About YouthPrinua
YouthPrinua is a youth-led community-based organization operating in the Ruaraka and Mathare informal settlements of Nairobi, where waste is dumped openly and blocks the river that runs through the community. The result is flooding, displacement, demolitions, and disease. YouthPrinua addresses this through waste management: it collects waste from households, receives waste that residents bring in, then sorts, bales, and transports it to recycling markets. The organization earns income from grants, the sale of plastic and paper waste, its Recycle for Water initiative, which provides clean water to the community at an affordable price, and a car wash enterprise. YouthPrinua joins the 2026/27 cohort as a returning organization, building on the research completed with the 2025/26 LSE team.
suggested project & deliverables
In the 2025/26 cycle, LSE students helped YouthPrinua shape its business model and customer segments, and connect its social and environmental impact to financial sustainability. Since then, the organization has grown its waste recovery from 500 kilograms to two tonnes a week, begun working with waste pickers on the ground, and mapped its most loyal customers. It has formalized its operations with a structured team and clear roles, and added a shredding machine to its baling machine so that waste can be processed and sorted by color for higher value. This year, YouthPrinua seeks support from the S-Bize program to strengthen its business model for scale, with a target of recovering at least 10 tonnes of waste a week. This requires rethinking its revenue model, customer segments, reach across its geographic area, logistics, and team. Success in nine months means a clear, tested, and measurable business model for at least one of its key circular economy solutions, with defined customer segments, pricing models, revenue projections, and a practical growth strategy.