
- In March 2023, Mulenga founded Green Cosmos Zambia, an organization with a bold mission: to combat climate change and waste management through education, innovation, and community action.
- Green Cosmos has also launched environmental awareness campaigns, reaching communities across Zambia with crucial education on climate change and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
- By transforming environmental challenges into economic opportunities, Mulenga is reshaping Zambia’s approach to sustainable development.
“This isn’t just my dream; it’s a vision for every young person who has felt powerless but chose to act anyway,”
Martin Mulenga, 2024.
Martin Mulenga’s journey is one of courage, resilience, and an unrelenting desire to transform his community and country. It began with humble actions, a deep sense of purpose, and an unwavering belief that small steps can ignite great change.
Today, as the founder and CEO of Green Cosmos Zambia, Mulenga stands as a beacon of hope for Zambia’s environmental movement, inspiring young people and communities to reimagine their role in safeguarding the planet.
In 2024, he graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Environmental Management with merit from Supershine University of Zambia.
This was more than just an academic achievement; it marked a defining moment in his mission to tackle Zambia’s most pressing environmental challenges.
“I never wanted to be an environmental activist who has no idea what I’m talking about,” he reflects adding that: “Education sharpens your reasoning and gives you the tools to solve problems. The work I do inspired me to deepen my understanding of climate change and environmental management so that I can serve better.”
For Mulenga, the connection between education and activism has always been clear. His passion for the environment was born not in the halls of academia but on the streets of Zambia’s Copperbelt Province, where he first decided to confront a growing crisis that others chose to ignore.
At the time, he was not a celebrated leader but a young man with nothing more than conviction and a garbage bag in hand. He was fueled by a simple but troubling observation—streets littered with waste, clogged drainage systems, and a community seemingly indifferent to its environmental neglect.
While studying Philosophy and Religious Studies at St. Bonaventure University, he could not escape the disquieting reality of his surroundings.
“I saw it everywhere—the pollution, the indifference. Communities were normalising living in waste, unaware of the health and climate impacts. I couldn’t ignore it,” he says.
After graduating, with no prestigious job in sight, he faced a choice: to join others in lamenting the state of things or to take action—however small. He chose the latter.

Armed with little more than his determination, he began picking up litter around his neighbourhood. His actions, though simple, did not go unnoticed. Some laughed at him, ridiculing his efforts as pointless.
Others were more hostile. One day, while cleaning up a bus station, a group of men accused him of witchcraft. For them, his actions were so unusual they seemed suspect. He was shoved, threatened, and humiliated.
It was only when the police intervened that he was saved from harm. Videos of the incident went viral, turning him into an object of mockery.
That evening, bruised and disheartened, Mulenga sat alone and questioned everything.
“I asked myself if it was worth it,” he recalls. “But I thought about the streets I had cleaned, the children who could now play safely, and the families who deserved better.
I knew I couldn’t stop. Change was too important to give up on.”
That moment of pain would become the foundation for something extraordinary. It solidified his resolve to transform his small actions into a national movement.
In March 2023, Mulenga founded Green Cosmos Zambia, an organisation with a bold mission: to combat climate change and waste management through education, innovation, and community action.

He knew that litter was not the core issue; the real problem was mindset. Communities lacked awareness, ownership, and the tools to drive change. With a small team and an abundance of passion, Green Cosmos set out to address these challenges.
One of its pioneering programs is the Climate Change Innovations Fellowship, which trains young people to turn environmental problems into solutions. Under his leadership, the program has created eco-friendly innovations, such as bricks made from plastic waste.
“It’s not just about cleaning up; it’s about turning waste into opportunity,” he explains.
For him, tackling climate issues means harnessing creativity and empowering young minds to see potential where others see trash.
Green Cosmos has also launched environmental awareness campaigns, reaching communities across Zambia with crucial education on climate change and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
He believes that fostering knowledge is the first step to action. “Once people understand the role they play in preserving the environment, change becomes possible,” he says.
His work extends beyond advocacy. In partnership with Zambia’s Ministry of Agriculture and the Disaster Management and Mitigation Unit (DMMU), Green Cosmos has provided relief to drought-stricken communities, such as Ngabwe District.
For Mulenga, environmental action is deeply connected to human livelihoods. The families who benefited from food relief are not just recipients of aid but living proof of how climate action saves lives.
Through persistence and passion, Mulenga and his team began to gain momentum. Media houses started to cover Green Cosmos’s impact, and institutions like the U.S. Embassy Zambia and American Space provided platforms to amplify their campaigns.

His story, which began with isolation and ridicule, was now reaching audiences across the country and beyond. He became an emerging voice in climate action, earning opportunities to inspire others.
In 2023, Mulenga was invited to speak at the Global Youth Climate Summit in Tanzania, where he connected with young leaders tackling environmental challenges worldwide. He later facilitated a webinar for the ASME CUI Wah Chapter in Pakistan, earning the prestigious Climate Presenter of the Year Award.
Mulenga’s leadership goes beyond environmental clean-up; it is about empowering individuals and creating sustainable livelihoods. Recognising the need to support marginalised communities, he registered the Integral Multipurpose Cooperative, a cleaning enterprise that has since employed over 150 women and young people.
“Sustainability isn’t just about the environment. It’s about empowering communities with livelihoods that secure their future,” he says.
By transforming environmental challenges into economic opportunities, Mulenga is reshaping Zambia’s approach to sustainable development.
His work has also been inspired by leaders like Dr. Gabriel Pollen, the National Coordinator for DMMU, who was recently honored with the Zikomo Community Service of the Year Award. Mulenga called the recognition “a testament to the power of dedicated leadership in serving Zambia.”
At the heart of Mulenga’s movement lies a deep belief in the transformative power of education. For him, his recent degree in Environmental Management is not just a personal milestone but a tool to amplify his impact.
“The reason Africa struggles today is because we have people handling public offices without proper qualifications,” he says. “Education helps you understand the root of the problems and how to solve them.”
It is this understanding that drives his vision for Zambia—a future where young people are educated, empowered, and equipped to address climate challenges head-on.
Mulenga’s dream is to educate 100,000 young people on climate change, environmental sustainability, and actionable solutions. He envisions a Zambia where plastic waste is turned into valuable resources, where droughts no longer threaten food security, and where communities are resilient and united.

“This isn’t just my dream; it’s a vision for every young person who has felt powerless but chose to act anyway,” he says.
From the young man who once picked up garbage alone to the leader of a national movement, Martin Mulenga’s story is a reminder that great change begins with small, deliberate actions.
Guided by Nelson Mandela’s words— “It is in your hands to make a better world for all who live in it”—Mulenga remains steadfast in his mission to build a cleaner, greener, and more sustainable Zambia.
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“My hands once picked litter,” he reflects, “but today, they are building a movement.”
Through Green Cosmos Zambia, Martin Mulenga is not just cleaning streets but reshaping mindsets, empowering communities, and inspiring a generation to rise to the challenge of climate change.
His journey—marked by struggle, resilience, and triumph—proves that no action is too small to change the world. Martin Mulenga’s hands are no longer empty; they carry the promise of a brighter, more sustainable future for Zambia and beyond.