Impacts stories from the project.
Starting strong is good. Finishing strong is epic”-Robin Sharma. This quote best explains why our efforts and zeal to accomplish our stipulated plans should stem out of the innate desire to derive change or impact and ultimately do so efficaciously. How then do we learn better, refocus, and strategize for the future? Taking discerning out look of the results from the initially conducted project could help in making sure that the project was done in the best possible way to culminate impacts that are geared towards development.
The recently concluded three-year project conducted by A Rocha Kenya, a Christian based environmental non-governmental organization that deals with conservation and protection of threatened habitats, has brought about lifechanging impacts and benefits. This project was funded by I&M Foundation in collaboration with Kenya Community development Foundation (KCDF). This project and the interventions aimed to solve the issue of environmental degradation. This was so much timely and in line with A Rocha’s mission to protect the Arabuko-Sokoke forest which is in the verge of deterioration and depletion because of massive deforestation from the community surrounding the forest.
The interventions included tree planting, installation of energy saving jiko, fireless cooker, distribution of solar lanterns and provision of water tanks and conduction of awareness forums. This project targeted communities surrounding the Arabuko-Sokoke forest including Mida, Mijomboni, Girimacha, Malanga, Kahingoni, Bogamachuko, and Nyari. The community members were open minded about the various interventions, and this facilitated the implementation process, the collaboration from different school headteachers and principals was exceptional.
Tree planting at Mida primary
Visiting Mida primary school gave a synopsis of how viable environmental awareness and tree planting was. The principal who could not help but grin like a cheshire cat while expressing how the tree planting and the water tanks have been so crucial to help them take care of the over 3000 trees planted in the school environment. Out of the environmental awareness sessions students have been inspired to plant trees at home. “Thanks to this wonderful program we do have a mini-Wangari Maathai” says the principal. The “mini-Wangari Maathai” is a student at Mida Primary who have planted 350 trees with 285 trees doing well in her small piece of land that she cheerfully shares with her grand mother who is growing her cassava in the same portion.
Energy saving jiko at Shomani Girls
Goes without saying that the energy saving jiko installed in Shomani girls, is a huge blessing to the chefs who incessantly make sure that the four meals are served on time and that the schools programs are not delayed, as opposed to the previous days when they would be cooking using the three-stoned (meko) that not only consume a lot of firewood but also pervade the whole kitchen with smoke. The chief chef, Franklyn Wamalwa who has been working for the school for three years claims that were it not for the energy saving jiko he would have resigned due to the unhealthy conditions that would fill up the kitchen.
The fireless cooker
At Bogamachuko village, women are delighted to have the fireless cooker, which according to Agnes Shindo a mother of five, finish up the cooking for meals like rice and ugali. She can save up firewood. Otherwise, she would be in the forest cutting down some firewood. She is happy that she is not worried about waking up late to warm dinner for her household members who would come late for this fireless cooker can keep the food warm for longer time. These interventions have surely revealed great impacts not only to the individuals involved but also to the aspiration of protecting the environment against degradation and exploitation. We appreciate the support and the team work that has been put in play to bring about these lifechanging impacts.
