Awarded in 2023
Based in Mahagi Territory (Ituri) - Democratic Republic of Congo
Adubango Tito Awinga is an environmental activist, an agroecologist and a family farmer from Djupio Groupement in Anghal Chiefdom in Mahagi Territory in the Democratic Republic of Congo. He was honoured with the Kilimo Environmental Prize for his leadership in advancing agroecology, promoting the use of Indigenous knowledge and restoring degraded lands in one of the most fragile landscapes of the Albertine Rift.
Through his family initiative known as Projet Von Kwen, he has regenerated more than fifty acres of natural forest on his ancestral land. He manages fish ponds, supplies fish seedlings, cultivates organic food and coffee and protects family forests in an area where forest loss is widespread and often ignored. His work demonstrates that community led conservation can thrive even in remote rural settings.
Adubango applies ancestral knowledge to strengthen local adaptation to climate change. His approach links ecological restoration with improved food security and disaster risk reduction. A significant part of his work is dedicated to training young people so that they can learn the practices he applies in his own fields. He is building a network of future environmental stewards who can sustain and expand this model long into the future.
His impact is visible at the community level where restored ecosystems and diversified livelihoods have increased resilience and provided a living example of how Indigenous knowledge and agroecology can protect forests and support rural families.
