- Members of the community welcomed the tree planting initiative as a way of conserving the environment.
- They vowed to nurture all the planted trees so that they grow to fruition.
Image: GEORGE OWITI
Kenyan mountaineer Dr Faith Mwende has rallied a community in planting 1, 000 trees in Kilome, Makueni county.
Dr Mwende through her No Summit Too High Foundation and in partnership with Makueni government led the tree planting exercise at Kenze area in Kathemboni, Kilome constituency on Monday.
Accompanied by one of her trainers on mountaineering preparedness Stephen Makau, alongside Makueni Gender executive Nicholas Nzioka and the county’s Sand Conservation and Utilization Authority Phylip Nzei, Mwende sensitised the locals on the need and importance of tree planting and environmental conservation. More than 100 residents participated in the exercise.
“We have today sensitised the locals on the need to protect and conserve our environment as we plant the trees. This exercise is important since climate action advocacy is one of my missions for mountain climbing,” Mwende said.
She addressed the press during the tree planting exercise.
She said 200 of the trees were donated to them by the Makueni government, while the foundation sourced the other 800 trees.
AIC Kathemboni faithful were part of the community members who participated in the tree planting exercise with some trees being planted at the church compound. The residents included men, women, youth and the elderly, all who voluntarily came out to plant the trees as a way of climate change mitigation.
Mwende encouraged the residents to also plant fruits trees so as to benefit from them as they provide food thereby helping in nutritional value.
The first woman to attempt climbing the tallest mountain in the world, Everest, in April this year, said she had been involved in lots of such conservation activities in various parts of the country. She is also involved in motivational talks, mental health talks, peer counselling, local and international tourism, mountaineering, among others.
Members of the community welcomed the tree planting initiative as a way of conserving the environment. They vowed to nurture all the planted trees so that they grow to fruition.
Mwende expressed her excitement with the area’s terrain given that it’s full of rocks and surrounded by hills with rivers beneath and Kenze forest on the top of a hill.
She encouraged the residents to make good use of such sceneries that she said were many not only in several parts of Makueni, but across the Ukambani region, to embrace and promote local tourism as a means of earning livelihoods and improving their economic status.
“I’m impressed with this place. It’s hilly, beautiful and natural. You should plant more trees to earn carbon credits,” Mwende told the locals.
Mwende said such sites and sceneries can attract international tourism too since they also have rich Kamba history that is known by only a few locals.
Nzioka urged the residents to not only focus on tree planting, but environmental conservation in entirety.
“I call on Makueni residents to get involved in planting of trees to conserve our environment,” Nzioka said.
He said as a government they had policies on gender mainstreaming including those that address gender-based violence.
“We are committed to ensuring that our women, children and youth are protected and education enhanced. We also have ‘ujuzi teketeke’ program to take care of our youth out of school through skilling, mentorship, jobs linkages and capital for business startups and tools of trade purchase,” Nzioka said.