Youth led restoration of Kenya’s drylands

Project update

11 May

Written By International Tree Foundation

The Tree Challenge project is an exciting initiative led by Globe Gone Green that will go a long way in addressing the challenges of deforestation and land degradation in Nakuru County, Kenya.

The Trees Challenge 2023 project is aimed at conserving the environment through tree growing and capacity building for primary and secondary school children across Gilgil in Nakuru County, Kenya.

This project promises to bring about a paradigm shift in the community's mindset towards the environment by promoting a culture that emphasises protecting our environment. With its focus on Gilgil, which is classified as an ASAL (arid and semi-arid area), this project is vital for the community as ASAL areas are particularly susceptible to droughts.

School children and teachers across 40 schools and the community at large, will participate in planting and taking care of 40,000 trees, with each child adopting at least one tree. Through this initiative, Globe Gone Green will help raise environment champions in the respective schools who will be taught basic skills in tree planting and learn about the different types of trees, their uses, how best to grow them and more.

(1) Globe Gone Green - Schools - Tree Planting - 2022.jpg

2) Globe Gone Green - Schools - Tree Planting - 2022.jpg

But this is more than just planting trees. The Tree Challenge will complement extracurricular activities in schools with the aim of fostering environmental stewardship amongst young people as they learn about the importance of taking care of their environment and mitigating the effects of deforestation.

Moreover, the project will focus on mitigating the loss of riparian buffer zones along rivers like Malewa and Morendat, areas that have been prone to erosion and degradation over time.

By working together with the local community to design buffer zones and grow trees and shrubs along the rivers, we can help reduce soil erosion and surface runoff, improving wildlife habitats along the buffer zones.

5) Globe Gone Green - Schools - Tree Planting - 2022.jpg

3) Globe Gone Green - Schools - Tree Planting - 2022.jpg

With the guidance of Globe Gone Green, community members will be supported to implement water conservation strategies that help mitigate the loss of trees in harsh weather conditions like delayed rains.

Through this project, the community will benefit from improved air quality brought about by the trees planted. Furthermore, the project will bring enriched biodiversity and increased tree cover, leading to a better quality of life for the people of Gilgil.

By involving school children, teachers, and the community at large, this project is a step in the right direction towards achieving sustainable development goals while improving the quality of life for the people of Gilgil and its environs.