In Kalembwani, Makueni county, Kenya, every tree lost worsens the effects of climate change. People cut down trees to make charcoal for cooking, not realizing they are damaging the environment. We visited a community-based organization called KBEES that is working hard to solve the problem through tree planting, education, and sports.
Since 2019, the organization has led community-driven development projects by encouraging volunteerism. They organize voluntary work and sports activities for the community, where they also provide information, education, and climate change adaptation skills. Environmental education is especially important because they want to create a lasting impact. “We don’t call what we do tree planting. We call it tree growing because we take care of the trees,” said Ibrahim, chairperson of the group.
Revaluing the countryside
Each new member of KBEES receives six seedlings, grafted with their choice of fruit tree. Being fruit trees, they not only help conserve the environment but also provide food and income, helping families pay for school fees or hospital bills. This in turn encourages people to stay in the area instead of migrating to cities.
Jackson, a member of the group, told us the initiative has changed his life. He lives on top of a hill, close to the tree nursery. “I was also one of those people who move to towns looking for work and neglect their rural area. After joining the group, I started coming home most weekends and renovating my homestead and farm.”
Sports as a tool for climate action
Convincing people to plant trees isn’t always easy. The day we visited KBEES, they had gathered hundreds of youths from the region for a sports activity. They took the opportunity to have the kids plant 30 seedlings, teaching them about the importance of trees and nature. “We organize sport events like this, because people won’t come to just plant trees, but if you provide an opportunity to play and do some other activities, they will come,” said Ibrahim.
The group also works with schools, giving talks about the importance of planting trees and how to grow them. “We brought this concept to schools so students can learn how to grow trees at school. We believe this is transformative, because every child comes from a family and they take the knowledge and skill back home.”
Next Level Grant Facility
With support from the Next Level Grant Facility (NLGF), a mechanism under our Voices for Just Climate Action program, KBEES established a tree nursery of over 15,000 mostly fruit trees. They also installed a water tank and set up a physical office. The NLGF mechanism makes sure to get climate finance to the most local level, without a lot of bureaucracy or language hurdles.
“This area lacks water, even the school has a water shortage. Pupils used to come carrying water from their homes. We can now fetch water near the people in the school. Before the grant, the kids had to carry water, firewood, books, etcetera. Now they can take it easy.”
