From the very beginning, Great Hope Development Organization, with Mohamed at its helm, mobilized local and international resources to protect North eastern Kenya’s fragile pastoral environment. The challenges then, as now, were significant. Pastoralists relied heavily on a healthy environment to endure Kenya’s unpredictable and harsh climate. Yet the impact of the Bandits led to the breakdown of natural resource management systems, jeopardizing the traditional way of life. It was Mohamed who saw the connection between peace, women’s empowerment, resource protection, and the need to equip communities with skills – an understanding that continues to drive the work of GHDO today.

“Kenya especially north eastern kenya is basically a desert and inhabitants must learn to share water and other resources, otherwise our country will never know peace.”

Mohamed also worked hard to coordinate environmental groups in Kenya to bring about greater change. One of his most notable accomplishments was ending the charcoal trade in North eastern Kenya. Mohamed united people and groups through a network he co-founded in 2017; one that was cross-cutting through clans and regions in Kenya. He tirelessly advocated for an end to the charcoal trade, which used the region’s acacia trees to make charcoal destined for the other parts of the country. Through his advocacy and coordination, the Kenya Government prohibited the export of charcoal.

 In advocating for a charcoal ban, Mohamed quickly realized that he needed to find an alternative fuel for household cooking. He co-founded Sun Fire Cooking to promote the use of the butterfly-design parabolic solar cooker. The organization has widely distributed their solar cookers in some parts of Garissa County.