The green lessons that turned Asumbi Teachers’ Training College into a forest

Asumbi Teachers’ Training College Environment/Wildlife Club patron Ogeto Keraro plants trees with students in a college’s forest bloc on September 14. Below, Mr Ogeto and his students inspect the tree nurseries. The college has a programme for empowering students on environmental conservation. [James Omoro, Standard]

He is not just a teacher, but Ogeto Keraro is a respected environmentalist at Asumbi Teachers’ Training College and the neighbouring community.

When he started an environment/wildlife club in 2005, he did not think much of it. Today, the club of about 700 students has planted over 35,000 trees on the institution’s land and is now spreading its wings to the community in Homa Bay and the entire South Nyanza region.

In what is now fondly known in the college as Ogeto Movement, students prepare tree nursery beds then transplant them in forest blocs once they are ready.

Mr Ogeto says when they started the club, they aimed to create one forest bloc every year. And 12 years later, the teachers’ college boasts 12 forest blocs standing on 27 of 50 acres the institution owns.

The forests are composed of both exotic and indigenous tree species, with gravellier being the dominant one.

“When you want to convince people that they should plant trees, it is important for the initiator to be the role model. That is why we decided to put more effort in making Asumbi TTC as green in order to set the pace for other members of society,” says Ogeto, who also heads the Social Science Department in the college.

Today, the college has nursery beds with about 10,000 seedlings, which will be ready for transplanting in the next few weeks.

Students prepare the nursery beds in collaboration with members of the community living in Rangwe Sub-county where the institution is located. However, students play a bigger role in managing the nurseries.

When the seedlings mature up, they are given to local primary schools for free and others are sold to the community members at Sh10 each.

“Our students actively participate in planting the seedlings in schools where they go for teaching practice. The remaining ones are then distributed to the community at Sh10 each. This is part of our effort in ensuring that we boost the forest cover in this region,” says Mr Ogeto.

Community members John Ogeda and Carilus Abonyo are optimistic that the tree-planting programme will transform their lives economically.

“I took eucalyptus seedlings from the college more than three years ago. My trees will mature in the next one year and I will earn a lot of money when I sell them to those in building and construction industry,” says Ogeda.

Abonyo says the eucalyptus trees he planted will come in handy when he starts paying secondary school and college fees for his children.

Important investment

“My trees are almost mature but I will not sell them just yet because they are an important investment for my children’s education. The Ogeto Movement is transforming lives of many people in this region because we buy one seedling at only Sh10 but we will sell them for up to more than Sh10,000 each when they are mature,” he says.

Homa Bay County Environment Officer Johana Ouma says the college’s initiative will enhance environmental conservation in the region.

Ouma says trees are a very important component of the environment which can even help improve crop production.

“Trees are very significant in formation of rainfall. Enhanced forest cover and other environmental conservation measures will enable us to live more comfortably in this county,” he says.

Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) Southern Nyanza Deputy Regional Warden Grace Wendot says proper forest cover will cushion the area residents from human-wildlife conflict.

“Depleting forests destroy the habitat for wild animals, driving them into people’s farms. Let us consider the well being of wild animals by avoiding environmental degradation,” says Wendot.

Regular forums

Asumbi teachers’ college now promotes education for sustainable development, which entails the society, economy and environment.

The college holds regular forums where students are educated on the importance of environmental conservation.

“We have realised that our students who are soon becoming primary school teachers will inculcate this knowledge in the minds of young children they will be teaching. Our society will be better if young children are knowledgeable in environmental conservation since information sticks in a minor’s mind for more years than it does in an adult’s,” Ogeto.

The college students are also happy with the progamme.

“If you degrade the environment, you will regret for the rest of your life for denying yourself food,” says Eunia Maua.