Changemakers for the future: Mohamed Adow, Power Shift Africa

The IKEA Foundation helps many organisations accelerate their efforts in combating climate change. Facts and figures speak for themselves, but who exactly are the people behind this extraordinary work? In this storytelling series, we spotlight brave individuals who move mountains in their climate action strategies and solutions. Today, Mohamed Adow, Founding Director of Power Shift Africa and Climate Breakthrough Awardee. “Africa can become a renewable energy superpower”

I grew up in a pastoralist farming community in northern Kenya. What first brought climate injustice home to me was my personal experiences. Seeing our family’s livestock killed by drought and our neighbours’ livelihoods destroyed. Handing out food to my community, while knowing this may only keep them alive until the next drought strikes.

Coming from this background helped me see the climate crisis clearly. It’s not abstract when it’s something you’ve witnessed first-hand. You can feel it in your gut.