The 2017 cohort.

MK-Africa launched the #MyLittleBigThing Universities Sustainability Innovation Challenge in 2017 in partnership with KPMG and the Cambridge Institute for Sustainability Leadership South Africa. Inspired by Nobel laureate Wangari Maathai's little thing of planting trees, the competition encourages young Africans to develop home-grown solutions to the continent's sustainability issues.

The launch was widely covered by print and broadcast media and trended multiple times on social — tweets carrying #MyLittleBigThing were seen close to 1 million times. Post-launch, sponsors like P&G engaged with students alongside campaign ambassador Eric Omondi.

Close to 3,000 site views and 150 valid registrations were received at the submission deadline. The judging was moderated by KPMG, with 15 finalists from USIU Africa, Maseno, University of Eldoret, Strathmore, JKUAT, University of Nairobi, Kenyatta and Egerton University shortlisted to pitch to a high-level panel including the UK High Commissioner, IFC – World Bank, New Faces New Voices, the Children's Investment Fund, Clinton Health Access Initiative, Omidyar Network, Endeavour Africa and Vision 2030 Council of Governors. The final seven went through a public online vote — close to 60,000 votes were cast.

In August, the winners attended a programme by the Cambridge Institute for Sustainability Leadership South Africa, visited the P&G zero-waste plant in Johannesburg, then returned home to a 3-month paid internship at top Kenyan companies.