Every evening, Awime Magela dey face di same wahala: 13 people, one shelter, and if dem lucky, one meal go dey.

But di 22-year-old no just dey survive; e dey innovate. For place wey life fit make person lose hope, Awime don find way to turn waste into better tin.

Di raw materials wey people dey throway – like paper, sawdust, and farm waste – dey turn to biomass briquettes for Awime hand. Dis briquettes no dey pollute, dem dey burn longer, produce less smoke, and e cheap pass charcoal wey dey destroy Kenya forest small small.

Na solution wey necessity bring come for Kakuma 1 refugee camp for Kenya, one of di biggest place wey displaced people dey stay for di world.

Awime innovation get deeper meaning because of wetin e dey face. E don pass ten years since e run comot from di fight between government soldiers and rebels for North Kivu area for Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). Now, e dey share small shelter with 12 relatives for di busy area of di camp wey dem dey call "Hong Kong" because of di plenty business wey dey happen there.

Di Donald Trump administration cut aid budget, and other Western countries follow reduce their support, wey make di refugees situation worse.

Everyday Life

By di time Awime dey come back camp around 5pm from Blue State Secondary School wey e dey attend, Mama Awime go don dey front of her stove. With less than $0.50 worth of charcoal, she go boil water and make ugali, di cornmeal porridge, for di whole family.

Charcoal na di main fuel wey people dey use for Kakuma, but environmentalists dey fear say e dey spoil Kenya biodiversity.

Awime briquettes dey try solve dis problem and still make fuel cheap. Di idea dey get support from Education Above All (EAA) and climate action project wey Girl Child Network and Green Youth 360 dey run.

"We dey make briquettes from different waste materials. Compared to wood, briquettes get double density and better energy yield. Dem be perfect alternative to charcoal," Awime tell TRT Afrika.

Student Participation

Brilliant Edamit, 15-year-old student for Kakuma Arid Zone Secondary School, learn how to make briquettes from Green Youth 360 facilitator, Ephraim Lodiyo.

"Briquettes dey keep heat longer pass firewood, and e dey reduce fuel cost well well," she tell TRT Afrika. She still talk say briquettes dey produce less smoke and ash, wey fit help reduce air pollution and sickness like respiratory wahala.

Dennis Mutiso, deputy director of Girl Child Network, talk say di project dey happen for many schools inside Kakuma refugee camp and di host communities. E dey help students learn how to adapt to climate change.

"EAA dey try create future wey go make refugees and di host communities strong and independent," Mutiso talk.

Tareq Albakri, EAA international programmes specialist, explain say di organisation dey help refugees and host communities get cheap energy sources and still fight climate change.

"If dem use briquettes, di communities go benefit from fuel wey no dey spoil environment, and e go show example of sustainable living for Kenya," Tareq tell TRT Afrika.

Broader Context

Di 2019 National Population and Housing Census report talk say 66.7% of Kenyans dey use only firewood and charcoal for energy. Studies show say di demand for charcoal dey grow because people no get cheaper green energy options.

For rural areas, nine out of ten households dey use firewood and charcoal, and 40% dey depend on wood fuel wey dem dey cut anyhow.

Patience Rusare, EAA senior media specialist, talk say di organisation dey empower refugees and host communities for Kakuma to make briquettes and adapt to climate change. Dem hope say di impact go last for local and global sustainability.

But locals dey complain say government no dey give tax incentives to encourage big production and community use of briquettes. Dem want government to promote alternative energy sources like briquettes and still make sure charcoal dey produced sustainably.

Back for Kakuma "Hong Kong" area, Awime evening routine dey continue: school, home, and di chance say dem fit sleep hungry if food no reach everybody.

But di innovation wey necessity bring come for refugee camp fit solve problem wey pass hunger alone.