#TFAAspotlight: See 9 things we know about Abdikadir Hassan, an award-winning environmentalist

Abdikadir Aden Hassan is a young Kenya environmentalist and a peace Ambassador. At 26, he made a significant contribution to the protection and sustainable management of the environment.

And…

1. He received Head of State commendation during the Kenya @50 celebrations for his progressive work on the environment.
2. Abdikadir was nominated for the The Future Awards Africa Prize in Advocacy and Activism in 2014.
3. He received the Giraffe Heroes Kenya Awards in 2014 for his involvement in environmental conservation.
4. He was presented with a Queen’s Young Leaders Award in 2015 for his work with Garissa Million Trees Project leading environmental projects in Kenya – one of the first and the biggest environmental Social Enterprises in North Eastern Region.
5. The 32-year-old is the CEO/Founder, YESNET – Youth for Environmental Sustainability Network – which has increased the participation of women, the disabled, and young people in conservation issues, and has facilitated these marginalised groups in gaining access to funding opportunities.
6. He is a recipient of the Commonwealth Youth Worker award in Cameroon in February 2015.
7. He is, indeed, a young leader who has exhibited a big change for his society with a big passion for his community. He is committed and dedicated to every step he makes in giving back to his people. He spends his time engaging young people to protect the environment at the same time in creation of self-employment through identification of green jobs such as agro-forestry nurseries and through capacity building trainings.
8. Abdikadir works with schools by forming environmental conservation clubs, where students in primary and secondary levels get to learn more about conservation. He also engages the youth in sports, in conjunction with other partners in the network he has formed while doing his conservation work.
9. “Coming from an arid area that has been hit by climate change and global warming for so long, I realised that as a young person, I have to stand up and take action to bring social change to the community that I live in,” says Abdikadir, who has won more than 15 international and local awards for his conservation efforts.