Driving green growth in Kenya’s construction sector: CFYE project wraps up with impactful results
April 2025 Habitat for Humanity alongside key stakeholders, celebrated the successful conclusion of the Driving Green Growth in the Construction Sector project in Nairobi.
This three-year initiative supported by the Challenge Fund for Youth Employment (CFYE) aimed to transform Kenya’s housing construction sector through creation, matching and improving green jobs for the youth; increasing demand, supply and utilization of green housing products and services; and increasing meaningful participation of women and youth in the construction sector.
Implemented by Habitat for Humanity, in partnership with Gjenge Makers, MycoTile, and The Toolkit Skills and Innovation Hub (TTI), the project delivered impressive results across skills training, employment, and green innovation.
Group photo of delegates at the CFYE project closeout meeting
Job creation: the project created a total of 933 decent green jobs, surpassing the original target of 908 jobs. Notably, 291 of these jobs were for women, achieving 31% female participation. This represents meaningful progress toward promoting gender inclusion in Kenya’s green construction sector.
Skills Training: 2,696 youth were trained in construction and environmental skills, nearly doubling the initial goal of 1,430. These young people acquired competencies in solar installation, plumbing, electrical wiring, welding, and repurposing of agricultural and plastic waste. Of these 495 trainees, 121 of whom were women received official certifications from institutions such as The National Industrial Training Authority (NITA), Dig In Vision, and the European Union.
Partner Empowerment: the initiative also strengthened the capacity and business models of the implementing partners. With targeted investments in equipment and training, partners like Gjenge Makers, MycoTile, and TTI were able to improve their operations and expand their reach.
From left to right: Amarins Gerlofsma, Diplomat, Embassy of the Netherlands, Nairobi; Valerie Kizito, Finance Assistant, Africa Area Office; Masua Mutua, Regional Director for Eastern and Southern Africa, Terwilliger Center for Innovation in Shelter; Peter Kimani, Gjenge Makers; Muthomi Murage, The Toolkit Skills & Innovation Hub; Mtamu Kililo, MycoTile; and Hosea Mugera, The Toolkit Skills & Innovation Hub.
During the close-out event, partners reflected on these milestones, shared lessons learned and discussed the path forward. There was consensus on the importance of continuing to monitor the sustainability of the jobs created and ensuring women and youth remain central to the growth of Kenya’s green construction sector. Discussions also explored how employment generated through the project is contributing to improved access to affordable, climate-resilient housing, especially for low-income communities.
Amarins Gerlofsma, Diplomat, Embassy of the Netherlands, Nairobi presenting certificates to the Habitat consortium represented by Masua Mutua, Regional Director for Eastern and Southern Africa at the Terwilliger Center for Innovation in Shelter and Africa Finance Assistant Valerie Kizito.
With the project now concluded, Habitat for Humanity and its partners are committed to sustaining the impact by tracking job continuity, evaluating partner business performance, and deepening the link between green jobs and better housing outcomes. The Driving Green Growth project stands as a testament to the power of innovation, collaboration, and purpose-driven investment in addressing some of the most pressing challenges of our time.