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In Nairobi’s informal settlements, we are witnessing a "hidden pandemic." The open burning of plastic waste creates toxic air that fuels respiratory disease, while a 67% youth unemployment rate fuels a sense of hopelessness. At Husisha, a Kenyan non-profit, we created Circular Mtaani because we believe that environmental "awareness" is not enough—our youth need the economic agency to change their own reality.
We developed this innovation to bridge the gap between planetary health and community survival. By upcycling 1.5 tons of plastic from the Dandora dumpsite into "Phygital" (Physical + AI) board games, we are turning a local threat into a global learning tool. We created this as an "Innovation Flight Simulator" where marginalized learners use our Husisha Agentic AI to move from eco-anxiety to "Eco-Ambition."
This initiative is built on Community Participation. We operate in 12 settlements, ensuring the project is self-sustaining by selling recycled games for KES 300 and offering strategy clinics for KES 50. We created this model to prove that youth in informal settlements are not just victims of the climate crisis—they are the most capable architects of a circular, healthy, and just planetary transition. By centering our work on the "Human Health Lever," we are transforming the nitty-gritty struggle of the mtaani into a scalable blueprint for systems change.
In practice, Circular Mtaani functions as a "Phygital" (Physical + AI) ecosystem that turns Nairobi’s informal settlements into living laboratories for planetary health. Here is the step-by-step journey:
1. From Dandora to the Table
Our process begins with youth cooperatives collecting plastic waste from the Dandora dumpsite. This waste is processed and manufactured into the 4R Circular Economy board game. When a student sits down to play, they are physically touching the very problem (recycled plastic) they are learning to solve.
2. The Innovation Flight Simulator
Students play in groups within our Mtaani Wi-Fi hubs. As they move pieces across the board, they encounter real-world trade-offs—such as choosing between quick industrial profit or investing in "Aerosol Loading" reduction to lower local asthma rates. To navigate these complex decisions, they consult the Husisha Agentic AI, which acts as a "Digital Twin" mentor, providing scientific data on planetary boundaries.
3. The Strategy Clinic
The game doesn't end at the board. We move from simulation to execution in our Strategy Clinics. For KES 50, youth use the Husisha AI to draft actual business models based on their game-winning strategies. These models focus on local circular solutions, such as organic waste-to-energy or upcycled fashion.
4. Sustainable Scaling
To ensure our non-profit remains resilient, we sell the physical board games to schools and community centers for KES 300. This revenue, combined with the s
Our innovation has spread through a strategic, four-phase evolution, moving from a localized numeracy project to a globally recognized "Phygital" movement for planetary health.
In Phase 1 (2020–2022), we launched Grade 4 math games, using COVID-19 lockdowns for technical upskilling in digital modeling. By Phase 2 (2023), we established a circular manufacturing lab in Kajiji, adjacent to the Dandora dumpsite. Here, we converted 1.5 tons of plastic waste into vocational training tools and game components, turning a health threat into an economic asset for 12 informal settlements.
In Phase 3 (2024), our "Content-Advocacy Feedback Loop" earned the Transparency International Kenya Creative Award and was presented at the World Forum for Democracy.
Currently, in Phase 4 (2025–2026), we have integrated Husisha Agentic AI with our physical tools through a partnership with the Black Policy Institute UK. Supported by a 240,000-operation Make.com grant, we are automating the Erevu Data Project. This "low-tech/high-tech" fusion allows us to scale our "Innovation Flight Simulator," providing youth with the scientific and financial agency to lead a circular, healthy, and just planetary transition.
Since our inception, we have strategically modified Circular Mtaani from a classroom numeracy tool into a sophisticated "Phygital" ecosystem that bridges the digital and economic divide in Nairobi’s informal settlements. Our evolution has focused on three core pillars: Material Circularity, Scientific Agency, and Financial Sustainability.
Initially, we produced standard paper-based games for math. To address the "hidden pandemic" of plastic burning, we modified our manufacturing by establishing a lab in Kajiji, near the Dandora dumpsite. We now upcycle 1.5 tons of plastic waste into durable game components. This shift turned the game into a tactile lesson in the circular economy—students literally play with the pollution they are learning to remediate.
Technically, we integrated the Husisha Agentic AI suite in 2025. This transformed the board game into an "Innovation Flight Simulator." By adding a Scientific Auditor and a Sheng-enabled Voice Engine, we ensure that learners in low-connectivity areas can access high-level environmental data and "Digital Twin" mentors to guide their decision-making regarding the 9 Planetary Boundaries.
Finally, we added the Strategy Clinic model to move from "awareness to action." By charging KES 50 for AI-guided business modeling and selling recycled games for KES 300, we transitioned into a self-sustaining social enterprise. This modification ensures our innovation provides a direct pathway to green employment for marginalized youth.
To try Circular Mtaani, you enter a "Phygital" ecosystem where the boundaries between play, science, and business disappear. As a Kenyan non-profit initiative of Husisha, we offer three pathways to engage:
1. Play the "Flight Simulator"
Visit one of our Husisha Wi-Fi Hubs in our 12 target settlements. You will join a session of the 4R Circular Economy board game, handling tactile pieces upcycled from 1.5 tons of local plastic waste. This is where you move from "eco-anxiety" to "performing understanding."
2. Consult the AI Mentor
Connect to the Husisha Agentic AI on your mobile device. Use the Sheng-enabled Voice Engine to ask questions about the 9 Planetary Boundaries or use the Scientific Auditor to input local environmental data. This provides you with a "Digital Twin" mentor to guide your systemic decision-making.
3. Join a Strategy Clinic
For KES 50, move from player to architect. Our Strategy Clinic uses AI to help you convert game insights into a professional business model. Additionally, schools can purchase physical kits for KES 300, directly funding our Erevu Data Project and turning local waste into a career path for youth.
