On June 25, 2020, Rotary International announced, with unanimous support from the Rotary Foundation Trustees and Rotary International Board of Directors, that it will be adding a seventh area of focus: supporting the environment. This was a great welcome to many Rotarians and clubs who have been involved in many environmental projects. The Rotary Club of Karen (RCK) is a member of the Rotary International District 9212. With protection of the environment now a key Rotary focus area, RCK has been keen to address environmental degradation through planting of trees.
The RCK President Mrs. Anne Mbogori, her 2020/2021 board and all the club members, are very intentional in seeing that every project they embark on must have a direct impact on the local communities. It is with this knowledge that the club partnered with Ngong Road Forest Association (a Community Forest Association formed under the Forest Act of 2005) and the Kenya Forest Service (KFS). These two organizations manage the Ngong Road Forest which is situated in the outskirts of Kenya’s capital city, Nairobi. The Forest covers an area of 1,224 Ha. It is divided by the Ngong Road into two main sections, the Miotoni Section (in Karen) to the North West and the Racecourse and Kibera section to the South East. This positions the Forest right in the middle of the communities served and impacted by RCK. Through this partnership, the Rotary Club of Karen committed to:
- Plant at least 3,000 trees by 2023 to help restore the Ngong Road Forest cover
- Raise at least Kshs 1.5 million by 2023 to support tree planting and maintenance. (This Ksh. 500,000/- per year).
- Create community involvement in the protection and conservation of Ngong Road Forest
- Raise Awareness on the forest and utilize the resource to benefit the communities it serves through:
- Walking, Cycling Paths and Access Roads
- Camping sites
- Bird Watching and related activities, etc.
The club understands that it is not enough to plant trees, growing the trees is the biggest challenge. It is for this reason that the club signed an MOU with NRFA and KFS to ensure that the trees planted will be well maintained and nurtured addressing the sustainability issue. A team from the club is working closely with the two organizations and updates the club on a monthly basis on how our trees are faring. Inspired by the late environmentalist extraordinaire Wangari Maathai; “until you dig a hole, plant a tree, water it and make it survive, you haven’t done a thing. You are just talking.” Rotary Club of Karen is not just talking; We have planted 2,000 tress since October and are set to plant another 1,000 trees in early 2021!
