So, what’s our story?
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and Real.
Our Story
Who We Are
My Little Big Thing (MLBT) is an initiative by MK-Africa, a woman-owned sustainability consultancy based in Nairobi, Kenya.
MK-Africa works with organizations to embed sustainability in how they think, operate, and report , helping them create measurable social, economic, and environmental impact.
Through MLBT, we extend that same impact to young Africans , empowering students to transform simple ideas into solutions that drive the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
We believe that when youth are given tools, mentorship, and opportunity, they don’t just imagine the future , they build it.
Small Acts. Big Impact.
Our Insp
ration
MLBT draws its inspiration from the late Professor Wangari Maathai’s “little thing” — her simple yet world-changing act of planting trees.
We’ve built on that philosophy: that one small idea can spark a chain of change.
Every year, MLBT brings together students, mentors, and partners who share this belief — that real impact begins with small, intentional action.
Our Programs
Our flagship initiatives
Over the years, MLBT has evolved into a growing ecosystem of learning, innovation, and mentorship across Africa.
1. SDGs Innovation Challenge
An annual competition that invites university and TVET students to design solutions rooted in the SDGs.
Each edition focuses on a thematic cluster of goals , from health and gender equality to climate action and sustainable production , creating space for Africa’s most promising youth-led ideas.
2. The MLBT Academy
Our digital learning platform for sustainability and social innovation , offering free GRIR-certified training, design thinking, and entrepreneurship modules for participants.
The Academy also hosts global webinars and online events in partnership with organizations like UNDP Kenya and YALI East Africa.
3. Mentorship for Leadership Program
A year-long mentorship journey connecting finalists to top sustainability leaders across Africa.
Through bi-monthly sessions, participants refine their ideas, develop business models, and go to market with minimum viable products , often launching social enterprises that directly advance the SDGs.
Our Impact
Since launching in 2017, MLBT has:
1,000+ Youth Innovators Reached
From over 40 universities across Africa have taken part in our programs.
Free SDG Training
Hundreds of students have received sustainability and design-thinking education at no cost.
Ideas Into Enterprises
Participants have launched real projects and social enterprises tackling issues from clean water to gender equality.
Powerful Partnerships
Collaborations with Safaricom, PKF East Africa, CISL (University of Cambridge), Crew 2030, and South African Airways amplify youth innovation.
What guides us
ur Mssion & Vision
Vision
To raise awareness of the SDGs, nurture sustainable youth-led enterprises, and embed sustainability in Africa’s learning institutions , creating livelihoods that transform communities.
Mission
To inspire and mentor young Africans to design solutions that drive the SDGs, build socially conscious enterprises, and make sustainability a way of life.
THE BIG IDEA
Our Strategic Focus
Africa has the largest youth population in the world , over 220 million young people aged 15–24.
We see this not as a challenge, but as an opportunity to harness their potential through education, innovation, and entrepreneurship.
MLBT’s strategy focuses on:
Raising SDG awareness among university students.
Building human capital through design thinking and sustainability learning.
Encouraging entrepreneurship as a driver of livelihoods and job creation.
Creating collaboration networks across academia, government, and industry.
What Drives Us Forward
Our Values
These are the principles that shape who we are, the roots of every program, partnership, and idea within MLBT.