- Schools in Rarieda and Bondo Sub-Counties received thousands of seedlings from Villages Future Network and Equity Bank to promote reforestation and climate resilience.
- Public schools were allocated 500 seedlings plus fruit trees, while private schools received 1,000, with learners tasked under the “A Child A Tree” model to care for trees until Grade 9.
School leaders across Rarieda and Bondo Sub-Counties gathered at the Ajigo Market offices of Villages Future Network on July 22, 2026, to receive thousands of tree seedlings aimed at promoting environmental conservation and climate resilience across local learning institutions.
Heads of institutions and representatives from schools, including Atemo Primary & JSS, Got Bondo, Rambira, and St. Lazarus, collected the seedlings following a successful joint application facilitated through Equity Bank.
Under the distribution drive, public schools were allocated 500 tree seedlings from Equity Bank alongside five fruit seedlings provided directly by the organisation, while private schools received 1,000 tree seedlings.
Receiving institutions were instructed to submit formal letters of acknowledgement to the Equity Bank manager, document their planting exercises with photographs, and prepare for ongoing follow-up monitoring by the organisation to guarantee high survival rates.
To prevent the loss of seedlings, organisation Director Rev. Dr Walter Akuno outlined a practical care strategy termed the “A Child A Tree” model. Under this setup, individual learners are assigned personal responsibility for specific trees and care for them continuously until they complete Grade 9.
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“We talk of the future because we want to improve the living standards of people in the villages. This will be seen in the future,” Dr Akuno said during the distribution.
“If we can research how many people who have not planted trees from childhood to adulthood in the whole world, you would be surprised that the percentage is big. Let us make a change in the climate.”
Founded in 2024 by Dr Akuno, a lecturer in the Department of Agriculture and Food Science at Jaramogi Oginga Odinga University of Science and Technology, Villages Future Network was established as a registered non-governmental organisation designed to bridge grassroots village needs with institutional support.
Working alongside Deputy Director Mr. Nicodemus Nyongesa, the organisation operates on a network model that partners with corporate lenders, schools, and community groups to address root causes of poverty. Beyond reforestation efforts, the organisation promotes agricultural resilience across Siaya and Homa Bay Counties by encouraging the adoption of hybrid cassava varieties that mature within 8 to 12 months, alongside mango cultivation and timely planting techniques. The ultimate goal is to establish cassava farming in every household across both counties to guarantee food security.
Additionally, the organisation undertakes targeted social interventions, providing health education on disease control measures, distributing sanitary pads to support schoolgirls, and training local widows in income-generating skills to help them build economic self-reliance.
By Frank Mugwe
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