HOW WE CARRY OUT OUR TREE GROWING ACTIVITIES.
Since 2011, we have developed and distributed over 500,000 seedlings to various stakeholders, including Self Help groups, Welfare societies, Cooperative societies, Community based organizations, Churches, Learning Institutions and Non-Governmental organizations who have replanted and are taking care of the trees. Kisumu County currently has a forest cover of about 0.4% which is way below both the national average of about 7.2% and recommended average of 10%.
In 2014, we set up a tree nursery on the banks of a seasonal river where we operated until December 2019 when an opportunity for a bigger, more permanent and secure site emerged. Setting up the new site was affected by emergence of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 and limited financial resources.
We have since identified a new site for our tree seedlings production with a capacity of 500,000 seedlings annually and development is going on into a more permanent future. We have also put up some temporary office structures for our activities and our partner called Winam Wrua.
Our model starts with stakeholder identification and registration. These include Communities, organized groups, government institutions and Non-Governmental organizations who propose preferred seedlings, planting site and a design of planting season for the trees. Thereafter, we carry out consultations with Kenya forest service and other agencies regarding identified species and Technical analysis of soil samples, this will help come up with correct composition of soil at planting.
Having identifed stakeholders for the season and carried out species identification and soil testing. When seedlings are ready for growing, 0ur Community extension officers notify those we are able to deliver on their demands to attend a two-day training on the process of growing the desired trees. The communities we deal with are interested in fruit trees like Avocado, Lemon, Oranges, Pawpaw and the Moringa oleifera, often called the drumstick tree or the miracle tree that is valued for its medicinal and nutritional uses.
Institutions are more interested in indigenous trees popular with the area like grevillea tree or grevillea robusta, also commonly known as the southern silky oak, silk oak or silky oak, silver oak or Australian silver oak, due to its ability to survive extreme variations in weather conditions.
We then arrange distribution of trees using delivery notes and seek for a commitment by way of Memorandum of Understanding with farmers for care of the trees, monitoring and replacements.
Seedlings Planted/Families impacted/Implementation Partners.
NOTE
Implementation partners include: Women Groups, Self Help Societies, Community Based Organizations, Cooperative Societies, Welfare Societies, Educational Institutions, Independent tree Nurseries and Government Agencies.
