In commemoration of the 58th Madaraka Day, Fruity Schools Africa planted 58 grafted Hass avocado and strawberry guava tree. [Phares Mutembei, Standard]
In commemoration of the 58th Madaraka Day, Fruity Schools Africa planted 58 grafted Hass avocado and strawberry guava tree seedlings at Karen C Girls' Secondary School in Nairobi.
To support the government's agenda of achieving 10 per cent tree cover, Fruity Schools Africa, a non-governmental organization aims to use the spaces in over 35,000 public schools to grow over one million grafted fruit tree seedlings.
Fruity Schools Team Leader Kennedy Odoyo says they are targeting both primary and secondary schools.
With the revival of the 4K Clubs in schools, Odoyo said the project will boost the government’s efforts in ensuring children get hands-on skills in farming and food security.
“Our project will contribute to supporting the government's agenda of the 4K Clubs for children to have hands-on experience. When the fruits are here they will learn about grafting and the importance of nutrition,” said Odoyo.
He said trees support the environment and fruit trees are the best as they are rarely cut. Additionally, they will be a source of food to the schools and the surplus can be sold.
“When we plant fruit trees in schools, that will complement the feeding programmes within our schools and of course children will get access to fresh fruits," Odoyo said.
He added: “The whole agenda is as we celebrate Madaraka Day, [we will realise] if we had planted these fruit trees we are planting today 58 years ago, Kenya would be green and fruity.”
Karen C Girls Secondary School Principal Beatrice Otieno said planting trees at the schools will ensure the learners become custodians so that those who will later join the schools will also benefit from the trees.
She said: “As we plant the fruit trees it will also help us to provide the girls with fruits as we normally do and we can also save on our income."
The Fruity trees project in Nairobi involves the 337 public schools in the county. Fruity Trees Africa intends to plant tree seedlings in all public schools countrywide.