Bashiru Hamisi
Tanzania, 18
He/Him
Project: Mazingira Sentinel
Bashiru watched erratic weather ruin Tanzanian harvests season after season, so he built Mazingira Sentinel to help growers plan ahead. The low-cost irrigation system uses soil moisture sensors to send Swahili-language SMS alerts telling growers exactly when and how much to water. It works without internet access and includes hands-on training, bringing accessible technology to communities that innovation often skips. Backed by a $7,000 grant from the IUCN, Mazingira Sentinel has been piloted on 50+ holdings in Tanzania, where it has cut water use by 40%, sharpened irrigation decisions, and dramatically reduced crop loss. Bashiru is the youngest person ever to receive the IUCN SUSTAIN Champion Award. As the youngest ever recipient of the IUCN SUSTAIN Champion Award, Bashiru is now scaling the system to 500 more holdings across five regions of Tanzania, strengthening food security and climate resilience nationwide.