The County Government of Embu in conjunction with NGO-Rainforest Alliance, has embarked on an initiative of donating tree seedlings to schools in Embu, as part of the greening initiative and also raising a generation of environmentally responsible young people.

The development comes at a time the County is projecting to plant one million trees annually, as part of playing a role in aiding the government achieve the projected target of planting five billion trees in the coming five years, to combat effects of climate change.

Three schools including Kianjokoma, Kathangariri and Kanja Primary schools, received a total of 1, 500 tree and fruit seedlings during the launch of the initiative, at Kianjokoma, which was presided over by the Deputy Governor, Kinyua Mugo.

Learners in the schools are expected to plant and nurture the trees to maturity, which will also go a long way in increasing their interest in environmental conservation.

Speaking during the launch at Kianjokoma Primary School, Mugo said the County is committed to combating Climate Change that had made drought a common phenomenon in the County and country at large.

‘We want to ensure we rehabilitate our degraded water catchment by planting trees that assist in nature’s recovery,’ he said.

The Deputy Governor said the County will also put emphasis in agroforestry, by incorporating fruit trees farming in the greening initiative, to help farmers boost their incomes and nutrition.

He also challenged tea factories in the area to shift from use of wood fuel in their boilers to solar to conserve trees.

Rainforest Alliance Country Director, Michael Orangi, said they had also embarked on a program of training tea and coffee farmers on sustainable agriculture and diversification, to boost revenue, as they also conserve the environment.

He said through the Mt. Kenya Sustainable Landscape and Livelihoods Program, farmers will be trained on how to diversify to high value crops such as grafted avocado and macadamia as well organic farming.

Kenya Tea Development Agency Ltd (KTDA), Zone Six Board Member, Enos Njeru, said conservation of the environment will go a long way in improving production of tea due to favorable weather conditions translating to more earnings to farmers.

Source: Kenya News Agency