Fight hunger and climate emergency in Kenya

Hi,

my name is Elia Valentini, and I am a psychologist and neuroscientist, working as a University lecturer in the United Kingdom.

I am also a keen environmentalist and social justice believer, and been involved in activism and charity within these contexts since my 20s!

I deeply grieve for what is happening around the world to nature and fellow humans. The extreme effects of the planetary emergency are now visible to anyone, even in the wealthy north of the world.

However, this emergency is even more tragically unfolding in the equatorial and tropical areas of the world. Africa has suffered some of the worst consequences.

The drought and floods experienced in the recent past are indicators of the threats human beings in poorer countries have to deal with due to high historical and current green house gases emissions in the most developed countries. Africa bears the brunt of industrialized nations.

With this fundraising initiative, I am hoping to help Kenneth Ochiengo Omondi (here in picture above) to keep supporting his community in Kenya and protect it from the menaces of global warming and human pollution.

Kenneth Omondi is an environmental conservationist, who delivers training in permaculture and syntropic agroforestry (https://wikifarmer.com/what-is-syntropic-farming-and-how-farmer-can-benefit-from-it/) to fellow men and women villagers. He is also skilled in accounting, purchasing and supply management.

His skills are perfectly suited to achieve his goal: grow healthy food by restoring food forests while regenerating the local ecosystem and fighting back the effects of global warming.

He initiated the campaign to plant two million trees in his County of Siaya. He witnessed the effects of severe droughts and the ensuing lack of water and food, and took on himself to mobilize the youth in his community to develop a mitigation plan. He knows that trees can play a major role in absorbing atmospheric carbon, preventing flooding, reducing local temperature and keeping soil nutrient-rich. In addition, developing a regional forest may have an impact on the local microclimate by increasing the chance of rain.

He hosts a community project in Kenya, operating under a Community Based Organization registered as Victoria Shores (registration number RDA/M/CA/CBO/125).

His plan is ambitious:

A food forest of two million trees.

This is attainable, and past fundraising already allowed him and his collaborators to plant 250,000 trees in different locations in the Nyanza region. The current fundraising will aim to finance the planting of the remaining 750,000 trees.

The £10,000 will be invested across the next 12 months (see the table below for details)

All the activities will be carried out with special attention to maximise water conservation, boost food crop production without chemicals, ensure people learn and become autonomous again in growing their own healthy, nutritious food.

I find particularly commendable that Kenneth advocates for no use of chemical treatment of their crops - and the syntropic agroforestry and the permaculture methods being implemented across Kenya are having positive impact on the soil, local environment, and incentivize the local population to return to positively sustaining their own needs, for healthy affordable nourishing foods.

In helping Kenneth, you fundamentally invest in our future resilience as a species, besides contributing to a much-needed reparation we own towards these populations wealthy countries have been exploited for centuries now. We set a small but significant example and aim to be part of the global solution.

If this is something that is valuable to you, then even a small donation will surely help.

Kenneth and I thank you for your donation.

Please share this fundraiser project with your contacts.