Bikaptrois-Indigenous Knowledge to Solve Problems
Community Initiative where youth learn from elders
The Endorois People of Kenya, displaced from Lake Bogoria since 1973, are losing over 400 years of indigenous knowledge as their eldest generation passes. The Bikaptrois (RTR) project pairs 80 trained youth with 40 elders aged 60–100 to record and reactivate this knowledge: pastoralism, sacred ecology, traditional medicine, conflict resolution, all preserved in the Torois language. By treating indigenous knowledge as a living design system, RTR redirects youth away from unemployment and banditry toward roles as cultural and environmental stewards. Unlike extractive documentation projects, ownership stays entirely with the Endorois community.
This project may seem extremely easy, but it actually is not. I love the fact that this is considered as a valid idea. If there is any resource that we will miss, it is this knowledge. Kudos to the effort.
WINNER STATEMENTThe iF SOCIAL IMPACT PRIZE 2026 validates Indigenous-led conservation practices. BikapTorois honours Endorois knowledge systems in the Endorois Land, integrating habitat restoration with cultural revitalization. The funding advances participatory governance, ensuring community stewardship of ancestral territories. We thank iF Design for supporting locally rooted solutions to global ecological crises.
Design