Fikirte Gebremedhin

Ethiopian climate activist leading Africa's largest community-driven reforestation movement

Fikirte Gebremedhin is an environmental leader from Ethiopia's Tigray region, best known for founding the Green Veins Initiative in 2020. This grassroots project has mobilized over 500,000 volunteers to plant 12 million trees annually, combating desertification in the Horn of Africa. Her innovative Farmer-Scientist Partnerships model integrates traditional knowledge with modern agroforestry techniques, increasing soil fertility by 300% in pilot areas. Recognized as a 2022 UN Young Champion of the Earth, Fikirte's work has inspired similar projects across Kenya and Sudan. Her impact reports show how tree-planting programs have doubled crop yields in participating communities while creating green jobs for 15,000 youth. Fikirte's collaboration with NASA's Earth Data program uses satellite monitoring to optimize reforestation efforts, demonstrating scalable climate solutions. She recently co-authored the World Economic Forum report on community-based climate action strategies.