Green dream: Elphic Tossi's plan to feed, reforest and attract tourists

At 29, environmentalist Elphic Tossi is pursuing an ambitious vision in Kilifi County: turning a piece of land in Masheheni, Magarini, into an agro-ecological camp that combines food production, tourism and environmental conservation.

Tossi, the Land and Agriculture Thematic Area Lead in the  Kilifi CSO Network and founder and executive director of One Million Trees 4 Kilifi, says the initiative was born out of a simple realization that environmental conservation cannot succeed if communities struggling to put food on the table are left out of the equation.

His project, dubbed the Kilifi Food Basket, seeks to demonstrate how communities can produce food while restoring degraded ecosystems.

“For the last six years, I have been planting trees across Kilifi County with an aim of addressing the challenge of illegal logging and desertification,” Tossi says. “But I realised that many of the trees being cut are destroyed by community members who need to survive. They cut them and sell the wood to put food on the table.”

He says planting more trees and undertaking awareness campaigns alone would not address the challenge.

“By simply conducting awareness programs and or doing more planting programmes, we may not stop the destruction. Rather, we duly need a project that addresses both problems,” he tells City Biz.

That thinking gave birth to the agro-ecological camp; a model space where food production goes hand in hand with ecosystem restoration.

The farm currently employs 10 community members and produces a variety of crops, including coconuts, mangoes, maize, bananas, Sukuma wiki, sugarcane, arrowroots, cabbage, saga, brinjals, mrenda, saga and among other food crops.

The produce is sold in local markets in Malindi, with the income helping to sustain the project by paying workers and meeting operational costs such as fuel among others.

Tossi hopes the farm will eventually become more than a food production centre. He envisions an environmentally friendly tourism destination offering camping facilities, sunset experiences, and even bird watching.

“Due to the conservation that has taken place in the past few months, we have many different types of birds that can be seen at the farm, particularly in the evening,” he says, adding “the site also boasts an iconic baby baobab tree, which we are determined to protect”

Goat rearing

At the ecological camp, visitors are able to choose from several packages, including basic camping at Sh700, picnics or day visits at Sh300, a furnished safari tent for two at Sh3,500, and bird watching at Sh200 per person.

Groups of up to 10 people can also enjoy a bonfire experience at Sh3,000, while school and group camping cost Sh1,500 per person per night, inclusive of meals.

The project also has a goat-rearing section, which Tossi says will eventually contribute manure for farming and offer meat, though the venture is currently still stocking the animals.

For Tossi, the agro-ecological camp is the latest chapter in a six-year conservation journey that began with a tree-planting campaign at Buntwani Park in Malindi.

His original goal was to plant one million trees across Kilifi County. He says he has so far planted approximately 470,000 trees.

“It has been a journey with many ups and downs; there are so many times I have felt like giving up, but when I remember how many acres of forest cover have been lost in Magarini, it gives me the strength to continue,” he says.

He sees the Kilifi Food Basket as renewed motivation to continue the conservation campaign while demonstrating that environmental protection can also create livelihoods.

However, accessing funds as a young environmentalist remains one of his major challenges. He also says introducing new conservation models needs patience because communities need time to comprehend and embrace them.

“I would say it has been a journey of learning and unlearning as I get better each and every time,” he says.

Tossi is now seeking partnerships and technical support to take the camp to the next level. Among his priorities are expertise in water conservation, especially in identifying appropriate trees for restoring the swamp on the property, as well as greater online visibility.

He is also looking for investors to support the development of infrastructure such as boardwalks, conference facilities, and zip lines. Improved access roads connecting the camp to the main Masheheni-Burangi road would, he says, further unlock its tourism potential.

With its combination of farming, conservation and recreation, Tossi believes the agro-ecological camp can become a model for communities seeking sustainable alternatives to activities that degrade the environment.

His message to young people is simple: pursue your vision and remain committed to protecting the environment.

“I encourage young people to go for what they want and not give up,” he says. “We are living on a borrowed earth from our generation, so we should take very good care of it, for this is the only home we have.”