Jimmy turns stream waste into compost for vulnerable families

In a country where erratic rainfall, depleted soils and soaring fertilizer prices are pushing smallholder farmers to the brink, one young innovator is digging deep for solutions.

Jimmy Matewere, 23, first saw the potential of waste during the devastation of Tropical Cyclone Freddy in 2023. The storm, the longest-lasting tropical cyclone ever recorded, left a trail of destruction across Malawi, affecting over 2.3 million people and claiming more than 600 lives.

But amid the chaos, Jimmy noticed something others overlooked: the mounds of organic and plastic waste clogging streams and streets.

“Whenever we have floods, there’s a lot of waste—especially organic matter that could be turned into something useful,” says Jimmy, a recent graduate in Meteorology and Climate Science from the Malawi University of Science and Technology (MUST).

Through MUST’s Climate Incubation Programme, which supports frugal, locally driven climate innovations, Jimmy teamed up with Blessings Banda, a secondary school student from a vulnerable community, and Albert Makuluni, a 26-year-old smallholder farmer from Mulanje.

Together, they developed a prototype called Smarter Compotech—a smart bin that separates organic waste from plastics and metals, transforming the former into nutrient-rich compost.

“What we’re doing is simple but powerful,” Jimmy explains. “We’re collecting waste from flood-prone areas like Ndirande in Blantyre, where trash blocks streams and worsens flooding. By removing and repurposing that waste, we’re not only reducing flood risks but also producing compost to help farmers grow food.”

The project is still in its early stages, but the team has already begun testing the prototype around the MUST campus. Jimmy, who led the coding and data science aspects, credits the team’s diverse strengths for their progress.

“Blessings brought creativity in design, and Albert’s farming experience grounded our work in real community needs.”

Rachel Sibale, Project Lead at MUST, says the Climate Incubation Programme was launched in 2024 to empower youth—especially those from marginalized communities—with climate knowledge and practical innovation skills.

“We’ve supported ten projects so far, including Smarter Compotech. The idea is to equip young people to create solutions that are affordable, scalable and relevant to their communities.”

So far, the programme has graduated 120 youth innovators, 58 per cent of them young women. MUST continues to track their progress and is actively seeking funding to help promising prototypes like Jimmy’s reach full implementation.

“We want these young people to not only solve problems but also build livelihoods from their innovations,” says Sibale. “Jimmy’s project has real potential to improve soil fertility, reduce waste and support food security.”

UNICEF, through its Social Innovation work, has been instrumental in supporting the initiative. The organization provides mentorship, tools and platforms for young innovators to test and refine their ideas.

For Jimmy, the journey is just beginning. He plans to pilot the smart bin in Blantyre between February and March, focusing on areas where flooding and waste accumulation are most severe.

“I want to keep working with my team and expand this project,” he says. “We’re not just cleaning up streams—we’re giving farmers a way to grow food without relying on expensive fertilizers. It’s about turning a problem into a solution.”

In a country where climate shocks are becoming more frequent and severe, Jimmy’s composting innovation offers a glimmer of hope—proof that with the right support, young minds can turn disaster into opportunity, and waste into nourishment.