Who We Are and What We Do
Our Story
We are Team Wetlands for Wellness, a group of passionate university students from USIU-Africa and Egerton University who came together through the 2025 SDG Summer School. This year, we participated in a global competition aimed at solving real-world challenges using science, innovation, and community-based solutions. Our project focused on restoring and protecting Ondiri Wetland, one of Kenya’s most important but threatened natural resources.
What Is a Wetland and Why Ondiri Matters
A wetland is a land area that is flooded with water either permanently or seasonally. Wetlands are important because they support a wide range of plants and animals, help clean water, control floods, and even fight climate change.
Ondiri Wetland, located in Kikuyu, Kiambu County, is special. It is the deepest wetland in Kenya, with underground water sources that go more than 2,000 meters deep. It is fed by streams from the Aberdare Mountains, making it a crucial source of water and a biodiversity hotspot. Sadly, the wetland is drying up due to human activity, pollution, and climate change.
Our Mission and Next Steps
Through our project, we aim not only to raise awareness but to actively protect Ondiri Wetland. Besides education, we are working on technological innovations to help grow native plants that can survive in waterlogged areas, which will help maintain the health of the wetland and prevent it from drying out.
We have also partnered with DiceTheLifeCoach, a youth-led organization founded by former USIU alumni. Through this collaboration, we are planning to organize community events and start data collection using the citizen science method.
Our plan includes:
- Training 50 youth participants
- Each youth will engage 5 more people of different backgrounds and genders in the Ondiri area
- This means we will reach a total of 250 well-trained individuals actively involved in data collection and wetland restoration
We are also setting up a strong mentorship and communication structure to ensure all youth are well trained in data collection, while also gaining important life skills through workshops, guidance, and peer support.
To further support youth, we are working with DiceTheLifeCoach to introduce income-generating activities, helping young people develop job skills, create opportunities, and build their futures.
Upcoming Events and Publication Goals
We’re proud to announce that we will be presenting our work at the Citizen Science Africa Association Conference on October 22nd, during the Youth Citizen Africa Conference, which will be held right here at USIU-Africa. It will be an amazing chance to connect with like-minded individuals and show the impact of youth-led environmental action.
Additionally, we are working hard to publish our research paper before October. We believe this will help us reach more investors and collaborators, and expand the reach and impact of our work.
Together, we believe in the power of youth to protect nature and build a better future — one step, one tree, one action at a time.