Schools Recycling Programme
Mombasa Area

Global Education is currently embarking on a recycling programme in the Mombasa area. It has chosen to target the youth through the local schools.

It hopes that by encouraging children it will have more of a long-lasting effect on people’s attitudes going forward. Younger minds are more receptive to change and if properly educated are more likely to make permanent lifestyle decisions based on education which will be sustainable for the future.

In order to make the impact it needs, Global Education needs to highlight the positives and of course the negatives with regard to which choices the individual makes. It is now widely accepted that People Power has become an important agent for change. Through modern social networking sites like Facebook and Twitter, (and not to mention You Tube) , important information can be transferred quickly and effectively. The world has become a ‘village’. Now more than ever it is possible to see links between cause and effect. We have decided to focus on the real issue of how our wasteful lifestyles are creating a time bomb which will have real impact not only on ourselves but also future generations. As mineral resources constantly become scarcer and scarcer, the twin problem of how to dispose of the waste-products becomes an equally challenging problem.

Not only has Kenya not got a centralized system of waste management and disposal, the average Kenyan has never been fully educated to the negative effects of its casual attitude to its own environment. Unfortunately since the government chooses to ignore its responsibilities how is it possible to remove this sense of apathy if the individual sees no positive effect of personal efforts The mind-set must be changed.

A visit to the average Tusky/Nakumatt supermarket will usually result in a half-dozen ’paper bags’ [English translation: polythene]. Plastic bottles will quite literally be tossed from the window of a matatu, or where the consumer stands [or sits]. Inadequate disposal methods have a knock on effect. The meeting last week also revealed that rubbish disposal is generally done through burning. This has multiple environmental and health side effects. A recent discussion I had with fellow VSO volunteers, (Jennifer Hampton and Heather Hayes), reminded me of something I remember reading about a ‘giant plastic garbage island’ that had been discovered in the Pacific Ocean. It has been the subject of differing theories of whether it is in fact a hoax or a reality. I decided to embark on an investigation on You Tube.

The following links are by 3 independent researchers and are alarming to say the least.

World’s Biggest Garbage Dump

Pt. 1 “Plastic in the Ocean”

Plastic Trash Island Disaster

As I went from one video to the next it became obvious to me that far from being scaremongering from individuals that were just trying to shock the research made real sense. One of the researchers likened the patches to ‘dust bunnies’ the like of which appear mysteriously in most houses; (any enclosed area with doorways and windows). These openings seem to create invisible pathways which channel draughts and breezes. What happens is the dust particles are naturally pulled into these eddies and create little spirals of fluff etc. The oceans are like giant versions of this and the progressive collection of junk and rubbish will eventually pull the garbage into these spirals. The largest of these garbage islands is estimated to be twice the size of Texas (although some estimates give the total landmass of the continental US, at an approximate mass of 350 million tonnes). As the oceans are the basis of all life on earth, it is a sobering thought that the poisoning and clogging up of the ocean with the collective waste of the human race will probably be the undoing of humanity itself. This being in large part the result of just a few decades of irresponsibility. Until everyone accepts that everyone equally has a responsibility to make the change we are on a course that can only end in disaster.

For too long the general attitude has been: “If it doesn’t directly affect me, why should I care”. Nowadays, this argument doesn’t have anywhere to go. People are having to become increasingly aware of the affects of climate change; the poisoning of the oceans; the rapid loss of many species of animals and plants; the increase in suffering brought about by the changing environment in which we live. We are racing against the clock. We are not unaware of the implications of our past and present actions and know the projections. We also know that whilst the time we have to change is increasingly limited, there is still time to effect change and reverse the process.

Many recognize that the most effective agents of change are the young. In Kenya, the majority of its population is under 30 years old. They are the leaders of tomorrow. It is our duty to educate them to the importance of a shift in mindset. Just like modern Kenya, (post independence), had to learn to cope with the legacy of British imperialism, it has done so with dignity and remains one of the more stable and successful independent African states, it must learn to adapt to a world that has been shaped by greed and extravagance of others in most part. It must however also accept that it too has responsibilities. It cannot ignore its own problems. Passing the blame around will have little benefit to the future of its inhabitants.

Kenya’s population is largely comprised of people living in poverty. To most, the concerns of providing food for the family, a secure roof over their heads and the constant fear that disease or starvation will reap its own havoc on an already harsh existence have the net effect of sidelining concerns for the environment. It is only when the results of such actions have a direct effect on the individual that anything is done about it. Global Education plans to disrupt this approach by incentivizing the recycling of waste. This way it makes the process a worthwhile activity. If by rewarding achievements in a physical (financial) way it will encourage activity. If these activities are seen to benefit individuals and communities the knock on effect will be positive. Reward for effort is the best incentive.

The day started really early, we had to be in Shariane beach at 8:30am, that meant waking up early and leaving Bombolulu Workshops at 7:30am. The heat was hard on us, after meeting all the teams we all spread along the beach and started picking everything we could… two hours under the sun made us really thirsty and tired and at 12:00pm we head back with bags full of trash. At the end we filled up around 50 bags of trash, mostly with plastic bottles and sandals which were taken to recycling companies afterward by the people from Vipingo Ridge.

So, after all the efforts we were happy to see all the locals working together for this activity, and even though some people living around the area just came for the food and to complain we didn’t have enough t-shirts for them, everything went as planned, maybe even better than we thought… so now we have to start planning for the next event, stay tuned and find out what we have under our sleeve to keep Kenya beautiful, today, tomorrow and forever! If you couldn’t make it for this event then check out the video and see what you missed, hope to see you next time!

Due to the  increasing temperature in the Kimana Region  and the destruction of the environment , the surrounding rivers and swamps are drying up, generators are seen everywhere to extract water from the rivers to feed the increasing acres of farmlands in the area leaving the community downstream to settle for too little water and to look for other sources in distant areas for their daily needs wasting more productive time, plunging the communities more into poverty and fuels for more wildlife-human conflicts on the surrounding environs.

Generators used to extract water from a river in Kimana to be used as irrigation to various farmlands in the area

Because of the impact of Climate Change in Kimana Wetland and its environs, African Wildlife Foundation (AWF) together with Noomayianat Community Development Organization (NCDO) and Kimana Wetland Association (KWA) embarked a series of activities to mitigate the effects of Climate Change.

Communities downstream are force to settle for less and contaminated water because of intensive irrigation farming upstream.

Below are the two significant activities that were taken last December 2010 and January 2011:

1. PARLIAMENTARY SELECT COMMITTEE ON LANDS AND NATURAL RESOURCES MEETING IN KIMANA.

Members of the parliament were able to have a dialogue with the different stakeholders around Kimana Wetland last 10th December 2010. This is a milestone for the conservation of the wetland since out of all the wetlands in Kenya, the challenges in conservation of the Kimana swamp will serve as a guide for further discussion in the parliament. Kimana has gone into records at the national level. There is also a sense of hope that the problems that were laid out will be given priority for action.

The major challenges in conservation in the Kimana Wetlands are:

• Encroachment of farmers to wetland areas (wetland conversion for agricultural purposes).

• Extensive agro-pastoralism which pave way to the destruction of habitats such as the draining of swamps and rivers.

• High poverty level resulting to over exploitation of natural resources.

• The lack of initiatives and sense of urgency from government officials to implement conservation laws and policies within the area.

• Widespread diversion of water upstream for agriculture.

The members of the parliament also take a   study tour within the area to capture the sites with specific issues like water abstraction, pollution, resources use and conflict etc. During the tour they were able to see a lot of illegal generators that were used in diverting water to the farmlands.  And they were even surprised that no actions were done  from responsible government agencies in Oloitokitok to stop these activities.

After the visit of the members of the parliament, AWF, NCDO and KWA are hopeful that the government will soon declare the Kimana Wetland as well as the rivers and streams that feed it as protected areas of environmental significance for their ecological importance and as a source for sustainable livelihood to the local communities.

2. TREE PLANTING ACTIVITIES IN KIMANA, ISINET, ILCHALAI AND TIKONDO,  OLOITOKITOK DISTRICT.

Last December 2010, and January 2011, as part of the project for Climate Change adaptation in the Kimana Wetland, Noomayianat Community Development Organization and the Kimana Wetland Association were able to plant and distribute to schools and communities  a total of 3,150 indigenous  seedlings in Kimana, Isinet, Ilchalai and  Tikondo in Oloitokitok District.

This activity aims to increase vegetation cover as part of the strategy to combat the effects of Climate Change.

Schools officials, teachers and students as well as the communities were given the chance to participate to sensitize them on the importance of trees and to utilize them to protect the seedlings until they are fully mature.

Tree Planting at Isinet Primary School, Oloitokitok District Kenya

Teachers and students at Isinet Primary School in Oloitokitok participates on the tree planting activities. They also pledge to take care the seedlings until they  fully mature.

Part of the indigenous seedlings that were distributed to Ilchalai Primary School in Oloitokitok

Seedlings planted are protected by the thorny twigs and branches of acacia from livestock and wild animals in Ilchalai, Oloitokitok.

The two activities to combat the effects of Climate Change in Kimana were funded by African Wildlife Foundation in collaboration with Noomayianat Community Development Organization and the Kimana Wetland Association.

The Blog-Health-o-Meter™ reads This blog is doing awesome!.

Crunchy numbers

A Boeing 747-400 passenger jet can hold 416 passengers. This blog was viewed about 1,500 times in 2010. That’s about 4 full 747s.

In 2010, there were 18 new posts, growing the total archive of this blog to 30 posts. There were 39 pictures uploaded, taking up a total of 11mb. That’s about 3 pictures per month.

The busiest day of the year was November 9th with 28 views. The most popular post that day was Ending Sexual Exploitation Workshop in Coast Region.

Where did they come from?

The top referring sites in 2010 were mail.yahoo.com, vsojitolee.org, slashingtongue.com, digg.com, and facebook.com.

Some visitors came searching, mostly for vso jitolee, blog global education, chakol, uganda vso, and global education blog.

Attractions in 2010

These are the posts and pages that got the most views in 2010.

Ending Sexual Exploitation Workshop in Coast Region September 2009

What is Global Education? January 2010

Ideas for action January 2010
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Global Education Blossoms in Naivasha July 2010

Calendar February 2010

VSO staff joined forces with KIPFAT (Kimana People Fighting Aids Together), Ilkisonko staff and volunteering members to make a good start for an Integrated Food and Fodder Shamba (IFFS). The banana, caliandra and faidherbia albida trees are intercropped with mais and beans, in time giving protection from the sun and replenishing the soils nutrients. Once fully grown, the trees are a natural greenhouse.

The day started with an explanation of the IFFS concept by Rachael Taiko, member of Ilkisonko who provided the plot for the demonstration shamba. The shamba is used to train and educate farmers in the area on organic and sustainable farming. After everyone learned about the concept, the group proceeded with the actual tree planting. The 400 trees were planted within two hours; VSO staff and the KIPFAT members showed they can work at a very high speed!

Once all the trees were planted, the group deserved a rest, a soda and a few words to close the event.

The day was a great success. So far all seedlings have survived, giving the demonstration shamba an excellent start. Many, many thanks to the VSO staff, KIPFAT, Ilkisonko, Rachael Taiko, all VSO volunteers present, and all others who joined the day.

Explanation of the IFFS concept, before the group spreads out on the field.

KIPFAT member, VSO staff and VSO volunteer distributing trees together; time to dig a hole and start planting.

More digging, more planting.

After the last tree is planted, it’s time to wash hands. The canal is constructed by Noomayianat.

Spearheaded by the Little Sisters of St. Francis, Edgar Juaban – VSO volunteer at Ilkisonko Sacco, Loitokitok – shared his skills on sustainable agriculture with the communities in Bungoma. Training 24 participants on organic farming, he taught how to make fermented plant juice, fermented fruit juice and production of lacto bacilli. Vermicast culture was introduced to restore fertility of the soil. The earthworms are popularly called Africal Night Crawlers On top of that there was a course on beekeeping techniques. The participants were very grateful to the Little Sisters for inviting them to attend the workshop and most of all to Edgar.

Lecture then demonstration was an effective method to bring the message across

A week after the workshop, the participants have reported that they have started beekeeping and intensified tree planting activities using calliandra and faidherbia albida. A low-cost exercise of healing the earth through sustainable agriculture can improve the quality of life of the wanainchi for now and the generation to come.

The Kimana Wetland System is located in the Southern Rangeland of Kenya. For many years the wetland performs many functions that maintain the ecological integrity of the area, and also provides many goods and services. It is the lifeline of the communities in Kimana

The functions and benefits provided by the wetland are very  important for the communities as it support agriculture, tourism, industry, biodiversity conservation, social economic and cultural activities. It is crucial for income generation, livelihood and the well being of the people.

The prime significance of the wetland is its abundant system of underground springs and interconnected swamps, fed by the melting ice of Mount Kilimanjaro, the world’s tallest free standing mountain. The sustainability of Kimana and its environment depends on the level of snow on top of the mountain.

The sustainability and the future of the wetland is being challenge by the dwindling supply of water from the melting ice of the mountain. According to researchers and scientists, the culprit is Climate Change. The remaining ice fields atop Mount Kilimanjaro could be gone within two decades. Perhaps even sooner, based on the latest survey of the ice fields on the mountain.

The melting of glaciers at the top of Kilimanjaro can be devastating for both the communities and the flora and fauna in Kimana wetland. It also has consequences for agriculture and for the Maasai community, which relies on pasture grounds for their cows and goats for survival. Much of the water in the river and springs comes from melt water and glacial retreat is predicted to increase water scarcity.

Climate Change coupled with lack of effective management mechanism and proper appreciation of its true worth, the wetland had been continued to be degraded and over exploited.

Because of these threats to the wetland African Wildlife Foundation and Noomayianat Community Development Organization, a community based organization, initiated a project on the Integrated Approach to Wetland Management in the Kimana Area of Amboseli Ecosystem in a Changing Climate.

The project aims to provide technical input to the process across the following four thematic areas:

I.   Strengthening partnerships and building alliances between the Kimana Wetland Association (Organization of communities within the Kimana Wetland) and its institutional / individual partners at the local, national and international levels.

II.   Facilitating and supporting policy and legislation that promotes the integration of wetland values and wise use principles into planning, management and development options within Kimana.

III.   Enhancing capacity, information and knowledge base for long term conservation , wise use and sustainable management of wetlands in Kimana and

IV.   Improve the resilience and adaptability of the Kimana wetland against Climate Change.

The project commences last 30th of October 2010 and will end on the 30th of December 2010. The project is very timely and relevant: the Kimana wetland has still the capacity to regenerate. Relevant as it aims to sensitize the community on the true worth of the wetland and the devastating effect of Climate Change.

The future of Kimana wetland depends on the current initiatives and interventions that are undertaken. If initiatives and interventions will come later then the damage to the wetland will be very difficult to reverse.

Baraka Youth Polytechnic planted 2,000 trees to celebrate World Environment Day in the first week of June 2010. Students planted seedlings in the grounds of the polytechnic to provide timber and fuel for future generations, and a habitat for insects, birds and animals. The youths were also given five seedlings each to plant in their homesteads. The seedlings were donated by the Constituency Development Fund (CDF). The polytechnic is located in Murang’a District in Central Kenya.

The polytechnic has been cutting down trees in recent years without re-planting. But with the encouragement of Venkateswara Rao Damarla, the VSO volunteer at Baraka Youth Polytechnic, they are now looking to their future, and embracing the idea of “our environment, our life, our responsibility”.

World Environment Day was established in 1972, and is celebrated worldwide on the 5^th of June every year.

‘It’s not enough to talk – people must take action’

What VSO volunteer misses the opportunity to see or do something new for free? Such an opportunity arose one evening in July, when I heard from a friend that ‘Taking Root’, a documentary about Professor Wangari Maathai’s life and work, would be screened for free at the French cultural centre in Nairobi!

I had heard about Wangari Maathai through the Global Education Committee; I had heard about her work and her books. I knew she had won the Nobel Peace Prize in 2004 for her work with the Green Belt Movement in Kenya. I had even seen a two minute clip of the ‘Taking Root’ documentary on her website. Suitably inspired, I was keen to watch the full version.

“Come along and see what work she did!!!” I tried to spread the word among friends and colleagues. Four VSO volunteers attended the screening, which was packed by the end; there wasn’t even room to stand.

As we settled down to watch the documentary, we were delighted to discover Maathai herself was attending the screening. In traditional colourful Kenyan dress and matching headscarf, she chatted with members of the audience and signed autographs. Much to my delight it was announced that after the screening there would be a discussion about the documentary and a panel debate about the then-upcoming vote for or against the draft constitution (oops, another VSO rule broken!).

The hour long documentary tells the story of Maathai’s work. She started by planting trees and empowering women in her community to do the same. This then snowballed into a nationwide movement to ‘safeguard the environment, protect human rights, and defend democracy’. The documentary tells the story of where Maathai came from, her education, motivations, personal life, her work with the Green Belt Movement and her battles with policy makers for justice and rights for Kenyan citizens. At the end of the documentary she received a standing ovation.

The film maker, Lisa Merton, who made the film with her husband Alan Dater, was also attending the screening. Merton explained that the couple had met Maathai in America in 2002. They were stunned by her story and also surprised to hear that no one had documented it. They tried to raise funds to make the documentary, which they described as ‘a labour of love and tears’. They explained that producing the film was not a money making venture. To date the film has been translated into 22 languages.

The questions during the discussion were very varied, from land issues to poaching; from Kenya’s potential to produce green energy, to carbon emissions and Kenya’s role in carbon credit schemes. Maathai made several excellent points relating to environmental and climate change issues, the current focus of the VSO Global Education Committee.

When asked about environmental awareness, Maathai said it has greatly increased. However, she suggested that ‘people are hearing but not listening’. She feels there is enough information available to the public for people to take action, and yet not enough is happening. She added people must take action by planting trees and protecting land. She said that environmental education should be mandatory in the curriculum, and will be better with support from parliament.

She supported the idea that ‘every Kenyan has a right to a clean environment’ but emphasised that it is beyond the scope of MPs to implement this on their own – ‘MPs aren’t going to come around and start picking up plastic bottles from your neighbourhood’ she said; citizens must take responsibility too.

Maathai commented that people are quick to blame things on climate change, but a big problem in Kenya is the lack of action from the government and the people. In the documentary she talked a lot about making educated choices and holding political leaders to their promises. She said that, from her perspective, the biggest challenge is leadership. “Civil society must be empowered and educated to choose good leaders”.

Maathai believes in active citizenship: ‘one person can make a big difference, especially at grass-roots level’. I think this is inspiring for VSO volunteers to hear as VSO globally aims to effect change through people – we volunteers – working in partnership with communities. She advised the audience to ‘think global but be local’. Maathai feels that each individual must take action themselves and be a role model for others. I’d like to think this is something we can apply in our work and our communities. It is also an approach we must try in the committee’s aim to support volunteers in implementing Global Education in VSO placements.

If you are interested in learning more about Prof Wangari Maathai, please explore these websites:

www.takingrootfilm.com/index.htm.

www.greenbeltmovement.org

Hezbourne Ouma Ong’elleh’s photo received the most votes from the Facebook-using public in the Global Education Committee (GEC) ‘Piga Climate Picha’ competition 2010.

The competition was launched to raise awareness of how climate change is affecting people living in East Africa. Entries had to show an adaptation to, or an effect of, climate change in Kenya, Uganda or Tanzania. Climate change is the GEC’s national theme for the next two years.

Hezbourne’s winning photo shows Turkana women climbing deep into a sand dam to collect a daily necessity – the ‘precious gold called water’.

Turkana North girls searching for precious gold called water.

Kenya suffered severe droughts in 2005 and 2006, and again in 2009, with the greatest effects being felt in the northern part of the country, where the Turkana live and where water is already a scarce resource. The Turkana have adapted to living in a harsh climate by working together as a communal unit. But with increasingly erratic rainfall caused by climate change, the adaptive strategies of the Turkana may not be enough to enable them to survive in such a parched landscape.

Well done Hezbourne for capturing this poignant scene. Your photo deserves the winner’s place and the winner’s prize! Indeed, well done to all who participated by entering the competition. In the eyes of the Global Education Committee, you are all winners!

Returned Volunteer Hezbourne (left) is presented with his prize by VSOJ Executive Director Ben Ngutu (right)

The winner’s prize is a set of books by Wangari Maathai, signed by the lady herself. Maathai is Africa’s first female Nobel Prize laureate. She became a champion for protecting the environment more than four decades ago, after witnessing the effects of aggressive and unregulated logging in her homeland in Nyeri, Mt Kenya region. Forests not only provide a habitat for wildlife but they also promote soil and water conservation.

Bringing us back to water and the winning photo. For many people in East Africa – and other parts of the world – water is indeed precious gold. Let us take care of the environment so we don’t find ourselves running out of this most valuable resource.

You can view all of the  competition entries here: Piga Climate Picha Competition Entries