290,000 mangroves planted along the Kenyan coast so far

More than 290,000 mangroves have gone into the ground along the Kenyan coast. They were planted by Young Warriors Club Kenya NGO together with local communities, schools, and volunteers.

Shanariha Evans is the founder. A student at Light Academy Mombasa, she sums up the work as "biodiversity restoration along the Kenyan coast through large-scale mangrove restoration and climate literacy for young people."

“When youth are given platform, they can inspire action and create meaningful change for our planet. Invest in us, Support us, and mentor us.”

Shanariha Evans

The mangroves come first in that description. "Beyond restoring degraded coastal ecosystems, this work helps protect shorelines, support biodiversity, improve fisheries, and strengthen climate resilience for vulnerable coastal communities," she says.

The second part happens in schools. Shanariha runs a climate literacy program across 38 public schools, reaching more than 4,000 students aged 9 to 17. It works through environmental education, hands-on conservation activities and leadership development, to help young people understand climate change and become "active environmental stewards in their schools and communities."

The reason for all of it is close to home. "I care deeply about this work because I have seen firsthand how environmental degradation and climate change affect coastal communities," she says. The pairing of planting and teaching is deliberate too: "I also believe that meaningful, long-term change happens when ecosystem restoration is combined with education and youth leadership."

Progress has not made the work easy to resource. Shanariha says youth-led organizations "often face challenges accessing funding, partnerships, and expert support," and that young leaders are "frequently underestimated and overlooked".

The goal she leads is 1 million mangroves by the end of 2027.