Forestry Training & Finance for 800 Farms in Kenya

Introduction

Receive much greetings from DNRC family. We continue to deeply appreciate and thank you for your continued financial support through global giving. Through your kind support, we continue to dream and realize our drums of community regeneration in terms of social, economic and environmental sustainability. As we write this report, 600 households each with an average 6 -10 family members continue to receive agroforestry training and tree seedlings every year to plant in their own individual farms. 6 schools each with an average 300 students also continue to be trained and issued tree seedlings to plant in their schools.

During this quarter, we continued to train both the farmers and schools on how to plant and also manage their increasing trees planted in their farms. . As the school going students are planting trees in the schools and so are their parents planting their home, the whole community is involved in regenerating their environment. As the tree grow and produce market products such a fruits, firewood etc, they are securing their economy. As they all come together to work, their social fabric strengthened. Your generous support is enabling us to address these three pillars of sustainability and regenerating communities living in the drylands of Kenya. The following activities took place during this quarter in the following programs.

The Tree Nursery.

During the quarter, 15,850 seedlings were propagated. Most of the seedlings propagated included the following: A.polycantha, A. xanthopolea, A.tortilis, Faudhebia albida, Senna seamea, Markhamia lutea, CrotonTamaridus, Neem, Leacena, Grevellia, Mango, Eucalyptus, Cypress, Guava, Lemon, Moringa, Sazygium, Passion, Pawpaw, Avocado, Balanities egyptica. During the same time, watering and maintaining the existing tree seedlings in the nursery continued. This year’s target is to propagate 80,000 seedlings which is an increase from 70,000 tree seedlings planted last year. These seedlings will be issued in October. – December rains to be planted in their individual farms.

Farmer’s training/ outreach program.

During the quarter, the farmers were formally trained in tree management especially on spot weeding and pruning. They were also visited in their own individual farms and advised accordingly. The schools were also visited and advised accordingly.

Challenges

• Water scarcity
• Transport to reach the many farmers

Focus for the next quarter

• Maintain the tree nursery and continue to propagate more seedlings to reach the 80,000 target
• Farmers’ follow- ups in their individual farms

INTRODUCTION

Receive greetings from DNRC family. We continue to say thank you so much for your continued support which has enabled us to continue to work with 600 farmers in tree planting for both social wellbeing, environmental sustainability and economic empowerment. We can proudly say that we are on the right path in achieving these goals. For example the first trees planted in 2008 now the farmers are pruning for firewood and green charcoal for both domestic use and income generation. They are processing moringa for nutrition and soon will be harvesting trees for timber. The fruits like guavas, pawpaw and citrus are producing and supplying enough nutrition to the farmers who were once affected by malnutrition. By planting local tree species we have modified local microclimate and it’s now easy to plant more trees and the farmers testify that they are positively changing the local climate. This being the beginning of the year, we set targets for the year and started activities to achieve the same. Below are detailed activities achieved during the quarter?

The tree Nursery

We set a target to propagate and plant about 80,000 tree seedlings of not less than 30 different tree species in the end 2017.During the quarter, we mainly propagated the following species: Acacia polyacatha-1000,Acacia xanthopolea 1000, acacia Tortilis-1000, senna seamea-500, melia vonkensii – 100, balanities egyptica- 400, Grevelia robusta-3300 and eucalyptus camandulensis 4000.

Training and outreach program

During the quarter, DNRC outreach persons where mainly involved in recruiting and training farmers on different levels of tree planting. Those already trained in holes preparations and planting were trained in tree management especially weeding, manuring (chop and drop) and pruning. For the new recruits, they were mainly trained on DNRC model of working which emphasis on balancing both social, economic and environmental aspects of the community.

Other trainings which were covered during the quarter included: importance of trees, site selection to locate woodlots for the new members, composting, and food forest importance and establishment. All the 13 groups have been trained making a total of 575 farmers trained during the quarter.

Challenges

Transport and water is the main challenges we are facing. For water, as the nursery expand, more water is needed as the nearby river drys up during dry season and we have to scoop sand to get water. For transport, there is need for a vehicle (canter) to help in transport of seedlings and firewood for green charcoal.

Focus for the next quarter

Continue potting, and propagating more seedlings to meet our target as well as training farmers and individual farm follow-ups.