GHISLAIN IRAKOZE

RWANDA, 22

Project: Wastezon Resourceful Fellows
Pronouns: He/Him

85% of electronics that are sent to Africa are second-hand, where they often end up in landfills degrading the environment. Ghislain seeks to remedy this through Wastezon, an app that lets consumers sell back their electronics to recyclers or manufacturers, keeping them from going into landfills and simultaneously economically empowering users. Their Resourceful Fellows fellowship aims to provide 5 fellowships to young women, allowing them to utilize the tools, resources available at Wastezon to build their careers in climate tech. 

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How does the Resourceful Fellowship embody intersectionality? 

Through Resourceful Fellowship fight gender and race inequality in the climate tech industry, by providing fellowships and placements to five Black women at Wastezon to undergo training and exposure to climate tech. We hope that through Resourceful Fellowship we will prove that women can be champions in climate tech space, building more women climate tech leaders who will launch technology solutions that tackle environmental justice in Africa and globally.

“Wastezon provides a new opportunity to visualize waste as resources of tomorrow rather than as a mere waste that goes to landfills.”
Evan Wei-Haas