{"id":2523,"date":"2016-09-20T17:18:12","date_gmt":"2016-09-20T14:18:12","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.kengenfoundation.co.ke\/?p=2523"},"modified":"2016-09-23T11:43:24","modified_gmt":"2016-09-23T08:43:24","slug":"gic-steering-committee-field-trip-to-assess-projects","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.kengenfoundation.co.ke\/gic-steering-committee-field-trip-to-assess-projects\/","title":{"rendered":"GIC Steering Committee Field Trip To Assess Project"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Under the punitive scorching sun of the semi-arid areas of of Embu, Kitui and Machakos counties, the Schools Green Initiative Challenge Steering Committee endured rough and dusty roads in a two-day inspection tour to assess the progress of the tree-planting project \u00a0from 15 \u2013 16th September.<\/p>\n

The team, led by the Foundation\u2019s Managing Trustee Mike Njeru with Better Globe\u2019s Managing Director Jean-Paul Deprins, and Bamburi Cement Ltd. Corporate Affairs, Communications and Sustainable Development Director Susan Maingi, toured several schools participating in the 10-year tree planting competition that aims to green over 460 acres of the three semi-arid counties with wood fuel and commercial tree species.<\/p>\n

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Better Globe Forestry’s Managing Director Jean-Paul Deprins plants a tree at Thua Primary School.<\/em><\/p><\/div>\n

At Thua Primary School, Kitui County, the team were well received by the school\u2019s headmistress Mrs. Tabitha Mwinzi, and the green teacher Mr Samuel Kitheka who showcased the various innovations they have employed at their woodlots. The school\u2019s environmental club has 47 members dedicated to the nurturing of the tree seedlings.<\/p>\n

Read:\u00a0Nakuru County Next Frontier for GIC<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

Still at Kitui County, the next stop was Muthoani Primary School, where the neighbouring community has also adopted the tree-planting project. According to the green teacher Mr. Festus Ngau, \u201cdespite water challenges, we have partnered with our neighbours to set up a tree nursery at the school from where the community members can acquire seedlings. The schools environmental club members are the ones who tend to the seedlings\u201d.<\/p>\n

Kitui County\u2019s Masukanioni Primary School\u2019s green Teacher Mr. Patrick Kyeli informed the Technical Committee members that the students\u2019 parents are very much involved in the development of the project. The schools environmental club has 30 members who are \u201cdeveloping a culture of tree planting within the community as a source of alternative fuel and income generation for the benefit of the current and future generations\u201d, he said.<\/p>\n

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William Muisyo waters his banana seedlings, Katuuni Secondary School, Kitui<\/em><\/p><\/div>\n

Apart from the well developed woodlots, William Muisyo, the environmental club chairman at Katuuni Mixed Day Secondary School, Kitui, showed the Technical Committee his dedication to the project by displaying a separate banana tree plot he set up to supplement the schools\u2019 dietary needs at the team\u2019s next stop. The Form Four student discovered his passion for tree planting at age five and hopes to become a farmer when he completes his education.<\/p>\n

Read:\u00a0KenGen Signs Afforestation Mou With Lake Basin College<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

The team was well entertained with several poems and songs from the members of the environmental club at Tulimyumbu Primary School, Machakos. The green teacher Mr. Jackson Muvevi reported that all students and staff are committed to the project. Indeed, the school\u2019s well-developed woodlots were intercropped with pawpaw and passion fruit trees. The school had also bought 400 more seedlings to add to the 300 initial seedling supplied by Better Globe Forestry .<\/p>\n

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Susan Maingi, Bamburi Cement Kenya Ltd. Corporate Affairs and Communication Director admires a Mukau tree at Mwea Primary School. With her is Julius Mwanyalo, the project’s Monitoring & Evaluation Officer.<\/em><\/p><\/div>\n

Nathaniel Ngemu, the green teacher for Mikuyu Primary School, Machakos, showcased the various innovations the environmental club has adopted for the project. Including mulching and wind protection, the GIC students have also used charcoal ash as a means of pest control for their tree seedlings.<\/p>\n

Mashamba Primary School, Mwea County impressed the team with their 90% survival rate of the initial 300 seedlings. The green teacher, Mr.Josphat Kyule, attributed this to various innovations including mulching, drip irrigation, weeding and constant monitoring from the students. <\/p>\n

Mrs.Agatha Munyiri, the green teacher for Mwea Primary School distributed the schools environmental club\u2019s brochure that she uses to inform all school visitors and the neighbouring community on the GIC. The club demonstrated their commitment to the project through their thriving and well-labelled woodlots with several innovations in place including mulching and drip irrigation.<\/p>\n

The GIC is a ten-year schools tree-planting competition. The project phase involves 120 schools competing for ultimate prizes of educational trips, scholarships, and other prizes.<\/p>\n

Follow us on Twitter through\u00a0<\/i>@KenGen_Foundatn<\/i><\/a>\u00a0and like our\u00a0<\/i>Facebook page<\/i><\/a>\u00a0for more updates.<\/i><\/p>\n

–<\/i>Ernest Nyamasyo<\/i><\/a>, Communication Officer<\/i><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Under the punitive scorching sun of the semi-arid areas of of Embu, Kitui and Machakos counties, the Schools Green Initiative Challenge Steering Committee endured rough and dusty roads in a two-day inspection tour to assess the progress of the tree-planting project \u00a0from 15 \u2013 16th September. The team, led by the Foundation\u2019s Managing Trustee Mike […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":10,"featured_media":2524,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[42,4,53],"tags":[72,74,73,66,68,67,71,45,46,81,79,70,59],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.kengenfoundation.co.ke\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2523"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.kengenfoundation.co.ke\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.kengenfoundation.co.ke\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.kengenfoundation.co.ke\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/10"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.kengenfoundation.co.ke\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2523"}],"version-history":[{"count":13,"href":"https:\/\/www.kengenfoundation.co.ke\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2523\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2595,"href":"https:\/\/www.kengenfoundation.co.ke\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2523\/revisions\/2595"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.kengenfoundation.co.ke\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2524"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.kengenfoundation.co.ke\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2523"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.kengenfoundation.co.ke\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2523"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.kengenfoundation.co.ke\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2523"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}