Beautification & Greening of schools in Kenya

The best time to plant trees was 20 years ago, and the second best time is now. The School Greening and Beautification Program by the Safal MRM Foundation has been led by this mantra all through the year, reaffirming our commitment to take care of the environment and leave a more sustainable future for the future generations.

To mark Kenya’s first-ever National Tree Planting Day, we joined the Heritage Children’s Home in Machakos County for a day of tree planting and games with the children. We are happy to report that we planted 10,000 trees, both indigenous and fruit trees. The children stood at the forefront of the activity, vowing to protect and care for the trees. We also discussed possible next steps of enhancing the home’s kitchen garden to increase yield and supplement vegetables used for meals. The Heritage Children’s Home has been a beneficiary of our infrastructural improvement program, and through the tree planting activity, we continue to support the institution through environmental activities.

Back in Kilifi County, at the Mabati Technical Training Institute (MTTI) our trainees continue to take care of the school garden and nurseries, fostering a sense of responsibility towards their school community and the environment. Through the yields from the farm, our trainees and staff are able to have balanced and nutritious meal all through the school terms. Consequently, we have noted improved morale and attendance among our trainees. We have additionally observed a keener interest in the school garden from trainees who are eager to replicate the permaculture method back at home. These factors only continue to emphasize the need to continue training the learners on regenerative agriculture as a possible means to tackle food insecurity in their communities.

As the year comes to a close, we reflect on our work as a Foundation over the past months and recognize that none of it would be possible without your generous support towards ensuring schools all across Kilifi County and beyond have access to fresh produce, and have an understanding of the importance of environmental conservation. Through your donations, we have changed the faces of many schools and the mindset of many learners toward the environment.