Stories

A student-led startup seeking to transform Sierra Leone’s recycling culture has won a £5,000 grant and ongoing business support at the 2026 Oxford Africa Conference.

Ecokash, a waste-to-value platform founded by Fourah Bay College student Leon Grovesnor, was selected as the winner of the Innovation Seed Fund’s “Tech for Good” category, sponsored by the Africell Impact Foundation. Developed in partnership with Fourah Bay College, the category was open exclusively to current students and recent graduates of the iconic Sierra Leonean institution.

Ecokash aims to shift economic value in Sierra Leone’s recycling system back to households and public spaces. Through free segregation tools, collection services, and Reverse Vending Machines, the platform enables users to deposit recyclable items individually and accumulate value over time using low-cost blockchain tracking. By lowering barriers to participation and reducing reliance on informal scavenging, Ecokash seeks to improve environmental outcomes while creating accessible income opportunities.

Poor waste management remains a persistent challenge across many West African cities, affecting public health, drainage systems, flood risk, water quality, and urban environments. In Freetown, where plastic and other recyclable materials often end up in streets, gutters, and waterways, Ecokash proposes a more structured approach to waste sorting and collection, using technology to address a practical, visible, and locally rooted problem.

Two other FBC students were shortlisted for the “Tech for Good” prize. Michael Blango travelled from Freetown to Oxford to pitch FENAM, a digital marketplace connecting skilled workers and informal service providers in Sierra Leone with customers seeking trusted services. During the Conference weekend, Michael presented before a live audience and met President Julius Maada Bio to discuss the idea behind FENAM. “It opened doors I never expected,” Michael said. “Presenting FENAM at the Oxford Africa Conference, meeting other finalists, and having the opportunity to speak with President Bio made me think more seriously about the role young innovators can play in Sierra Leone’s future. It set a higher standard for me, and it has already motivated my team and me to keep improving the platform.”

Also shortlisted was Yeaniva Lansana, a third-year Gender and Development Studies student whose project, HerSphere SL, is a mobile-first, AI-supported platform designed to empower women in Sierra Leone by integrating safe reporting, mentorship, skills development, and access to opportunities. For Yeaniva, the experience carried personal significance. “Never in my wildest dreams did I think my name would be associated with the University of Oxford,” she said. “The whole experience helped me see myself differently. Preparing my presentation, sharing my idea, and being selected as a finalist made me realize that I have abilities I had not fully recognized before.”