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Asked about the role of children in creating a positive impact on the environment in the United Arab Emirates, 11-year-old Sainath Manikandan passionately says: “the backbone of a nation is its youth. We have the power to bring about a change in our schools, homes and environment, and together we can create a wave of change.”

When Omar Itani couldn’t find anywhere to dispose his second-hand clothes, he set a chain of events in motion that he could never have imagined. Making the decision not to contribute to Lebanon’s landfill, he instead decided to set up his own solution. The social enterprise FabricAID was born.

2019 Young Champion of the Earth for West Asia, Omar Itani, founded FabricAid in Beirut, Lebanon. Chemicals from dyes can have severe impacts on soil and water sources from run-off. FabricAID reuses and recycles unwanted clothes. Clothes are graded, sorted into over 46 categories, cleaned in their warehouse and redistributed to disadvantaged communities at US$0.3 – US$2 per item. They have sold more than 60,000 items of clothing to more than 7,000 beneficiaries.

When twenty-four-year-old Omar Itani decided to clear out his wardrobe, the idea of throwing his old clothes away didn’t occur to him. Instead, he looked for second-hand clothing stores to recycle them. But he didn’t find any. “In the end, I decided to give them to the caretaker. When I asked him how he would benefit, he said he wouldn’t really. That was a life-changing moment for me. Then I discovered there were no recycling clothing stores in Beirut.”

Twenty-four-year-old Omar Itani from Lebanon wins the prestigious Young Champions of the Earth Prize for West Asia with FabricAID. Seven young entrepreneurs under the age of 30 with big ideas for environmental change have been recognized from across the globe. Young Champions in each region receive seed funding, mentoring and communications support to amplify their efforts. 

Afghanistan is home to a vast number of rugged, snow-capped mountain ranges. But instability and conflict still disrupt daily life, and the Taliban maintain their grip on at least 60 per cent of the country.   Bamyan—Afghanistan’s skiing hub—sits opposite the cliffs where sixth century statues were destroyed by the Taliban in 2001. Yet local athletes continue to pursue their passion, making their own gear out of wooden planks, metal, plastic, and rope.

Heba Al-Farrah has a goal: to spread environmental awareness and climate action among women across the Middle East and North Africa. Since winning the Young Champions of the Earth prize in 2018 for West Asia, her vision has come a long way and she plans to take the action further.

Heba Al-Farra is the 2018 Young Champion of the Earth for West Asia. The Young Champions of the Earth Prize is powered by Covestro.

Omer Badokhon, 2017 Young Champion of the Earth for West Asia, shares his experiences implementing his biogas project in Yemen.  July 2018 Fighting challenges in Yemen to build success

UN Environment today made Yemeni engineer Omer Badokhon a Young Champion of the Earth for his work on biogas plants which could improve thousands of rural livelihoods in his war-stricken homeland. Omer, 24, is one of six winners – each representing a region of the world – awarded the new prize by UN Environment and leading materials science company, Covestro. The prize gives seed funding and mentorship to outstanding individuals, between the ages of 18 and 30, who have big ideas to protect or restore the environment.