STORY PREVIEW

2024

Kagira’s Fruit Tree Planting Initiative

Makini School

Nairobi

MENTOR

Rose Karanja

Step 1 FEEL

List the challenges or problems in your surroundings (school,neighbourhood etc.) that bothered you.

Insufficient supply of fruits. Poor soil fertility. Misuse of chemicals. Soil erosion. Global warming and climate change. Decrease in pollinators. Increased cases of malnutrition.

State the problem chosen to work and why.

I chose to work on a project that will address most of the stated problems. That is - Orcharding - to plant and encourage my fellow learners to also plant fruit trees in schools.

Who were the people affected by the problem? What were their primary concerns?

Students - short term hunger, unbalanced food diet, malnutrition Schools - trees to offer shade. The whole planet - climate change

Step 2 Imagine

List ALL the different solutions you came up with.

Planting trees Food drive Creating awareness Educational videos about climate change Group activities that will bring people together to share

Which solution from those listed above did you choose to implement and why?

Planting fruit trees to address climate change, malnutrition and short-term hunger. Organizing annual functions as a way of creating awareness, bringing people together and raise funds for planting more tress and naturing the already existing ones.

Step 3DO

Describe very briefly the process of implementing your solution(s).

I started the project in November 2023 by meeting with DFC Kenya, sharing my idea then working on a proposal. We then developed a plan to execute the whole project in phases. In 2024, we did the launch and had a pilot program done in western Kenya, among 10 schools. We are now working with the schools to launch the same as phase 2 in our school, and the last phase is to do the same in 25 schools in Nairobi.

What was the result or impact of your project?

We engaged 3 partners so far and even had government representatives during the launch. In phase one, we had 10 schools engaged, and planted over 2500 fruit trees. I'm now looking to plant more in 25 schools in Nairobi area as the main area of focus.

How many people were impacted by your solution(s)?

1500

What did the impacted people have to say about your project? Provide 2 quotes or testimonials:

They loved it and appreciated the efforts. The government representative said he wished all trees on the roadsides were also fruit trees so that all people would have a chance to also enjoy the fruits in their seasons for free.

What challenges did you encounter while implementing your project, and how did you overcome them?

Resources, getting certified fruit trees

How long did it take to implement your solution?

MORE THAN 30 DAYS

Which global goals does your story align with?

Zero hunger

Please explain briefly why do you think so?

Because I believe that if each school had fruit trees, no learner would go for a day without having something to eat. Either the fruit or food purchased by selling the fruits for processing. If the same is implemented in the communities, it would boost the processing industries, create more jobs and more families will be able to provide for themselves at least a meal a day.

Step 4 SHARE

How did you share your project with your school and community? Who did you share your project with? What was their response?

I shared my project with my friends, DFC Kenya and FEGNe team, Rotary Club of Lavington and my school. I plan to share the project with the community during our first annual event to celebrate the success of the project when we shall have a fruit exhibition/showcase.

Approximately how many people did you share your story of change with?

More than 100

Briefly share your plan to sustain the impact of your project?

Through the annual event, we shall encourage more people to plant fruit trees, raise funds to plant more in schools, and encourage community ownership of the projects. We are also assigning the trees to classes to be taken care of to make sure they survive.

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