ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION

Environmental degradation with rapid deforestation, extensive soil erosion, declining agricultural production in many parts of the country, has been the source of human suffering.The Natural Forests on the beautiful undulating landscape of Kenya have completely been dilapidated by indiscriminate tree felling, with hardly any replacement of trees. This has left land bare with estimated 60 tones of sediment per hectare being washed away by rainwater into rivers and Lakes and the land left bare and unproductive. Women and children walk very long distances in search of the rare firewood.

The negative effect the destruction of forests has had on the environment in is immeasurable. The weather pattern has adversely changed. The lose of great amounts of sediments through uncontrolled soil erosion has drastically reduced food production. 70% of the population in the country wallows in poverty of less than a dollar a day. Poverty has also contributed to high rate of HIV/IADS infection in the region as a number of women engage in prostitution to earn a living.

The government has stepped up campaigns to protect the environment through government extension officers’ provision of technical support to farmers and other groups in afforestation. The Laurent Noble Prize Winner Professor Wangare Mathai has greatly advocated for the conservation of the environment. Some UN agencies have also been involved in awareness creation. These efforts, though commendable, have not been able to address community participation in natural resource management and environment conservation. Community involvement has been lacking with hardly any incentives in place.

PHAMA Foundation realized that there is need to improve the communities’ and more so, women’s abilities in resource development and management with emphasis on managing natural resources and conserving environment. Ironically communities are very much aware of problems related to natural resource development and management but for incentives by the government to enable them take the right step and decision. In this regard the organization therefore, provides training in resource mobilization skills, project management techniques, and strategic private sector partnerships to build the capacity of the community in having a participatory concept as a long-term goal.

The organization emphasizes on afforestation on tree planting of species that can protect water catchments and those that have commercial, medicinal value, grow fast, are deep rooted to prevent competition with other vegetation for moisture and nutrients. They should also be multipurpose providing green manure, fuel wood timber and if possible, be of bio- medicinal value.