Reverse Deserts Through Community Transformation

Summary

Rural Kenya and many urban dwellers rely on charcoal and firewood for energy, which is destroying Kenya's forests. We provide fast-growing trees as alternative sources of fuel and food for livestock.

What is the issue, problem, or challenge?

Three thousand trees are cut down each day to supply charcoal to Nairobi, Kenya’s capital. A large portion of this fuel requirement is coming from the Lake Magadi area of southern Kenya. This project provides an alternative source of trees to supply charcoal and firewood to the people in the target area and to Nairobi. The communities will be supplied the trees and taught how to grow them and process biomass into charcoal.

How will this project solve this problem?

Set up a nursery; supply fast-growing nitrogen fixing trees; train the community how to cultivate, harvest and process the biomass into high-grade charcoal for sale and for use as home-grown fodder to stop overgrazing.

Potential Long Term Impact

Helping communities produce their own energy, with a surplus for sale, boosting income to poor rural families, and improving their lives. One project integrates large-scale conservation, job generation and wealth creation.

Project Message

"This is exactly what we need now." (Referring to the provision of trees for energy and fodder)
- Peter Ole Simel, Maasai Tribe Elder

Additional Documentation

This project has provided additional documentation in a Microsoft Word file (projdoc.doc).

Resources