Helina Teklu

For Helina Teklu, innovation starts with a seed—literally. As the founder and CEO of Seed Balls Ethiopia, this young agri-tech entrepreneur is restoring degraded lands across Ethiopia by merging low-cost technology, community empowerment, and climate-smart innovation.
Launched in 2022, Seed Balls Ethiopia has pioneered environmentally friendly seed ball technology—small, biodegradable spheres that encase seeds with nutrients and soil-friendly material, allowing them to germinate even in harsh, degraded conditions. What began as a local pilot has rapidly grown into a nationally recognized restoration model, producing thousands of seed balls annually and aiming to reach 1.6 million within the next three years.
“Every seed ball is a small act of hope,” Helina explains. “It gives land a second chance, farmers new opportunities, and communities renewed purpose.”
Helina’s journey is rooted in her lifelong connection to the land. Witnessing the impacts of deforestation, soil erosion, and rural poverty inspired her to merge her technical skills with environmental activism. Seed Balls Ethiopia integrates community-led restoration with accessible innovation—helping farmers reclaim degraded soils while contributing to ecosystem resilience and biodiversity.
Since its establishment, the organization has secured over $30,000 in grants, fellowships, and in-kind partnerships, supporting research, pilot testing, and local production across three Ethiopian regions. What makes the model powerful is its simplicity—farmers and rural youth can easily produce and deploy seed balls using local materials, making regeneration an activity everyone can contribute to.
“Innovation doesn’t have to be expensive or exclusive,” Helina says. “It should be something a farmer in a remote village can own and scale.”
Seed Balls Ethiopia is not only restoring land—it is restoring opportunity. Helina’s work mobilizes rural women and youth as active participants in the restoration process, offering training and income through seed ball production and deployment programs. This community-centered approach turns what was once seen as environmental charity into local enterprise and shared responsibility.
Her leadership extends beyond her company. Helina also heads the Ethiopian Women and Youth Climate Assembly (EWYCA), amplifying the voices of young people in climate policy and advocacy. Through this platform, she encourages national institutions to integrate inclusive, nature-based agri-tech solutions into Ethiopia’s development agenda.
As Ethiopia’s representative to the World Food Forum National Chapter, Helina collaborates with partners across Africa and globally, ensuring that youth-led climate innovations gain recognition and policy attention.
Helina’s work has been showcased at prestigious platforms including the Africa Climate Summit, the World Food Forum Global Event, and several regional innovation forums, where she has been celebrated as one of Africa’s emerging voices in climate-smart agriculture and ecosystem restoration.
Looking ahead, she plans to industrialize seed ball production, establish a training and incubation hub for women and youth-led agri-tech startups, and expand into policy advocacy for community-based land restoration. Her long-term mission is to build an inclusive green economy where environmental restoration becomes both a livelihood and a national priority.
“Ethiopia’s restoration story should be written by its young people,” Helina says with conviction. “We have the creativity, the energy, and the responsibility to heal our land.”
Through Seed Balls Ethiopia, Helina Teklu is redefining restoration—not as an environmental cause for experts, but as a collective revolution powered by local communities, youth innovation, and homegrown technology.