Abdullahi Halake

Abdullahi Sama Halake
Youth Mentor | Ecosystem Builder | Community Land Restoration Coordinator | Climate & Environmental Advocate
Abdullahi Sama Halake is a dynamic youth leader, mentor and ecosystem builder from Kinna Ward, Isiolo County, in the arid and semi-arid lands of Northern Kenya. I lead youth-driven initiatives focused on restoring degraded rangelands, securing equitable land rights and advancing climate-resilient livelihoods among indigenous pastoralist communities.
My work sits at the intersection of land restoration, climate action and youth empowerment. In Kinna Ward and surrounding areas of Garbatulla Sub-County, Abdullahi coordinates community-led efforts to rehabilitate degraded ecosystems, restore water points and promote sustainable land management practices rooted in indigenous knowledge systems such as the traditional Dedha governance framework.
Through hands-on restoration projects, Abdullahi has mobilized young people and local communities to plant indigenous trees, implement soil and water conservation measures and adopt climate-smart grazing practices. He has played a central role in youth-led water security interventions that have improved access to water for households and livestock, strengthened community resilience to recurrent droughts and reduced pressure on fragile ecosystems. My approach consistently integrates environmental conservation with sustainable livelihood opportunities, including beekeeping, fodder production and eco-tourism initiatives that create green jobs for young people while protecting biodiversity.
As a dedicated youth mentor and trainer, Abdullahi invests significant time in building the capacity of young leaders, community mobilizers and emerging environmental advocates. He designs and facilitates training sessions on climate change adaptation, sustainable natural resource management, participatory land governance and advocacy skills. Through my leadership of BETU Community Based Organization (CBO), where I serve as Chairperson, I have created platforms for intergenerational knowledge transfer, civic education and youth participation in decision-making processes related to land and environmental governance. My mentorship emphasizes practical skills, leadership development and the importance of centering local voices, particularly those of women, youth and marginalized groups in climate and land restoration efforts.
Abdullahi is a committed ecosystem builder who works to strengthen connections between grassroots communities, civil society organizations, county governments and national and international partners. I actively promote inclusive governance models that bridge traditional pastoralist institutions with formal legal frameworks such as the Community Land Act 2016. By facilitating multi-stakeholder dialogues, supporting Community Land Management Committees (CLMCs) and advocating for stronger local ownership of restoration programs, I contribute to more effective and equitable implementation of LDN strategies in pastoralist drylands.
Recognizing the persistent challenges of limited youth inclusion in global and national decision-making spaces and insufficient funding for community-led restoration, Abdullahi remains passionate about advancing systemic change. I particularly focused on strengthening policy advocacy, scaling innovative restoration techniques suited to arid landscapes and mobilizing resources for grassroots climate action. My lived experience in Northern Kenya’s ASAL regions provides valuable practical insights into the realities of implementing international frameworks in contexts marked by climate vulnerability, land tenure insecurity and resource constraints.
Through my roles at BETU CBO, Abdullahi continues to champion a vision of resilient rangelands where young people are not only beneficiaries of climate action but active leaders and custodians of environmental restoration. I am eager to deepen my expertise through platforms such as the Global Entrepreneurship Network, learning from global practitioners while contributing lessons from Northern Kenya to strengthen dryland management approaches worldwide.
Abdullahi Sama Halake represents a new generation of African youth leaders who combine deep community roots with a clear commitment to climate justice, sustainable land management and inclusive ecosystem development.