When George Wambugu started Rafiki Ecosolutions Ltd in 2022, he wasn't trying to save the world. He was just trying to solve a problem right in his own neighborhood in Nakuru's Lanet area. Households and businesses in the area were struggling with expensive, unhealthy, and unsustainable cooking fuels. His solution was charcoal briquettes made from agricultural waste and the famous Mathenge tree, an invasive weed that chokes local farmland.
These briquettes burn for up to four hours with almost no smoke. That means you can use them indoors or outdoors, your lungs don't suffer, and because they last longer, you actually save money. Hotels liked them. Poultry farmers loved using them to keep their chicks’ shelters warm. Households appreciated not coughing all evening. "The need was always there," George says. "People wanted cheaper fuel. Businesses wanted to cut costs. But nobody had given them a real alternative."
The hard part came in getting the business off the ground. George had almost no capital. People were used to firewood and ordinary charcoal, and convincing them to switch felt like pushing a boulder uphill. For months, Rafiki was producing only about thirty bags a month. You can't build much on thirty bags.
Through GreenBiz, Rafiki got technical advisory support that helped strengthen the business from the ground up. There were trainings on record keeping, governance, compliance, and customer engagement. "I used to run everything in my head. Now I have systems," he says.
He also got financial support, which he used to buy crushers, mixers, and drying systems. But it wasn't just about machines. GreenBiz linked George with market experts who helped improve the quality of his briquettes. "Before, our briquettes were fine. Now they're good. And people trust good."
Here's what that growth actually means. Trees are being saved because people are switching away from traditional charcoal. Eight young people now have direct jobs when the factory is fully running, plus others doing collection, transport, and delivery. Families are cooking in cleaner air, with less smoke and lower fuel bills. And that invasive Mathenge tree? It's gone from being a problem to being a resource.
So what's next for George? "I don't want to just sell briquettes forever," he says. "I want to offer a whole range of affordable cooking solutions – better jikos, maybe other fuel types. And I want to help other startups do what we did. Because one company can't solve this alone."
For George Wambugu, what started as a small idea in 2022 has become proof that climate enterprises, when properly supported, can create jobs, and have immense impact both on the environments and local communities. That is the story of Rafiki Ecosolutions.