Help us Secure Land for the HERI-Kenya Community-Led Waste Innovation
Problem Statement - Diani Beach is one of Kenya’s most important coastal tourism destinations and a fast-growing urban center. However, there has not been waste management interventions locally to match the population growth, tourism expansion, and urbanization continuously compounding and exacerbating environmental and public health crisis characterized by poor waste collection, open dumping, burning of waste, low recycling rates, and lack of organic waste processing infrastructure which constitutes 70% of all waste generated locally.
Key Challenges.
- Waste is polluting drainage systems, marine ecosystems, and community spaces creating breeding grounds for flies, mosquitoes, and rodents, increasing risks of malaria, diarrheal diseases, and respiratory illnesses.
- Large volumes of organic waste from hotels, households, and markets are dumped openly instead of being recycled or converted into useful products.
- Open dumping and burning contribute to air pollution, foul odors, greenhouse gas emissions, and disease outbreaks.
- Limited public awareness and weak waste segregation practices reduce opportunities for recycling and circular economy solutions.
Why the Problem Matters .
- Diani is produces averagely 5 tonnes of waste on a daily basis
- Existing systems remain largely linear (“collect and dump”) instead of circular and resource-efficient.
- Diani’s tourism economy depends heavily on environmental cleanliness and healthy ecosystems
- Youth and women in Diani Municipality face high unemployment and limited livelihood opportunities despite the potential of green enterprises and waste-based businesses.
Need for Intervention.
Without immediate action, the waste crisis in Diani will continue to undermine public health, environmental sustainability, and the long-term viability of the local tourism economy hence the urgent need to.
- Promote waste segregation and recycling.
- Convert organic waste into valuable products such as compost and animal feed.
- Create green jobs and livelihood opportunities for youth and women.
- Strengthen environmental conservation and climate resilience.
- Support partnerships between communities, hotels, businesses, and local institutions.
The Solution - HERI-Kenya’s BSF farm is a practical, tested & evidence-informed model that directly responds to the challenges above by turning organic waste into a community opportunity.
- Converts organic waste into organic fertilizer and animal protein feed
- Reduces waste pollution while enhancing environmental conditions
- Supports local economic opportunities
- Provides a platform for research, demonstration, and training
Why Land Security Matters - The BSF farm currently operates on land that is not yet secured. This creates a major barrier to long-term growth. Without secure land, HERI-Kenya cannot sustainbly:
- Invest in permanent infrastructure
- Expand production capacity
- Develop a full training and research hub
- Build long-term partnerships
- Scale the model to other communities
- Protect the continuity of the solution
About HERI-Kenya
About HERI-Kenya
- Health and Environmental Research Institute – Kenya (HERI-Kenya) is a community based organization advancing health, environmental sustainability, and social well-being through research-driven, locally grounded solutions.
- Over the past five years, HERI-Kenya has worked closely with communities in Diani, South Coast Kenya, to address the growing challenge of organic waste and its effects on public health, environmental sustainability, and livelihoods. We established a Black Soldier Fly (BSF) farm as a practical waste-to-value solution that converts organic waste into useful resources such as organic fertilizer and animal protein feed.
- HERI-Kenya’s approach is rooted in the belief that sustainable solutions must be locally relevant, evidence-informed, and community-owned. By combining research, community engagement, training, and applied innovation, HERI-Kenya is building models that improve health, protect the environment, and create opportunities for sustainable livelihoods.
Proof of Impact
HERI-Kenya’s BSF farm has already demonstrated that
organic waste can be transformed into practical value for
communities, the environment, and local livelihoods.
Through this model, HERI has converted over 10 tonnes of
organic waste into useful organic fertilizer and animal
protein feed.
