Support for Mazingira Pamoja projects

SUPPORT Mazingira Pamoja Initiative:

“I believe Change is Possible. It starts with me and you. No one is too small to make a difference.”

[ID: picture of Dorcas (face down to shoulders) and the top of a sapling tree she is holding. In the background are trees]

ABOUT DORCAS WAKIO

Dorcas is a Kenyan environmental and climate justice activist. Passionate about environmental conservation and protection of our already limited resources. Co-founder of Mazingira Pamoja organisation. We work closely with schools, institutions and the community as we create awareness about protecting our already limited resources and how we can use them sustainably. We partner with various organizations that spread the same message about dealing with climate change.

Also, we do pad runs for women and girls. This way they can leave the house during their periods, e.g. for school and work.

TREE PLANTING

Growing up I never knew much about the environment and the need for urgent action against the climate crisis in our world today. In May and June 2019 I saw how my county Kenya was impacted by climate change. I saw people dying of hunger, floods causing havoc to settlements, unbearable temperatures, our beautiful forests and green spaces were being degraded mainly by human activities. I started planting trees in my university, and later on expanded to schools in my area.

[ID: picture of Dorcas with a group of schoolchildren wearing kaki skirts/pants and white shirts (and headscarfs). The schoolchildren are each holding a sapling tree]

So far we have planted over 10,000 trees both fruit and indigenous species in various institutions and restoration of our damaged forests. We have visited over 15 schools to educate the young girls and boys on the importance of protecting the environment and its ecosystems, how to plant and grow trees until they reach maturity. This way we improve the chances of those trees to grow healthily, so they can provide shade and ground stability for decades to come.

PAD RUNS

While doing the work with schools, I learned that girls often miss school days due to the lack of menstrual hygiene products. So we started to do pad runs, providing girls and women with menstrual pads, as well as education on menstrual hygiene.

OUR GOALS

1. Most schools from our visits were bare such that the children have to play and sit under the hot sun. We want to increase the green spaces in schools and for them to have shade when reading and doing their activities. By educating the students at each school about environment, and how to care for the trees, we give the students’ knowledge and skills on how to protect our planet. The fruit trees will be source of employment to my community especially to the unemployed they will be able to sell the fruits and sustain themselves and the students will have fruits to eat in their school. Restoration of our degraded forests and green spaces will help my country to attain its 10% forest cover. Main aim is to increase green spaces in our country and habitat.

2. By providing pads, we can help girls to stay in school, and pass their exams. This allows for them a better future. We also provide women in our communities with pads as necessary, so they can keep working and partaking in society, regardless of having periods.

[ID: Picture of a group of people in various clothes, with their hands together near a planting spot in the ground]

THE IMPORTANCE OF THE PROJECTS

Every contribution you make will make (a great) impact. The project will help provide knowledge to the entire community and students on concepts of tackling climate change and how we can protect the planet by ensuring our daily activities focus on reducing the carbon footprint through climate education. At the same time, they can do something practical to help, and experience the benefits of good climate action in a few years time.

Keeping girls in school will help them to build a better future for themselves and their families. Furthermore, the menstrual hygiene education will hep them to prevent health issues that could arise from bad menstrual hygiene.

OTHER PROJECTS

Having a holisitc view means, that we will do projects as they are needed and we have funding. This will always be discussed with the people that the projects is for (eg the school or community). So beside tree planting and pad runs, we may do other projects as they arise. Reports will be shared here.

[Picture of a group of schoolchildren in kakie trousers/skirts with white tops (and headscarfs), and some adult men in various clothing. Some are holding sapling trees, one is holding a water can]

Piece by piece we can make the world a better place to be. Together we can make impossible dreams become a reality.

HOW WE WILL ACT

This is an ongoing campaign. Every time we have enough money to help a school or community area, we will take out the money and go into action for that location. We will post updates here at every action.

Rinske Claasen is in this project to support Dorcas, because GoFundMe is not available in Kenya. She will only transfer the money. 100% of the received funds will go to the project (GoFundMe takes out a bit to run their processes).

Thanks for taking time to read through this project. Your donations will be updated during the campaigns.

Stay updated:

Our website:

https://mazingirapamoja.org/#