INCULCATING POSITIVE VALUES TO YOUNG GENERATION ON ENVIRONMENT THROUGH ENVIRONMENTAL CLUBS.

A school environmental club is a voluntary group comprising of students and teachers (club patrons) of a school which promotes participation of students in learning about and working towards the conservation and sustainability of their environment. They aim at creating awareness on the importance of respecting and appreciating our surroundings.

With the support of Ministry of Agriculture, Kenya Forest Service and Ministry of Education in Molo District, Necofa is working with seven schools to “Promote participation of students in Agro forestry and Environmental Conservation” and create awareness about the environmental related issues threatening the existence of the  Mau water tower, these schools are:-Mianzini ,Mukinyai, Nyakiambi,Chandera,Mariashoni and Tumaini Integrated secondary schools.

Through formation of the Environmental clubs, Necofa seeks to:-

        >Develop right attitudes among students towards environmental conservation.

        >Set values and concerns in students towards environmental conservation.

Necofa believes that engaging and participation of students in environmental conservation and protection will help students to lead, identify and solve environmental problems in their respective localities, by providing an opportunity for practical side of the environmental conservation through tree nursery establishment, tree planting in water catchment areas, establishment of  woodlots and botanical gardens  in schools, donate tree seedlings to the community and going for excursions in forests to see the different tree species as well as reconnecting with the natural forest environment, this will enable them appreciate and respect nature.

The Environmental Clubs will also promote creative and critical thinking through inter schools essay writing and creation of environmentally friendly innovations.

Necofa intends to get support for the clubs through:-

>Getting school boards involved, they will ensure sustainability of the project after the phase out period.

>Getting maximum support from the school management, parents and the entire community

>providing tools and equipments for the clubs.

>Offering refresher trainings follow ups beyond the project period as well as training for new club members.

>Involving key government stakeholders like Ministry of Agriculture and Kenya Forest Service, the club patrons, Ministry of Agriculture, Kenya Forest Service will act as the resource persons for the clubs.

Students will be involved actively in participating during environmentally important days like:-

>World Agro forestry Day on March 21^st

>World Environment Day on June 5^th

This will enable the students to participate fully in conservation efforts as well as better understanding on biodiversity issues..

Co operating and networking  with other environment clubs and communities through exchange visits and inter-school competitions will motivate the students and give them new ideas to better their efforts.

 

PEACE BUILDING THROUGH FOREST EXPEDITIONS.

NECOFA in partnership with People in Peril Association (PIPA) and Slow Food Central Rift chapter, have undertaken a bold step towards promoting peaceful coexistence of food and trees communities living in Molo district and currently involved in a project; Decreasing the degradation of Mau Ecosystem,through active involvement of local communities targeting Koibatek forest, funded by Slovak Aid.

By engaging communities from different tribes to participate in Koibatek  forest expeditions, not only to appreciate and respect the benefits of a well conserved forest but to engage the communities in networking as one big community regardless of tribe, and putting their differences aside for the sake of peace and development. The expeditions are moments of learning from one another, as they describe indigenous trees in terms of their different languages, as they give the different uses of the diverse plants, and they realize how wonderful it is to spend time together learning and sharing which can only be achieved in a peaceful environment. The organizations hope to engage the different communities in expeditions to tap the opportunity to create more awareness on the importance of peaceful coexistence especially in this year of elections, so as to avoid going back to previous scenarios of violence, where many of these communities were adversely affected. It is also an opportunity for communities to understand their role in participatory forest management.