Skip to main content
Description
Transforming E-Waste into Livelihoods through Circular Economy Innovation
VAWOCO is a community-based organization driving inclusive green transitions by turning discarded mobile phones into economic opportunities. We operate a circular model where mobile phones are collected, sorted, repaired or refurbished, and then resold or responsibly recycled through certified partners.
Our impact is rooted in empowering vulnerable women and unemployed youth:
- Women collectors earn income by retrieving e-waste from their communities.
- Youth technicians, trained by VAWOCO, restore devices for resale or safe disposal.
- We offer hands-on training in mobile phone collection and repair, with ongoing support to help trainees start their own enterprises.
With a focus on skills development, income generation, and environmental sustainability, VAWOCO is creating a scalable, community-driven model that tackles e-waste while reducing poverty and inequality.
We invite funders and partners to join us in scaling this proven approach across Kenya and beyond.
- Circular economy
- E-waste
- Product-as-a-service
- Recycling
- Reverse Logistics
- Shared Mobility
- Sharing economy
- Upcycling
- Waste management
- Emissions control, reporting and offsetting
- Carbon ofsetting
- 1 to 3 (Research)
- 4 to 6 (Development)
- Yes
Company Website
https://vawoco.org/Address
Zero Carbon - Value Waste to Opportunities16862
NAIROBI
00100
Kenya
Contact
Company Size
11-50Year Founded
2019
-
Capacity-building initiatives for collection. While mobile phone waste continues to pile up, most communities lack the skills, systems, and awareness needed for safe and effective collection.