Combating Climate Change with Agroecology

Dear Donor,

Thank you for your past assistance in helping us plant Moringa trees and develop tree nurseries in rural Kenya. With the last donations, we were able to do train 50 community members on its use and how to plant Moringa trees. These community members and trees were spread far and wide in over 70 communities where there is widespread malnutrition.

Moringa is a tree where the leaves and pods are used and the tree does not need to be cut down. The pods give a quality oil that is high in Omega 3's and the leaves offer high-quality protein and other nutrients that are the building blocks of health. We have always focused on preschool children but just as important, the nutrients helps increase milk production for lactating mothers as well as cows and goats that provide milk. 

The trainings were conducted by Kar Geno, a partner NGO in Kenya that has been very successful in growing Moringa and boosting the health of their community. The area where they trained is in Baringo County one of the poorest regions in Kenya. While we have no hard statistics on the success of growing moringa in the communities we've served, we only hear anecdotal stories about sickly preschool children growing and having more energy and vitality. That is proof enough for us. 

We ask that you continue to help by donating to buy moringa from the entrepreneurs who have learned to grow the trees, powder it and make it available. It doesn't take much but it can mean all the difference in the life of a child. 

Thank you!

Dear Donor,

Planting moringa trees may not heal our suffering planet but it's something we can do in support of the environment and in the case of moringa, combat malnutrition. The nature of a moringa tree project is that they continue to grow and produce leaves and pods that have great nutritional benefits. 

While moringa has not worked in Transmara and in some areas in the Rift Valley, it does work along the lake and in the hotter regions of Kenya. It's a  drought tolerant plant that does need consistent heat and in some regions, the evenings are too cool for it to thrive. We understand its habits and have been very successful in the best of conditions.

In honor of Earthday, our goal is to plant more trees and to provide the powdered moringa to preschools in areas of extreme poverty with widespread malnutrition.  The results with small amounts of powdered moringa for a preschool child are dramatic. It's important to catch malnutrition at this time to ensure the child's growth and development. We also are providing powdered moringa for prenatal and postnatal care. Moringa is very helpful for lactating mothers. 

We thank you for your support in the past and always happy to share a report on trees and their benefits. 

Happy EarthDay

Shana

Thank you for your past assistance in planting moringa trees to provide important nutrients and protein. Moringa is known to have more protein than soybean meal and provides children with accessible plant protein.

In the regions where we work, communities struggle with high rates of poverty and child malnutrition.  Children are small and often fail to thrive. The traditional food of ugali (corn porridge) eaten as a staple in Kenya is lacking in protein, the building blocks for growth. In a country with widespread food and nutrition insecurity, keeping children well-nourished and healthy has been a constant struggle for families. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), around 45% of deaths among children under 5 years of age are linked to undernutrition. 

While the effects of malnutrition are devastating, we've also seen the incredible progress that communities can make when given the education, skills, and resources needed to keep their families health. Teaching sustainable, organic farming skills have been important but also planting nutritional, protein-rich like beans and moringa to provide the best hope for the future. By powdering the leaves of the moringa, the powder can be added to porridge in the areas where moringa does not grow well.  Kenya's weather in higher altitudes has not been the best conditions for moringa to thrive so we have had to depend on women's groups to grow the trees in the warmer regions. Providing them with the income from the powdered moringa helps everyone. 

In the past, you have helped us to plant moringa throughout Ghana and Kenya. We have a way to go before we stop planting and spreading these "miracle trees" but we are committed to getting the powdered leaf to preschools where malnutrition can become chronic. With good nutrition, children are able to grow to their fullest potential, focus on their education and future and become forces of lasting positive change in their communities. 

Please help us to provide the powdered supplement to children in areas that have devastating malnutrition and the tree where the tree does not thrive and give children the best chance at growing and reaching their intellectual capacity. 

Thank you!

Shana