to the Kenya Forestry Research Institute (KEFRI), mathenge was introduced to revive the country's arid and semi-arid areas, based on its proven durability, rapid growth rate, and versatility as a raw material for poles, shade, windbreak fences, firewood and fodder.
The unintended consequences didn’t take long to show up.
Over the past decade, the problem has worsened, with the thorny shrub rendering vast areas of already challenging terrain unproductive.
For the people of Kakuma – pastoralists and agro-pastoralists whose existence depends on the productivity of land – mathenge is the epitome of the silent enemy creeping up on them.
Rapid invasion
Local accounts of the environmental scourge of mathenge paint a picture of an ecosystem under siege.
Livestock deaths occur regularly when animals feed on the plant's broad leaves, which have prickly hairs or spines.
Dense thickets have reduced water availability in a region already grappling with severe water scarcity. The plant's deep roots are known to deplete underground water tables during dry seasons that can stretch for three years.
Scientific data tells a sobering story. According to the Centre for the Training and Integrated Research in Arid and Semi-Arid Lands Development, a mature mathenge tree can consume between 20 and 30 litres of water a day.
For a landscape defined by water scarcity, that’s an additional drain on a precious resource.
Louis Obam, Turkana County’s forest conservator, says the species has encroached upon thousands of acres of native vegetation to the detriment of both the local population and their livestock.
Youth-led initiative
With funding from Education Above All, a global education foundation, two organisations are leading a remarkable transformation in Kakuma, based on the concept of repurposing.
Green Youth 360, a youth-led environmental initiative, has partnered with Girl Child Network – an organisation focused on the well-being of children in East Africa – to turn the invasive species from a burden into a resource.
Their approach is simple but effective. Youth from over 60 schools within the Kakuma refugee belt and their host communities are being taught to repurpose mathenge into eco-friendly furniture.
Moses, a student at Kakuma Arid Zone Secondary School, represents this new school of environmental entrepreneurship.
After training under Green Youth 360’s facilitator, Ephraim Lodiyo, he is now among the better artisans in the group.
"The training equipped me with theoretical knowledge and practical skills essential for making beautiful chairs from this invasive plant," he tells TRT Afrika.
Shamila Osman, a 19-year-old student at Lifeworks Tumaini Girls' Secondary School, discovered her passion through the programme. "These eco-friendly chairs are easier to make and cheaper compared to traditional furniture," she says.
The initiative extends beyond environmental remediation. Dennis Mutiso, deputy director of the Girl Child Network, says the partnership with Green Youth 360 aims to establish integrated climate action programmes in Kakuma, expanding local integration between refugees and host communities.
"Our objective is to curb the impact of one of the country's most problematic invasive species and turn it into a valuable resource that supports environmental conservation while providing the raw material for eco-friendly furniture," explains Patience Rusare, Education Above All’s senior media specialist.
Broader context
Turkana County has long grappled with high rates of poverty and malnutrition, while struggling to adapt to the invasive spread of mathenge alongside the extremes of climate change.
The Kenyan government has developed a national strategy and action plan to eradicate mathenge through a "management by utilisation programme", although Obam notes that this initiative has yet to gain momentum.
In contrast, the youth-led furniture initiative represents more than just an environmental solution; it helps communities transform challenges into opportunities, creating economic value while addressing ecological problems.
