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OUR 2021 IMPACT REPORT IS HERE
October 26 2022
The Close the Gap group’s 2021 Impact Report is finally here, and what’s new? It’s entirely digital!
The Close the Gap group is incredibly proud to present to you, for the very first time, our digital impact report: read it here
We put our 2021 ecological and societal impact into one platform, which is now available for you to read online!
Discover Close the Gap vzw’s projects, Close the Gap Kenya’s milestones, the ecological impact of CTG Circular and CTG Circular Kenya and many more. Navigate between our six central activities and get to know us even better.
We are incredibly proud of our ecological report, where we save about 70.000 paper pages to be created. But, this would have never been possible without your continuous support, which we are eternally grateful for.
Thank you!
– The Close the Gap group
Climathon Mombasa
October 22 2022
This Climathon 2022, we organized a successful cycling event to create awareness on re-thinking mobility and encourage residents of Mombasa to adopt cycling as a primary and more sustainable mode of transport!
Climathon Mombasa
September 30 2022
We organized “The Repair Café” at Close the Gap HUB in light of the Climathon 2022. This was an event where IT devices were diagnosed and repaired by our technicians from CTG Circular Kenya. This event served as the launch of the Climathon Mombasa 2022 chain of events. The theme for 2022 is “Rethinking the Normal” with the sub-theme “Rethinking E-waste”
Climathon Mombasa
July 25 2022
Our team of the Impact accelerator hosted a workshop for start-up’s and SME’s on about how to approach Strategy Execution a few weeks ago, we had 7 startups among others represented in the workshop, they included Store Moto Salsabila Consulting SendSoko Qwosha Laundry services Studio BelaBela Bachia Gas & Thriftfiti
Impact accelerator Pitching Event
July 12 2022
The start-ups that will be participating in the Impact Accelerator program had a pitching event, they pitched their business and ideas towards an investor who will decide with the coaches of the program who will get funding and participate in the Impact Accelerator Program. Big congratulations to Indexfand , Studio BelaBela , Qwosha Laundry services RoKa Bags Africa, FindX SuperApp & chanyagroceries.ke
Heroe Bookfair 2nd Edition Emancipation
May 5-7 2022
We got to hostthe second edition of the Heroe Bookfair the theme was emancipation and it was filled with: Book exhibitions, Panel discussions, Workshops, a Poetry reading and Book launches! It was a great success!
Pwani innovation week
March 28-31 2022
In light of the Pwani Innovation week excited we got to host a series of side events at Close the Gap HUB. We inaugurated the newest editions together with our partner Swahilipot Hub the Maggie tent. BOOST your learning hosted The circular economy panel discussion, Climate action innovation and interventions round-table, which was a great succes. BOOST your Business hosted a NFT boot camp, Entrepreneurship and innovation panel discussion. And Tech Kidz hosted a teaser for the Tech Kidz Expo at Swahilipot HUB.
As Close the Gap we hosted the impact accelerator’s investor readiness workshop. NTECH hosted a women in ICT repair and maintenance training and there was a “start-up showcase fair” at the Maggie tent!
It was a privilege to have different stake holders under one roof shaping the dynamic for the Coast region through information sharing and active participation of the local communities.
International womensday
8th of March 2022
Celebration of all the amazing women at Close the Gap HUB, breaking the bias together.
First edition of Mombasa talks
January 20th 2022
Mombasa talks is an event for business founders and experts from every industry, all coming together to share their advice and inspirations for the benefit of networking, partnerships, and collaborations. The partnerships will allow diverse businesses to network, collaborate and share tricks and hacks they have learnt while operating around the Mombasa ecosystem.
Inauguration / Soft launch Close the Gap HUB
4th of november 2021
Celebration of the soft launch / inauguration of our Close the Gap HUB at Ratna Square in the presence of Dominiek Dumoulin, Griet Meganck, H.E. Peter Maddens the Belgian ambassador to Kenya, honorary consul Lou Dierick and our Close the Gap Kenya family!
Climathon Mombasa
October - November 2021
With the acceleration of climate change, increasing the engagement among local communities for climate change adaptation is an effective way to tackle city climate challenges. Boost together with its partners have come together to organize a Climathon, which is a global event that creates an opportunity for communities to co-create ideas that address climate challenges within Mombasa.
Launch of the impact accelerator
9th of July 2021
Building sustainable businesses that build sustainable lives. The Impact Accelerator Fund is a seed fund which invests tickets sizes between USD 5,000- USD 15,000 to startups who have strong business cases and focus on social impact. We don’t only provide financial investment but business development and investment readiness support to each of the startups we fund to help them become more successful.
Young People In Kenya Bridge Digital Knowledge Gap
June 2021
Young Kenyans in Mombasa now have the chance to become technology entrepreneurs. The Boost programme helps them clean and repair second-hand computers. That way, people can use them again. Kenyan hospitals, schools and government organisations are urgently in need of these devices. Boost saves these computers from ending up as waste in the Netherlands and Belgium.
The Making Of The Circular Economy HUB
May 2021
From the dry, dusty roads of Jomvu, one of the six constituencies in Mombasa County, 18-wheeler trucks carrying sand, cement, logs, and other construction material can be seen barreling by the entire day. A one-hour drive from downtown Mombasa sans traffic, along pothole-ridden roads that seem perpetually under construction, Jomvu may not seem like an obvious choice at first glance. But the compound where the brand-new Circular Economy Hub (CEH)–the first such electronic refurbishing center on the Kenyan coast–is in fact perfect for Close the Gap’s (CTG) needs. A short distance from both the airport and Mombasa port, CEH is strategically located to register and refurbish laptops, desktops, and other electronic equipment coming in from Europe before distribution to local markets.
Happy Interns At The Circular Economy HUB
February 2021
We have a returning internship program at the Circular Economy HUB. On a regular base we hire interns, to teach them everything about our ITAD process and warehousing.
Read all about their experience as interns at the Circular Economy HUB. We have a revolving intern program so if you would be interested, don’t hesitate to contact us via, info@closethegap.org.
The Co-Working Space At Close The Gap HUB Is Coming Back
August 2020
We have some good news for you. We are re-opening the co-working space at Close the Gap HUB in Mombasa. We are very pleased to offer you another place to work than from home!
Operations At Close The Gap's Circular Economy HUB During COVID-19
July 2020
The opening of the Kenyan chapter in September, 2019 was an exciting step. By setting up a for-profit, impact-first social enterprise branch in Kenya, the new model could work concurrently with the original non-profit entity as a hybrid organization. Operations in both Nairobi and Mombasa provide Close the Gap the opportunity to hire locals and develop a production facility, thus increasing its impact on the ground. Even in the midst of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, Close the Gap has managed to maintain a flow of equipment while abiding by social distancing measures.