By Andanje Wakhungu
Just after the Government slapped a ban on illegal logging and cutting of trees in the country, a philanthropist has commenced his campaign to ensure that schools in his sub-county adhere to the campaign of conserving its environment through tree planting.
The initiative dubbed “Fruits for Schools Programme” is targeting all the 113 public primary schools and 48 secondary schools within Malava Constituency in Kakamega County.
The brain behind the noble idea is one Collins Musanga Muchanji born and raised in Sawawa village, of Malava Constituency KakamegaCounty.
His concept to provide fruits trees and at the same time conserve the environment through supplying and planting of indigenous trees to schools within the Sub County is as a result of the vulnerability he and other pupils underwent while in primary school.
“Looking back in my days as a pupil, it was hard to acquire fruits and most of us were malnourished, hence I mooted the idea of providing not only trees for shelter, and fruits to improve the livelihood of school going kids but also educate them on the importance of conserving the environment through planting of indigenous trees”.
He says the Fruits for Schools Programme is aimed at ensuring schools plants grafted seedlings that will later mature to fruits trees that will ensure the good health of the pupils.
The Fruit For Schools project that was launched on 21 March 2018 during the World Planting Day is aimed at ensuring that a total of 5 million ( 3m fruits and 2m indigenous tress) are distributed and planted in all the public sub county schools by the end of 2018.
Muchanji saw the opportunity when the Government burned logging of trees and started to encourage citizens to plant trees,
“I saw an opportunity to realise my dream of planting trees in schools located in Malava Sub County. Initially, I wanted trees to provide shade and beautiful environment but with time, my idea shifted to fruits that will help foster good health among school -going kids and that is how fruits for schools project was born.”
He agrees that fruits are very expensive, and not all parents are able to provide a balanced diet to their children, a thing that leads to many children being exposed to the health risks of not having a balanced diet.
The philanthropist purchases grafted seedlings from Goldenscape seedling dealers Nairobi’s Lower Kabete then transports them all the way to schools within Malava Constituency in Kakamega County.
Among the seedlings he distributes to schools for planting includes, grafted Avocados, Oranges, Mangoes and many others.
“To achieve my goals of providing fruits to pupils, I have asked school heads of the schools earmarked for this project to set aside at least a quarter an acre or ideally half an acre for planting fruits. I remember when we were kids; we used to pluck guavas on our way to and from school, a privilege that the current pupils can’t enjoy due to depleting trees and encroachment on forests”.
He is at the same time also promoting planting of indigenous trees to conserve the environment.
Since the day he shared the idea and after which he launched the project at Bulupi primary, the initiative has received overwhelming support and acclaim among local leaders, teachers and ordinary citizens.
“As a result we are facing overwhelming requests from schools asking for both the fruits and indigenous trees to be planted in their school compound. So far we planted fruits at Bulupi, Bukhakunga, Mukongolo and Musungu primary, Shandiche and Musungu primary,” he said.
His main target is to cover all schools in Malava Sub County by the end of 2019.
“We are calling upon the Ministry of Education to buy the idea and replicate the same across the country to educate the new generation on the importance of conserving the environment by increasing forest cover and also protecting water catchment areas,” he noted.
