Watch this guy and how necessity can spark innovation

Hey,

Welcome to Green Jobs Rising!

If you're thinking about jumping into the green space, it helps to get familiar with the key info and behind-the-scenes stuff no one really teaches you in school. That’s where we come in.

We spotlight professionals doing real work in the field. People you can follow on LinkedIn to learn from their journeys and maybe even get inspired to start your own.

Imagine this: you're recording a TikTok, it’s going great...then boom. Phone dies. You look for a place to charge it and the closest option is almost 50km away. Mmhhh!

That was Gibson Kawago’s reality during his grandma’s wedding. And as they say, necessity is the mother of all invention.

That frustration, was the start of WAGA, a company he started by building solar power banks from trashed batteries and scrap materials. 

Today, WAGA makes solar lamps, power banks, and mini power walls to help rural communities access clean, off-grid energy and support city folks when the lights go out.

Gibson explains it best:

"There was no electricity in my village growing up. When phones ran out of battery, I’d take five to ten of them, hop on my bicycle, and ride 30 miles to the nearest town to charge. Sometimes it took two days because of the long queue.
People couldn’t communicate, and it was tough. That’s when I knew I had to do something. That’s how WAGA started. Now we’re working with NGOs and the government to bring power to more people."

His LinkedIn is a great window into the world of clean energy innovation in Africa-from the ground up.

You'll find updates on his projects, lessons from the field, and lots of insight into how to build real impact, as well as leadership in engaging both local communities and global platforms.

Follow him. Connect. Your network matters.