Taranganya High School leads drive to boost forest cover

Tree seedling. [iStockphoto]

In a bid to bolster conservation efforts and boost forest cover, Taranganya High School in Migori is implementing an ambitious afforestation drive anchored on setting up tree nurseries.

When The Standard Newspaper visited the school, learners were busy filling tiny black polythene bags with topsoil and transferring them to a gigantic net house with the guidance of their teachers.

The learners carefully arrange them in rows, after which they plant a variety of seedlings inside them.

They are also guided while planting two different tree species on a prepared seedbed.

Chief Principal for Tarang’anya High School, Joseph Weisiku, says the project, which commenced last week, teaches their learners to nurture tree seedlings and seed beds to fruition.

He says they would work towards making the project sustainable.

“We want that even as we will be selling, we will still regenerate and come up with others. We are hoping to have grafted seedlings so that they are sold and form an income-generating activity for our school,” Mr Weisiku says.

The chief principal highlighted that through the tree nursery initiative, they would develop a sponsorship program to assist their needy learners in completing their education.

“If all of them grow and we are able to sell them, we will have some income coming to the school. Apart from being an income-generating activity, we will develop a sponsorship programme to ensure that some of our needy cases can continue with learning,” Weisiku remarks.

He hailed the initiative, saying that the school is privileged to have been considered for and has been sponsored to have the project.

Weisiku says the school, with a population of 956 students, benefited from the project courtesy of the Standard Group CEO, Chaacha Mwita, who is an alumnus of Tarang’anya High School. The project is being supported by Chandaria Foundation.

“He connected our school so that we were able to be granted the opportunity of having this project in school,” the chief principal highlights.

Weisiku, who thanked the CEO and Chandaria Foundation, hopes for a continued partnership even in other aspects concerning the education of their learners.

The tree nursery, which measures 9 metres by 30 metres, has the capacity to hold 50, 000 tree seedlings in one cycle.

“In a year, you can establish two cycles of 100, 000 seedlings,” Olwen Murila, who is the project’s contractor, explains.

He says that it is enough to transfer within the community and also help raise income for the sustainability of the project.

Murila highlights that as the income comes in, the less privileged students can get some facilitation and sponsorship to continue with their education.

Kibiro Mwita, an Agriculture teacher at the school, says the tree nursery is going to help them as a teaching resource.

“I know for sure this is going to be a great inspiration to our boys because from here they are going to the outside world and I am sure they are going to carry out these activities to help ensure that the environment is green,” Mr Kibiro states.

He says the project will ensure grade 10 students under Competency Based Education (CBE) carry out practical lessons as expected by the curriculum.