By Mary McCarthy | Project Development Officer
Recently, volunteer Anai Herz sat down for a chat with long-time tree recipient, Njamuni Letunta. We are so pleased to share the interview with you here.
Tell me about yourself and your family.
I belong to a village called Lmara where there is a lot of open land. I am married to Lari and am blessed with 4 boys. I am happy.
What has Sadhana Forest Kenya changed about your life?
Before Sadhana my life was hard. We did not have any protected land to grow food. We did not know the importance of the trees - we cut them down to make charcoal. Now my husband has a job at Sadhana Forest Kenya and I know the importance of the trees. Sadhana Forest Kenya has planted so many trees with us. I water the trees every day in the morning after breakfast and in the evening before dinner. We now live in a good environment with shade and even a breeze. We have lots of regenerated land. We now have peace. Our children are going to school. We have so many more opportunities.
How many trees have you planted with Sadhana Forest Kenya?
We have 120 trees!
What benefits do you receive from the trees?
The trees provide shade and a good environment. We sell the moringa (Moringa stenopetala) seeds and eat the moringa leaves for nutrition and to treat some diseases. Many other trees are still too young to produce fruit, but one day they will. Sadhana Forest Kenya planted the thorny kei apple (Dovyalis caffra) tree around the fence to protect us from wild animals like elephants and lions.
What is your favorite tree and why?
My favorite trees are the moringa and the African wild olive (Olea africana). Moringa provides a lot of nutrition and can treat a lot of different diseases, and the African wild olive is a medicinal plant and very important in the traditions of our culture.
Is there anything else you would like to add?
Thank you Sadhana Forest for everything you are doing: giving my husband a job, giving us water, and most of all, for planting the trees and teaching us the importance of trees.
Thank you Njamuni for caring for those trees and believing in the work of Sadhana Forest Kenya, and thank you Anai for conducting this interview! We could not do this important work without our tree-carers, volunteers, and donors. Thank you all! If you would like to provide feedback, learn more about our projects, or if you are interested in volunteering with us, please email us at kenya@sadhanaforest.org. There is also an opportunity to leave a note at the end of this report.
Ashe Oleng! (“Thank you very much!” in Kisamburu)
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