The heavy dust behind the motorbike hangs in the hot dry air long after the rider manoeuvres through the dry riverbed in this part of the semi-arid county of Embu.

Despite the mid-morning scorching heat, James Mwaniki, one of the Schools’ Green Initiative Challenge (GIC) Monitoring & Evaluation Officers, is donned in a thick jacket and scarf to protect his chest from the windy ride. He’s on his way to assess the survival rates of tree seedlings in one of the 120 schools involved in the afforestation competition.

James at one of the schools participating in the afforestation challenge. The M&E Officer plays a crucial role in implementing the tree planting project.

READ MORE: GIC Steering Committee Field Trip To Assess Project

At KenGen Gitaru power station, his counter part Julius Mwanyalo is hunched over a laptop computer, punching figures into an Excel spread sheet. He seemingly gives up the task and grabs his helmet before jumping onto his motorbike and roaring off to Machakos County. The bike’s carrier has a pair of secateurs and a pruning saw, common tools of the trade for a trained forester. He’s on a mission to