RegisTree (RT), a Kenyan community composting organization, and Building Humanity (BH) a US architectural and construction 501(c)(3) non-profit, are collaborating on a climate-resilient composting facility and pilot a community composting toilet system in Kilifi County, Kenya - one of the country’s most poverty stricken regions, which suffers from illegal waste dumping, high disease loads due to lack of accessible sanitation options, lack of nutritious food due to poor soil structure, and low education/literacy rates. RT’s community-led composting project transforms food waste into local jobs and revenue via selling compost, while also addressing the urgent educational, sanitation, and environmental challenges listed above. Last year, RT reached out to Building Humanity to request help constructing a facility for their growing composting operation, which holds enormous potential to benefit the wider community. To build a sustainable foundation for the composting project, and ensure its long-term community development impact, we are committed to working together over the next three years to:

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• Replace the current composting structure – a wood and plastic sheeting construction prone to leaks and overheating in hot weather – with a well - equipped, permanent, climate - resilient, and weatherproof facility. (This is a major liability; the site nearly lost all of their larvae recently due to the roof leak viewable here.)

• Pilot an on-site composting toilet for sanitation and ecological waste treatment, which will then be replicated in other high traffic sites in the community.

• Expand waste separation, composting, and sanitation education to 1,000+ people in year one, and hundreds in the following years.

• Support 500 local farmers with compost/larvae, and 250+people with safe sanitation.

• Create revenue-sharing opportunities and jobs for dozens of local women and community members.

 

Founded in 2022, RegisTree began as a mangrove restoration initiative before pivoting to food waste composting in 2023. They started with worm composting, and although successful, they found that the worm system didn’t allow them to compost scraps including oily foods, meat, and dairy effectively. RegisTree launched a Black Soldier Fly (BSF) composting project, completing their first pilot successfully in early 2025. BSFs can handle all food waste – including oil, meat, and dairy – and have the additional benefit of yielding larvae for poultry and fish operations. Based on the success of the pilot, the project has now grown to involve 21 community members, including 19 women between the ages of 17-60, who are from a local conservation group and who participate in a revenue sharing arrangement with RegisTree. RegisTree also operates food - waste removal contracts with four local establishments (three restaurants and one villa that serve the tourism sector), and sells compost and larvae within the community. They have buyers for all of the compost and larvae that they can produce. RegisTree’s work is supported by partnerships with local conservation groups, the Watamu Municipality Stakeholder Association, and collaborations with the local government and businesses.

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Brief Description of the Situation

Kilifi County faces severe challenges:

• Sanitation Crisis: Open defecation is common, especially near beaches and schools, resulting in high rates of childhood diarrhea, a very significant health risk linked to child mortality.

• Poverty and Poor Soil: Kilifi is among Kenya’s poorest counties, with low literacy and poor soil structure that hinders food production. The soil lacks nutrients and organic matter that are required to yield good crops.

• Rampant Illegal Dumping: Weak collection systems have led to visible illegal organic waste dumping sites, posing risks to people, animals, and the environment.

• Foreign-Dominated Tourism Economy: Most restaurants and tourist sites are foreign-owned, generating waste but not investing in local solutions.

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Despite progressive policies among municipalities, enforcement is lacking, and community groups such as RegisTree fill acritical gap in both environmental and public health. RegisTree writes:

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“Health and sanitation is a dire issue in the community that we work with. Our immediate neighbors at the black soldier fly (BSF) project site would be our first priority for composting toilets as a co-benefit. According to the Kilifi Department of Health, and the 2019 census statistics Kilifi County was ranked among the top 15 counties in Kenya practicing open defecation, and among the top 10 in diseases due to poor sanitation and hygiene such as diarrhea, skin, and eye disease among other sanitation diseases. From 2023/2024 period, Kilifi County department of health recorded a total of 104,618 cases of children with diarrhea in health facilities as result of poor sanitation and open defecation. Given the current circumstances, the County Government of Kilifi is open to support towards their goal of being free from open defecation and related public health issues. Additionally, with many of the communities living close to the mangrove ecosystem, and using the mangrove forests as toilets, this would be a welcome solution and contribution to protecting this fragile ecosystem that is already at risk from deforestation.”

 

Project Design

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The major goal is to construct a permanent, climate-resilient building at the composting facility to replace the current makeshift structure. The community came together to build RegisTree’s first composting set-up. This low-cost option allowed them to get going, but it is unsuitable for long-term use and is risking the operation through vulnerability to weather including heavy rains and high temperatures. As highlighted above, the project recently nearly lost all of their current crop of larvae due a major leak in the plastic tarping currently used as roofing. A video of this leak can be seen here, and a video of the current site’s construction can be seen here.

Year 1 Objectives:

• Facility Design: Building Humanity will assist in the design of a new composting site and building for RegisTree, which will include separate areas where they can set-up new equipment needed to professionalize their compost operation.

• Facility Construction: Replace current beam and plastic tarp structure with a permanent, ventilated building (timber/iron/UV-treated roofing, concrete slab, solar dryer). (Here is another video clip of the current facility, which allows you to see how the larvae are currently being managed. The new building will accommodate more efficient management.)

• Composting Toilet: Design and build an on-site composting toilet, piloting safe humanure management for use on fruit trees and ecological restoration. (RegisTree has a partner that restores mangrove forests and will test public interest/adoption of humanure with them. If adopted, this can become a revenue stream; if not adopted, RT will explore on-site uses.)

• Education: Launch training on waste separation and composting at clean-up events and partner sites.

• Look into Additional Revenue Sources: For example, possibility of adding carbon credits into the portfolio to increase profitability of compost (for example, Plan Vivo).

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Special Skills Needed

The following specialists would be given priority as volunteers.

• Composting Toilet Specialist – The project includes the installation and optimization of composting toilet systems. A specialist who can assess site conditions, guide proper construction, and train local staff on long‑term maintenance would be highly valuable

• General Construction – Volunteers with general construction experience—carpentry, masonry, basic repairs, or site preparation—will be essential for a wide range of ongoing tasks.  

• Medical - A person with medical experience or knowledge would be an asset for the team to help check in with fellow volunteers.  Building Humanity will have CPR & First Aid certified staff on hand, but additional participants with knowledge would be valuable to the team.

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STEAM Education

During the volunteer event, STEAM activities will be scheduled, in partnership with Friends of Arabuko-Sokoke Forest, for schools within the last remaining dry coastal forest in East Africa. Our volunteers bring a breath of skills including various types of engineers, architects, sustainability experts, etc. Volunteers will participate in activities such as “Conservation through Sports” and collaborate on activities with Junior Rangers, who are children learning about elephant behavior, biodiversity, and land restoration. We will organize a STEAM Day where we will set up 6-10 different activity stations for the children to explore STEAM through experiments, crafts, and projects. While they participate, they will be inquiring, observing, and experimenting in a fun and engaging manner. 

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Preliminary Itinerary