On 16th May 2025, KEPSA Foundation, through the Partnership with ChildFund and Dow Chemicals, established an orchard at Gakira Primary School in Mukurweini, Nyeri County, to strengthen the local food systems. This initiative was carried out as part of the “Building Learning Opportunities with Orchard Management in Schools” program under KEPSA Foundation Kijani Initiative. Over 500 trees were planted, including avocado trees, macadamia trees, apple, and other varieties of indigenous trees were planted.
In her remarks, Ms. Ndekei emphasized that through the Kijani Initiative Program, KEPSA Foundation was spearheading efforts to strengthen community food systems and promote sustainable environmental practices under its priority area of Community Climate Action and Sustainability. She highlighted the critical role of advancing healthy dietary practices within families as a means of nurturing and safeguarding the well-being of children by laying a strong foundation for long-term societal health and the productivity of the future workforce. Ms. Ndekei further noted that promoting food systems within schools not only enhances nutrition but also supports access to quality education, which she described as a powerful equaliser, especially for learners from underprivileged communities.
Ms. Ndekei encouraged the community to embrace ongoing developments in the area and to actively engage in income-generating opportunities, particularly through fruit tree and vegetable farming. To support this initiative, she distributed fruit seedlings and a variety of vegetable seeds such as carrots, tomatoes, spinach, and kale to targeted youths and community members in attendance. The goal was to facilitate the establishment of orchards and vegetable gardens within the households to enhance household food security and nutrition. Ms. Ndekei informed the community that KEPSA Foundation would carry out monitoring to assess the progress and impact of the orchards and vegetable gardens to develop a scalable food systems model that can be replicated in other regions.
The Deputy County Commissioner, Mr. Moses Oroma, emphasised that the Foundation’s initiative aligns with and complements the National Government’s Tree Growing Restoration Campaign, which targets the planting and nurturing of 15 billion trees by 2032. He informed stakeholders that, as part of the national program, he had recently distributed 20,500 seedlings across the sub-county to support the local administration’s Key Performance Indicators (KPIs), which include weekly tree-planting activities. Mr. Oroma further pledged to donate additional fruit and indigenous tree seedlings to the school and community members, reinforcing his support for the initiative and its long-term impact.
The School Headteacher, Mr. Pharis Kaboro, expressed his gratitude for the school’s selection as a project beneficiary. He reaffirmed his commitment to ensuring the project’s sustainability by nurturing the trees. He urged all stakeholders to collaborate closely to ensure the project’s successful implementation and long-term sustainability.
While representing ChildFund, Mr. Wilson Kiiru highlighted ChildFund’s main focus of improving the lives of deprived, excluded, and vulnerable children. With key focus areas on health and nutrition, education, empowerment and protection of children.
The KEPSA Foundation team was led by Executive Director, Ms. Gloria Ndekei, accompanied by Ms. Caroline Kawira, Socio-Economic and Community Outreach Manager, and Ms. Sheila Muramba. Gakira Primary School was represented by the School Principal, Mr. Pharis Kaboro, alongside members of the School Board of Management, parents, and pupils. The Nyeri County Commissioner was represented by Mr. Moses Oroma, Deputy County Commissioner for Mukurweini Sub-County, who was accompanied by Mr. Moses Mbothia, Sub-County Officer from the Kenya Forest Service (KFS), as well as local chiefs and sub-chiefs. Mr. Wilson Kiiru represented ChildFund.
