Category: News

As of recently, Jenny Rosencrantz has no engagements with Sustainable mPact™. We are very grateful for the important role Jenny has played in the development of Sustainable mPact™ and we wish her all the best in her future endeavours. 

“I want to live a life that is in harmony with the planet and all the other species that share this home with us” – Pamela Okutoyi

 I had an extre

mely humbling experience after talking to Pamela Okutoyi, an ambitious and hardworking lady who has dedicated her life towards educating others on the importance of the environment. Her passion and joy is unparalleled when she talks about her work and how she strives to make a difference towards others. 

Meher Bajaj (SmP Communications Manager)

Can you tell our viewers about yourself and your background?

Hi, my name is Pam! I am an environmentalist passionately and professionally, and I love this precious planet Earth.

For me, it’s been a very long journey of trial and error, shuffling my way through the sustainability space and finally, I can confidently say that I have found my niche.

I wouldn’t describe myself as super green – just someone who tries to do their best. I do not live in a self-built eco house – just a normal rental house where I try to make my energy and water use as efficient as I can. I do not own any fancy car, not to mention an electric car, still coping with our public transport drama. I simply live on a modest budget and try to make the most economical and ethical choices I can with my budget.

Sustainability has not always been my interest. Ours was love at first sight. I graduated from the Technical University of Kenya with a Bachelor of Technology in Environmental Resource Management in 2018. Since then I’ve worked continuously in the sustainability space.

I love collaborating with businesses to write content that they can be proud of. Currently, I work full time for Kenya Climate Innovation Center Consulting, as a sustainability researcher and writer and work part-time on The Eco-Mindset.

When I’m not writing, I love discovering our wild natural beauty, watching movies and living my best life.

How would you describe your journey in writing?

I learned the value of storytelling and simplicity when I was a young girl. I have always been a passionate writer ever since. While studying for my first degree, I engaged in a lot of research, report writing, creative writing competitions and public speaking. I discovered that I get a real buzz writing good content for websites, blogs, and ghostwriting. 

After graduation, I went on to work for Impact Africa as a sustainability writer. I was also contracted by Iron and steel Africa Review to manage their publications on a part-time basis. Later on, I started doing freelance writing for newspapers and magazines.

What has been your most successful blog post? Why do you think it was appealing?

I can’t say that there is one blog post that is the most exciting because my blog posts are not a competition. My blog posts are about sharing people’s unique stories with the world and making people value the importance of sustainability through their stories. To me, every story is important, and I value each blog post that I publish. That is why every post has been successful in its own way. 

What inspired you to start blogging about sustainability?

During my campus life, there was very little mention of sustainability and I struggled to understand what that complex word really meant. It was really hard to have a conversation with anyone about it. 

I came to realize that in reality, there was not a lot of information available to the public on sustainability. This inspired me to start blogging because I wanted to provide that knowledge to people. I wanted to give the opportunity for others to learn about the importance of sustainability and their role to make the world a better place. 

My goal is to educate people, change their mindset and get them to act. 

 

The website ASM is a great source to learn about what businesses are doing to become more sustainable, however, ASM is more than just a website, can you share some of the sustainability services that ASM has to offer?

ASM aims to break down complex sustainability issues and turn them into interactive stories that people can relate to and understand what others are doing within the sustainability space. 

At ASM we create content that tackles challenging sustainability concepts, providing a news outlet that discusses the governmental, company and individual efforts on sustainability. Our publications inform the larger public what opportunities are available and how they can be part of the change in the world. 

The information outlets include the Africa Sustainability Matters website, the Africa Sustainability TV, the ASM newsletter and the ASM Magazine. 

Our goal is to make people better. We believe that every business owner has a story to tell and a passion that got them started in the first place. We write content that you can be proud of. We tell stories of businesses in the sustainability space in a way that will connect them to customers and generate profit while doing good to the planet. 

One example of what we do; ASM  works on various projects, one of them is dubbed Sustainability ‘Mtaani’, a Swahili word for “streets”. For this project, the ASM team takes to the streets and talks to the local people to get their first-hand opinion on sustainability. The idea behind the project is to gather information and get first-hand accounts on what people know so that ASM can bridge the gap between what the people understand and what they don’t. 

 

There are many people who want to become more sustainable but do not know how to start, what would you recommend to them?

Education is the first step towards becoming sustainable. Many people ask questions like “why are you telling me to stop using plastic? or why are you telling me to stop cutting down trees?” Without knowledge on such topics, people will remain unknowing and unable to make informed decisions. At ASM we offer you information that facilitates conscious decision making. When you read about climate change, you realize that you have an important role to play within the larger picture. One cannot be action-oriented without understanding the space first.

On my personal blog, The Eco-Mindset, I mostly talk about how as an individual, you can live an eco-friendly lifestyle. I have been able to save money and attain a sense of peace knowing that my small lifestyle changes are attributing towards a greater good. I’m convinced that if we all join in the fight for a better planet, we shall achieve greater impact.  

 

Want to reach Pamela?

ASM website: https://africasustainabilitymatters.com/

The Eco-Mindset blog: https://5f29ab757f8b3.site123.me/

Email: pamelaokutoyi@gmail.com

LinkedIn: Pamela Okutoyi

Twitter: @pamela_okutoyi

Facebook: Pamela Okutoyi

Covid´s effect on climate changes

The dolphins are back, the monkeys have come out of hiding and pollutants in the air have decreased.
Can coronavirus actually be what the planet needs?
(Read the whole article here on our website “News”)
Polar bear challenge

Competition: Share your best sustainability action
                        with a picture in the thread below.

Hashtag your action: #POLARBEARCHALLENGE
The person who has collected the most Polar bear
badges during September to December is crowned the winner.

The Price: We do a short interview with you and 
                   publish it on our social channels.

A better world starts with yourself

When I met Erlijn for a conversation I was immediately struck by her ability to inspire. She lives as she teaches. Sustainable mPact is so happy to collaborate with Erlijn.

Below is a presentation of Erlijn and links to her social media  channels where she shares ideas with her community about sustainability and inspires other to adopt a more sustainable lifestyle too.
Sustainable mPact wants you to benefit from her knowledge of sustainability and be motivated and inspired by her drive and commitment to this important topic.
We are inspired!!      

/ Tina Borgman
Head of content, Sustainable mPact

Dr. Erlijn van Genuchten is an influencer and a motivational speaker on sustainable living. She was born in The Netherlands  but now lives in Germany. Her Twitter account and her blog are her main channels. By sharing how she changes her daily habits and her experiences, she makes it easy for others to adopt a sustainable lifestyle too.

What are you doing right now?
I’m currently extending my 365 Sustainable Decisions Challenge by sharing further ideas about living more sustainable and my experiences. In addition, I’ve started a 365 Clover Challenge in which I draw another clover every single day for a year.

Could you tell us a little bit about your background?
When I was growing up, I wanted to be a teacher. I’m currently not working at a school or university, however, I am sharing my knowledge on a daily basis to inspire and motivate others. I want to share knowledge and skills by being a good example myself. I believe that we can be inspired by each other to live in a sustainable way and create a better world together.
My motto in life is: “A better world starts with yourself”.

How old were you when you decided to take action for sustainability?
I was an adult and worked for a company that wanted to become more sustainable. During my brainstorm about what they can do, the idea of what I can do popped up in my mind: My 365 Sustainable Decisions Challenge.

I am struck by your drive, your commitment and your ability to inspire and wonder where does this come from?
For me, it’s about a way of thinking and looking at things. I reflect and think about how I do things, which gives me the opportunity to learn and to grow as a person.
For 4 years I worked as a penetration tester, hacking websites for customers to find security holes. Here I developed a way of thinking and constantly worked with the question: “How can this be done more securely? Similarly, I’m now asking the question: “How can this be done more sustainably?

What does your collaboration look like today with SmP?
We are collaborating and building skills networks together. I will support their platform by sharing content and they will tell the world what I do. All in the name of sustainability .
 
If I’m a person who’s just starting to get interested in living more sustainably, what tips would you give me?
There are many different ways to make a start.
* Look at the ideas I shared on my blog/Twitter to get inspired and pick an idea that works for you.
* Start your own sustainability challenge. For example, you can look in your own dustbin and ask yourself ”Can I reduce what is in the dustbin? What can I do differently to live more sustainable?”

What do you think our world will look like in 5 years, in terms of sustainability?
To be honest, I never look so far ahead in time.
We need to work together. Live more sustainably. Then we move in the right direction towards a world in which we can live for several generations to come.

Visit Erlijn´s channels where she blogs and writes about sustainable lifestyle.

Links:

Twitter: www.twitter.com/ErlijnG

Blog: www.SustainableDecisions.eu

Instagram: www.instagram.com/Erlijnvg

Facebook: www.facebook.com/erlijn.vangenuchten

YouTube: Erlijn van Genuchten

LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/erlijn-van-genuchten

Personal website: www.erlijn.nl