Kenya among 6 countries in Africa to benefit from “RESTORE AFRICA” Agricultural Project.
Kiunga Kimani Director restore Africa programme world vision Kenya/Photo Caroline Kahonzi
By Caroline Kahonzi
Kenya is among six countries in Africa set to benefit from agricultural project “RESTORE AFRICA” funded by Australian organization global ever greening alliance
The agricultural project under world vision Kenya that will cost $18 milion involves tree planting and sees groups of farmers from five counties in Kenya for the first phase over a period of five years (Kwale ,Kilifi ,Elgeyo Marakwet ,Migori and Narok )
Speaking during the official launch of the project in Kwale county held at hillpark hotel in Matuga constituency ,director RESTORE AFRICA programme world vision Kenya kiunga kimani said the objective of the project is to increase tree cover ,improve livelihoods through carbon markets , help in policy making on restoration and rehabilitation of environment.
“ In Kenya our target is to plant close to thirteen million trees ,so every county is expected to plant two to three million trees ,the activity will be done on community land approximately quarter million hectares and we a looking forward to working with 250 thousands house holds ,this project will last for five years and it will positively change the livelihoods of community and also absorb the carbon dioxide caused by climate change and rehabilitate the environment ,”Said Mr. Kimani .
Jonathan Muriuki Country coordinator global ever greening alliance affirmed human activities to have highly contributed to climate change.
“In this project we are focusing on environment that has been affected by climate change that is caused by different human activities worldwide ,we have seen developed countries to have many companies and industries that produces a lot of smoke that affect environment and also in middle income people are seen cutting down of trees also doing farming activities using poor methods ,so we believe through this project we will bring together a world that is developed so as to restore and rehabilitate our environment and curb climate change ,”Posed Mr. Muriuki .
In kwale county restore Africa project will be implemented through Conservation alive Kenya organization Mohamed Salim director of CoAKEsaid sixty five thousand farmers from eight wards of the county are set to benefit .
“ Sixty percent of farmers will plant trees while fourty percent will do the assisted natural regeneration whereby trees that were cut down will be taken care of to regrow ,for tree planting zai pits methods will be used so as to ensure the trees tolerate drought for a long period ,our aim is planting four million trees ,for the groups that will hit the target will be selling carbon ,we already have markets ,”Said Mr.Salim .
Mr.Salim said the project will be implemented on buffer zones in Kinango ,Lungalunga ,Matuga and Shimbahills sub counties .
“This project is not implemented on gazetted lands it is done on buffer zones more than five kilometres from Kaya forests ,so trees are grown on private lands because we encourage them to plant cash and food plants ,”Emphasized Mr.Salim .
Rosemary Mirugi Hillpark hotel and spa officer said the hotel administration is among the stakeholders involved in conservation ,atleast 160 hectares of hillpark land is covered by trees
“I would urge fellow investors that tree planting is good for fresh air ,if tourists come for holidays even though they complain of high temperatures but atleast if there are tree they enjoy the breeze ,” Said Ms Mirugi .
Some of Kwale beneficiaries led by Nassir Abdallah Bege chaiman kwale ecosystem forest association called upon the community to embrace the project for their better tomorrow .
This comes as Kwale county government set aside 2 percent of its development budget climate change fund of mitigating climate change.
Tanzania,Uganda ,Malawi ,Ethiopia and Zambia are among the benefiting countries
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