Who are we?
Kiswahili for ‘trees in our neighborhoods’,
Miti Mitaani pays urban youth to establish community forests in Nairobi, Kenya.
Did you know...
Nairobi's temperatures have increased over 1.5 degrees since the 1950s while tree cover has reduced 22% over the past 3 decades.
Young people aged 15 - 34 face high rates unemployment, with over 80% of youth relying on casual informal work.
Urban expansion has led to a drastic decline of trees in Nairobi. For ex. illegal property development on riparian land has resulted in losses.
What We Do
Greening Our City
At Miti Mitaani, we believe in the power of community forests to transform our city by making it cooler and greener. We engage youth to plant trees along the Nairobi River basin and maintain them to ensure their survival.
Sustainable Income Creation
Youth earn money through reforestation in their own neighborhoods. They invest this money in group businesses as well as meeting their basic needs such as food and healthcare.
Tackling Climate Change
At Miti Mitaani, we're taking action to combat climate change by greening Nairobi, one tree at a time. Trees are the most scalable and affordable solution to cool cities and build climate resilience.
How We Make a Difference
At Miti Mitaani, we have a unique 'trees-for-cash' approach that engages youth groups in the following ways:
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We pay the group for every tree planted.
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We pay the group monthly for every tree that survives.
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Groups work together with community members and the local government to create community forests.
This approach has the potential to quickly increase tree cover in Nairobi, ensure high rates of tree survival, and restore valuable riparian forests across Nairobi River.
Our Impact
Since our pilot project in 2022, we have accomplished the following:
250
Youth engaged
2,300
Trees in 3 community forests
Ksh 518,000
Earned by youth
99%
Tree survival rate
Meet The Team
Ronny Mutua
Founder & Strategy and Partnerships Lead
Ronny has 8+ years experience in the fields of strategy consulting, project management, change management and organizational leadership.
Maria Omulubi
Co-founder & Programs and Operations Lead
Maria has 10+ years experience at environmental and agricultural organizations in East Africa managing field teams, developing program strategy and scaling service delivery.
Richard Ngei
Programs Coordinator
With a background in community marketing, Richard leads all collaboration with Miti Mitaani’s youth groups and local officials to ensure we center participants in our program.
Our Generous Partners
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