Green Hope Harvest

• Year Founded: 2018
• Location: Kakuma Refugee Camp, Kenya
• Energy Solutions and Services: Eco-composting toilet system integrated with anaerobic biogas digesters, vertical and shelf-based mushroom cultivation using agricultural waste, solar dryers, solar panels, digital tools, anaerobic digestion systems made from recycled or locally available plastic tanks
• Thematic Areas of Focus: Agriculture, energy, health
• Number of Employees: 6
• Contact: marcelinmunga19@gmail.com

Green Hope Harvest’s Impact Story

Life in Kakuma Refugee Camp is marked by chronic food insecurity, poor sanitation infrastructure, high unemployment, and limited access to clean energy. Marcelin Petro Munga saw the need for innovative and community-led approaches to address these challenges simultaneously, and in 2018, he co-founded Farming and Health Education (FHE) with fellow refugee youth partners. In 2021, FHE was officially registered as a non-profit community-based organization under the Ministry of Labour and Social Protection State Department Social Protection Department Development in Turkana County.

To promote sustainability and reduce reliance on donor support, FHE launched Green Hope Harvest in 2023 as its social enterprise arm. To date, Green Hope Harvest has pursued four pioneering projects for a holistic approach to the challenges faced by Kakuma’s residents:

Treebog Revolutionize Sanitation to Biogas

With technical and material support from RE-Alliance, Green Hope Harvest constructed five Treebog eco-sanitation units. These are eco-composting toilets integrated with anaerobic biomass digesters made from recycled or locally available plastic tanks. The units made it possible to demonstrate the potential of practical clean energy and sanitation solutions for use within Kakuma.  

Mushroom Cultivation Project

This project uses agricultural waste, such as maize husks and banana leaves, to cultivate mushrooms for sale through low-tech vertical and shelf-based methods. Green Hope Harvest uses solar panels for its lighting and refrigeration system and aims to solarise its irrigation system as well. Low-cost solar dryers are used to preserve the mushroom crop. A generous grant of $10,000 from Nourish All was used to establish the mushroom production unit. Setup included establishing the necessary infrastructure, procuring agricultural inputs, and training. In addition to cultivating mushrooms for sale, the organization also trains community members in farming practices.

Hydroponic Farming

In partnership with Resilience Action International (RAI) and with support from the Mastercard Foundation, Green Hope Harvest implemented a hydroponic farming system and conducted hands-on training for refugee and host community youth to boost food security and entrepreneurship. Soilless, water-efficient farming systems are well adapted for arid environments such as Turkana County, where Kakuma is located.

In recognition of Green Hope Harvest’s environmental innovation and impact, the Turkana County Government awarded FHE and Green Hope Harvest with an Environmental Recognition Certificate. Awarded in June 2024, the certificate honors the organizations’ efforts in renewable energy, waste recycling and sustainable agriculture in a refugee-hosting area.

Success Factors

The success of Green Hope Harvest is anchored in its strong alignment with FHE’s mission of sustainable health and agricultural development as well as the deep-rooted community engagement fostered by FHE’s community-based organization model. Before launching its projects, the organizations engaged camp residents in open discussions to understand their needs and preferences, involved them in decision-making, and demonstrated results through early pilot units. By allowing residents to see, test, and provide feedback on these systems, Green Hope Harvest created a sense of ownership and confidence in the technology.

Green Hope Harvest is also made effective through its cross-sectoral, circular economy approach tackling sanitation, clean energy, and food security needs as well as its commitment to continuous training and empowerment. When undertaking training activities, the enterprise actively engaged women and youth through hands-on experiences, leadership opportunities and targeted agribusiness initiatives.

The idea for Green Hope Harvest was refined and supported through FHE’s grassroots structures, community mobilization support and technical assistance. As an incubator, FHE has provided Green Hope Harvest with access to training spaces, volunteer networks, and early-stage funding. Over 150 people have been trained, five Treebog units have been installed, and mushroom sales are generating local revenue.

Support from external partners to start up Green Hope Harvest’s activities and build its capacity has also been crucial. For example, participation in the Localization Development Accelerator Program run by Mama Hope enhanced the organizational management, strategic planning and sustainability practices of Green Hope Harvest and FHE.

Future Plans and Support Needs

Under the FHE umbrella, Green Hope Harvest aims to expand its Treebog sanitation systems to serve 5,000 households with clean energy, build a larger mushroom farm equipped with solar-powered processing and packaging units, and scale its hydroponic farms in order to feed schools and vulnerable households. The organizations also hope to launch a Green Innovation Hub to train and incubate 500 refugee and host community youth so they can pursue biogas production, mushroom cultivation, and other sustainable energy and agricultural activities as entrepreneurs.

To realize this vision, the enterprise seeks infrastructure grants and seed funding; advanced training in biogas engineering and smart agriculture for its employees;  and partnerships for research, markets, and technology transfer. Green Hope Harvest and FHE are also aim to encourage the Kenyan government and humanitarian sector to integrate its model for developing refugee-led community-based organizations and social enterprises into broader resilience strategies.

About the Founder

Marcelin Munga, Founder of Green Hope Harvest,

Marcelin Petro Munga, a refugee innovator from the DRC, arrived in Kakuma Refugee Camp in 2015 at age 18, speaking only French and fully dependent on WFP aid. To survive, he started a small kitchen garden, which soon inspired his neighbours. His turning point came when he witnessed a young mother trade her food rations for medicine, revealing to him the urgent need for pathways to self-reliance in his community. Today, Marcelin remains committed to turning displacement into opportunity through innovative solutions in health, agriculture, and clean energy.