Students turn Mandera schools green despite harsh weather

Mandera Secondary School students plants trees on October 9, 2024 ahead of Mazingira Day. [ Ibrahim Adan Ali, Standard]

Mandera secondary schools have defied the extreme weather conditions in the region to plant trees. 

Some students have successfully turned their institutions green.

Mandera Boys Secondary School chief principal Noor Sheikh Ali noted that the students have so far planted and nurtured 3,200 neem trees, enabling learning in a green environment.

Mr Sheikh who received 2,000 seedlings from Kenya Commercial Bank in 2019 said he initiated the greening programme in the school after he took over as principal in 2016.

"I found the school bare land with no trees when I was posted there in 2016. I struggled to find seedlings, knocked on many doors until I was I received a donation of 2,000 trees from KCB in 2019," he said.

The principal told The Standard that due to water scarcity in the area, the school has been forced to part with Sh5,000 to have a water bower deliver the commodity on alternate days.

Mature neem trees at Mandera Secondary School that were planted in 2019 after receiving seedlings from KCB. [Ibrahim Adan Ali, Standard]

However, he said the need for greening supersedes the cost and committed to invest in protecting the environment.

"Water is very expensive but that doesn't deter the school from maintaining a green environment. We have a water bowser but we have to pay for the water, the driver and his turn boy," he said.

Jilo Wako KCB manager Mandera chapter who planted a tree in the school compound Wednesday said the bank gave another 2,000 tree seedlings to Moi Girls Secondary School in 2020

“Another 2,800 tree seedlings were shared between Buruburu Secondary and Mandera Technical Training Institute in the past two years alone. We will grant more trees to the county government to celebrate this year's Mazingira Day,” Said Wako

The KCB branch boss believes planting a tree is easy but maintaining it in Mandera needs hard work as water is a scarce commodity in the county.

"16 per cent of the trees cannot survive due to high temperatures coupled with lack of enough water supply. Therefore we even supply water to keep the trees nurture properly and grow well." said Wako

He noted that KCB plants 1.2 million trees across the country every year.

KCB manager Jilo Wako joins Mandera Secondary School students to plant trees on October 9, 2024. [Ibrahim Adan Ali, Standard]

Ahmed Hassan, a Form Three student who was studying under the shade of trees applauded the school for conserving the environment

"I can comfortably understand my lessons while studying them under the trees because the environment is serene and conducive and fit for studies" he said

Mandera county that is set to celebrate Mazingira Day on October 10, 2024, at Moi stadium has won the 2024 edition of the World Green City Award.

Interestingly the county has beat the United Kingdom’s Liverpool and Australia’s Melbourne in a competition that ended on September 24, 2024.