The tree helping Kenyan farmers beat drought and poverty

Farmer Jonathan Kituku Mung’ala takes stock of his Melia volkensii trees at his farm in Kibwezi, southern Kenya, on February 5, 2019. Thomson Reuters Foundation/Kagondu Njagi.

KIBWEZI, KENYA: Worried that a drought could wipe out his crops back in 2000, farmer Jonathan Kituku Mung’ala remembered meeting agricultural customers, in his previous job with Kenya’s power company, who were making good money growing a hardy, native tree.

Called mukau by locals, the Melia volkensii tree is known for thriving in drylands, and provides thick shade that protects crops from the sun.