In Nairobi’s Kibera, a locally designed board game is helping young people rethink waste, recycling and cooperation, turning everyday rubbish into lessons on sustainability, income and community-led change.
In Nairobi’s Kibera, one of Africa’s largest informal settlements, a simple board game is quietly changing how young people think about rubbish, teamwork and the future of their neighbourhood.
Surrounded by narrow lanes where plastic waste often clogs drains and piles up in open spaces, groups of young residents now gather around a game board instead of a classroom blackboard. Through dice rolls, cards and shared decisions, they learn how sorting waste, recycling and working together can make a real difference.
The idea comes from Kenyan environmentalist Sam Dindi, who wanted to find a way to talk about sustainability without lectures or long speeches. “People here live with waste every single day,” he says. “But when learning feels like play, the message sticks.”
The game is based on everyday life in Kibera. Players earn rewards for separating waste, choosing recycling options and investing in reuse. Poor decisions lead to blocked drains, pollution and lost points. The rules are simple, but the lessons are clear. Waste is not just a problem. It can also be a resource.
For many young people, this is their first introduction to the idea of a circular economy, where materials are reused instead of thrown away. Youth organisers say the playful approach works far better than awareness campaigns that rely on posters or meetings.
Young people do not want to be talked at, says a member of the youth-led group Greenshift for Development, which supports the project. When they play, they start talking among themselves about what they can change at home and in their streets.
The impact goes beyond the game. Garbage collector Ibrahim Doka works with local youth to turn plastic waste into paving stones and durable mats, including some used during the gaming sessions. Plastic bottles that once littered the settlement are now a source of income.
“Before, plastic was useless,” Doka says. “Now people collect it because they know it has value.”
As demand for recycled PET bottles grows across Kenya, the initiative has gained attention. Limited backing from the National Environment Management Authority has helped connect informal waste collectors with recycling markets while keeping control in the hands of the community.
So far, dozens of youth groups in Kibera have taken part in the game, mostly through informal gatherings and local sessions. Organisers say the conversations often continue long after the game ends, leading to better waste separation and small clean-up efforts.
In a place where resources are scarce and services are limited, the board game is offering a different kind of solution. It shows that change does not always need expensive technology or big projects. Sometimes it starts with a game, a group of young people and a new way of looking at waste.
