The scorching February sun was a stark reminder for 200 ‘green’ teachers, including school principals, on the need to embrace environmental conservation in the semi-arid counties of Kitui, Embu, and Machakos. The teachers were attending a three-day capacity building workshop courtesy of the Schools’ Green Initiative Challenge from February 12 – 15.

The workshop saw the registration of 100 new schools to the afforestation competition as the project, a partnership between the KenGen Foundation, KenGen PLC, Bamburi Cement Ltd, and Better Globe Forestry, expands into Phase V.

READ MORE: Fresh Look For Schools Involved in Tree-planting Competition.

The KenGen Foundation team and their counter part from Better Globe Forestry delivered a series of lectures touching on the need to take up the project, the challenges, and the overall benefits of environmental conservation.

The training aimed at empowering the new ‘green’ teachers with technical knowledge on good tree nursery management, planting methods and seedling nurturing practices. They will in turn transfer the skills to the students involved in the afforestation competition.

The 100 new GIC schools will compete in nurturing drought resistant Terminalia brownie, Senna siamea and Melia volkensi tree species in 0.5 acre plots at their institutions. The project aims at greening over 500 acres of the semi-arid counties of Embu, Kitui, and Machakos.

Apart from gaining in-depth knowledge of the characteristics of the GIC tree and fruit species, participants also learnt various nursery management practices including weeding, seed propagation, pest and disease control, and best practices in sustainable water harvesting.

At the end of the competition, the best performing schools stand to benefit from education scholarships, infrastructural developments, educational tours, water tanks, rainwater-harvesting structures, and cash awards.

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Launched in 2013, the GIC is structured as a competition for participating schools to encourage environmental conservation. The Ksh. 120 million partnership encourages schools to establish small forests within their compounds for both wood fuel and commercial purposes. It also aims at enlightening school growing children and youth on the importance of planting trees and protecting the environment.

Currently in Phase IV, the GIC has so far greened over 250 acres in more than 400 schools as a way of mitigating climate change, and involved over 12,000 pupils.

Outstanding ‘green’ teachers from the three counties also stand to win prizes including sponsored trips, cash prizes, shopping vouchers and certificates.

The GIC is the Foundation’s flagship environment project, managed and implemented in collaboration with Bamburi Cement Ltd., and Better Globe Forestry.