NaPO Conservation Cup: youth-led dryland restoration in northern Kenya
CertifiedNature and People as One (NaPO) was established by young people from the Rendille pastoralist community in northern Kenya. The organization emerged from mounting environmental pressures and deep community desire to revive traditional stewardship practices while adapting to rapidly changing landscapes, guided by a simple belief: communities closest to the land hold both the knowledge and motivation to restore it. The Rendille have practiced pastoralism in these drylands for generations, developing sophisticated systems for managing rangelands, conserving water, and coexisting with wildlife. However, prolonged droughts intensified by climate change, invasive species spreading across grazing lands, and weakening traditional governance threatened both livelihoods and ecosystems. We witnessed our elders' ecological knowledge being marginalized while external conservation approaches failed to account for pastoralist realities. We recognized effective conservation required centering
Regenerosity supports and catalyzes grassroots organizations and leaders globally to protect, restore, and regenerate their communities and ecosystems. The organization flows trust-based funds to high-potential, community-based initiatives in threatened or degraded landscapes in ways that grow their capacities, scale and impact. Through its Blossom Program, a two-year capacity strengthening initiative, Regenerosity resources local grassroots organizations to strengthen their capacity and leadership skills while prototyping new models for regional growth. The work prioritizes transformation of food systems and livelihoods through agroecology and regenerative practices led by local communities informed by traditional ecological knowledge.
This project was selected as a RestorLife Awards finalist
Project story
Northern Kenya's dryland forests face a perfect storm: climate change, invasive species, and severe drought are destroying the land that communities depend on for survival. For pastoralist youth in these fragile ecosystems, environmental collapse means losing their future entirely.
Here's the challenge: the region has one of Kenya's youngest populations, yet conservation efforts rarely engage them meaningfully.
We're changing that through the NaPO Conservation Cup, a football tournament where competition drives real environmental restoration.
How it works: Youth form football teams and compete for tournament glory, but there's a catch—participation requires demonstrated conservation action. Teams earn points both on the pitch and on the land: by planting trees, restoring degraded areas using natural regeneration techniques, and completing ecological education modules.
Why it works: Football is a universal passion. By linking tournament success to environmental impact, we transform sport into a powerful conservation tool. During training camps and match days, players learn cost-effective restoration methods proven effective in drylands, then immediately apply them in their own communities.
The result? Youth become conservation leaders, ecosystems recover, and communities secure their livelihoods for generations to come.
Over the past four years, the NaPO Conservation Cup has mobilized over 1,800 young people to take environmental action through our "sports for environmental action" model. Young people have planted over 10,000 tree seedlings and currently maintain more than 72 hectares under active restoration through natural regeneration and removing of invasive species. What began with 16 teams in 2023 has grown to 34 teams including 8 girls' teams by 2026, proving that when environmental action is embedded in culturally relevant activities like football, youth engagement becomes sustainable and self-reinforcing.
Project updates
Team
NaPO Conservation Cup: youth-led dryland restoration in northern Kenya
Nature and People as One (NaPO) was established by young people from the Rendille pastoralist community in northern Kenya. The organization emerged from mounting environmental pressures and deep community desire to revive traditional stewardship practices while adapting to rapidly changing landscapes, guided by a simple belief: communities closest to the land hold both the knowledge and motivation to restore it. The Rendille have practiced pastoralism in these drylands for generations, developing sophisticated systems for managing rangelands, conserving water, and coexisting with wildlife. However, prolonged droughts intensified by climate change, invasive species spreading across grazing lands, and weakening traditional governance threatened both livelihoods and ecosystems. We witnessed our elders' ecological knowledge being marginalized while external conservation approaches failed to account for pastoralist realities. We recognized effective conservation required centering
Regenerosity supports and catalyzes grassroots organizations and leaders globally to protect, restore, and regenerate their communities and ecosystems. The organization flows trust-based funds to high-potential, community-based initiatives in threatened or degraded landscapes in ways that grow their capacities, scale and impact. Through its Blossom Program, a two-year capacity strengthening initiative, Regenerosity resources local grassroots organizations to strengthen their capacity and leadership skills while prototyping new models for regional growth. The work prioritizes transformation of food systems and livelihoods through agroecology and regenerative practices led by local communities informed by traditional ecological knowledge.
This project was selected as a RestorLife Awards finalist
Project story
Northern Kenya's dryland forests face a perfect storm: climate change, invasive species, and severe drought are destroying the land that communities depend on for survival. For pastoralist youth in these fragile ecosystems, environmental collapse means losing their future entirely.
Here's the challenge: the region has one of Kenya's youngest populations, yet conservation efforts rarely engage them meaningfully.
We're changing that through the NaPO Conservation Cup, a football tournament where competition drives real environmental restoration.
How it works: Youth form football teams and compete for tournament glory, but there's a catch—participation requires demonstrated conservation action. Teams earn points both on the pitch and on the land: by planting trees, restoring degraded areas using natural regeneration techniques, and completing ecological education modules.
Why it works: Football is a universal passion. By linking tournament success to environmental impact, we transform sport into a powerful conservation tool. During training camps and match days, players learn cost-effective restoration methods proven effective in drylands, then immediately apply them in their own communities.
The result? Youth become conservation leaders, ecosystems recover, and communities secure their livelihoods for generations to come.
Over the past four years, the NaPO Conservation Cup has mobilized over 1,800 young people to take environmental action through our "sports for environmental action" model. Young people have planted over 10,000 tree seedlings and currently maintain more than 72 hectares under active restoration through natural regeneration and removing of invasive species. What began with 16 teams in 2023 has grown to 34 teams including 8 girls' teams by 2026, proving that when environmental action is embedded in culturally relevant activities like football, youth engagement becomes sustainable and self-reinforcing.
Project updates
Team
Location
Kenya
Round 3
Jul 1-21, 2026
Supporting community-led nature projects around the world.
Matching funds provided by
