Lennox Omondi

Growing up in Homabay, a rural village in western Kenya, Lennox knew what survival meant. Food was never guaranteed. Education was a privilege. Girls in his community were often forced to trade sex for sanitary pads, miss school during their periods, or drop out entirely. Many were married off by age 15. Lennox saw this not as normal – but as unacceptable.

Now a university student, Lennox is the founder of EcoBana, a groundbreaking social enterprise that transforms banana stem waste into biodegradable sanitary pads, providing an eco-friendly and affordable alternative to conventional, plastic-based products. EcoBana was born not just from innovation, but necessity. In his village, banana stems were often left to rot. Where others saw waste, Lennox saw an opportunity and used design thinking and grassroots storytelling to build a circular economy product that solves both a public health and environmental challenge.

Since 2021, EcoBana has distributed over 3 million pads across Kenya, Uganda, and Tanzania, reaching thousands of girls and significantly reducing school absenteeism and early pregnancies.

What began as a local solution has grown into a pan-African movement. Through the 1 Pad 1 Girl Initiative, EcoBana has helped rescue over 2,000 girls from transactional sex and school dropout. The enterprise has also created 24 full-time jobs, proving that menstrual equity can power sustainable economic development.

Lennox’s efforts earned him the Hult Prize, a coveted global social entrepreneurship award. He has represented youth and grassroots innovation on global stages including the Clinton Global Initiative, UN General Assembly, and Fast Forward Africa, and was personally recognised by Kenyan President William Ruto for his leadership in ending period poverty.

He’s also an academic achiever: graduating high school with top marks, representing his school at national science fairs, and being named Student of the Year by his university. He mentors students across 10+ universities in Kenya and has led charitable initiatives supporting 3,000+ street children.

If awarded the Global Student Prize, Lennox plans to expand EcoBana’s research and development, create biodegradable nappies, and scale distribution to more refugee camps and rural schools. His vision is clear: a world where no girl has to choose between dignity and education.