Schools and churches receive free tree seedlings to combat climate change

The Andiwo Obondo Foundation, in collaboration with One Acre Fund, has distributed over 5,000 tree seedlings to schools and churches in Bondo sub-county to help mitigate the adverse effects of climate change in the area.

In a media interview, Mr. Andiwo Mwai, the Executive Chairperson of the Andiwo Obondo Foundation, revealed that this partnership benefited more than fifty schools and churches, each receiving 100 tree seedlings as part of the foundation’s commitment to environmental protection.

Mr. Mwai explained that One Acre Fund covered 40 percent of the total cost of the seedlings, while the Andiwo Obondo Foundation took care of the remaining expenses.

“Distributing tree seedlings has been a central activity for our foundation over the past three years, as it aligns with our environmental protection goals. This time, we sought a partnership with One Acre Fund because we learned about their environmental initiatives. Instead of purchasing seedlings from local nurseries as we have done in the past, we obtained them from One Acre Fund at a lower price, and they were willing to subsidize 40 percent of the costs,” he stated.

He emphasized that distributing tree seedlings to schools supports the government’s objective of increasing forest cover to 10 percent by 2030. This initiative will help Siaya County enhance its forest and tree cover, which currently stands at under 2 percent and under 4 percent, respectively.

Over the past four years, the foundation has distributed more than 20,000 tree seedlings to public primary schools and aims to reach all 95 public secondary schools in Bondo and Usigu sub-counties.

Vivian Achieng, an officer from One Acre Fund, noted that the collaboration between the two organizations has enabled numerous schools and farmers to benefit, with the goal of increasing tree cover in Bondo.

“Upon closer inspection, you’ll notice that the area lacks trees and is primarily covered in shrubs. Our role as an organization is to cultivate quality seedlings that we distribute to farmers through such partnerships,” Achieng explained.

She added that through the Tupande initiative, they encourage farmers to plant trees in the region by offering an additional 40 seedlings for any farmer who purchases a tree from their nursery.

Samuel Otieno from Dunya Comprehensive School, which received the tree seedlings, expressed his gratitude for the initiative. He noted that the program, which also includes fruit trees, will not only address the issue of low tree cover but also combat malnutrition and help prevent classroom roofs from being blown away by the wind, as has happened in the past.