Name: Odhiambo Ronald Otieno
Age: 21
Country: Kenya
My Walk to a Sustainable Future
We live in a world, one in which everybody is busy trying to find life for themselves. A world where most have forgotten the essence of care for mother nature. A world in which conservation is no longer news to the ear. One which sustainability is an old adage and only very few care. I decide to be part of the remaining few. And even if my contribution as a youth is very small, just like the humming bird, I will help put out this fire and one day I will live to celebrate my success as an environmental warrior.
My name is Odhiambo, a student of Project planning and management at the University of Nairobi. I also volunteer as an environmental educationist and conservationist at Karara Forest in Nairobi, Kenya. Karara forest is trust land owned by A Rocha Kenya which is an international Organisation that specializes in conservation and sustainable agriculture. What makes Karara forest so special is that it is the only remaining few patches of the Larger Ngong forest whose size is dwindling over the years due to uncontrolled human activities. This makes it a special ecological zone for species escaping the disturbed Ngong forest.
My morning starts with a brief walk down the Karen Hills then a twenty minutes bicycle ride to Karara Forest. At Karara peace exists due to the tranquility brought about by nature itself. Sometimes I wish that the whole city could just be like Karara. Free from all kind of pollution. On arrival I brace myself to start the busy day with my team members already onsite. The first step is to do the daily forest management routine where we patrol the forest in groups.
Forest management entails a lot, without such daily actions, the forest faces the danger of destruction. Logging activities are very common in the surrounding forests so we must always be on high alert. I partake the clearance of the trails and invasive species like the lantana camara which poses great danger to other forest species. I also take a daily record of tree species, health , new growth and fungus population within the forest. Fungus and undergrowth population helps us determine the overall forest health. A healthy forest has a massive undergrowth and fungus population.
To ensure continuity, longevity and increase of plant population, I do daily seed collection mostly from the indigenous species of trees and fruits. Our country being agriculturally based, so many fruits are produced and after consumption, most of the seeds end up in the trash. As a result, I have started a personal initiative to collect seeds from friends during the weekend and distribute them to different tree nurseries around the city. I also have a personal seed bank in my hostel which I religiously fill, empty every Monday morning and take to Karara. This will not only ensure food security but also help increase forest cover. Challenging friends and colleagues to take up this task is quite difficult but it is slowly taking ground with three friends already taking up the task. Soon it will be a movement worth mentioning.
There is nothing more fulfilling than planting a seed and nurturing it to full maturity . Just like a baby, a seedling requires proper conditions, feeding and tender care. At A Rocha Karara, there exists a very large free nursery where I freely interact with each of the seedling ensuring that everyone of them is healthy. Funnily enough, I have a name for some of them. By good nursery management practices such as weeding, watering I ensure that nature can take care of itself. Sustainability is guaranteed through a new band of generation of trees that will influence the quick healing of the ozone layer in few years to come.
Being a teacher is full of fun. The student looks at you with so much hope knowing that you are their source of knowledge. Children living in most cities rarely interact with nature, hence most of them don’t know its importance. The kind of joy expressed when interacting with the original playground is overwhelming, seeing a little kid struggling to climb a tree is hilarious. The expression in a kids face when they have a bite of an oxalis leaf is priceless. Even adults are amazed to learn that stevia is not only the sweetest plant on earth but also a healthy substitute for industrial sugar.
By coming into physical contact with nature, a sense of belonging is created among the students, a value system is evolved and conservation becomes part of them. A child grows up knowing the part that nature plays in their lives and a future generation of environmental enthusiasts is assured. The knowledge gathered is shared widely among the population and awareness is enhanced, as a result the population becomes more responsible.
Farming Gods way is key in Karara. This is the kind of agriculture where no chemicals is used. All food production is purely organic. Unsustainable agriculture has been listed as one of the major contributors to global warming, this has been a wakeup call to most of us. I am a teacher of organic farming. Farming Gods way entails making of organic fertilizers, organic pesticides and also organic manure. When you take a trip to Karara, you will never miss a large compost heap in the backyard. Through organic farming, proper health is guaranteed. Farmers and local support groups stream in to Karara to learn about organic farming and they leave a transformed people. Through Farming Gods way, we are able to produce enough food for our families. By engaging in good farming practices, I ensure good soil health, protect the nearby rivers from inorganic fertilizers and ensure clean air free from respiratory diseases.
The solutions to climate crises are just resting under our noses, the climate can heal itself if nature based solutions are fully put into action. The youth are getting the wake up call, the future belongs to us so does the fight. For so long the youth have been around only to be seen and have never been heard, our time has come. We may be rising slow but we are rising great. With good government policies, people action and proper multinational intervention, our dream for a sustainable future can be easily realised .
