On 28th March 2025, KEPSA Foundation, led by Ms. Gloria Ndekei, Executive Director, established an orchard at Iiani Comprehensive School in Makueni County. This initiative was carried out in partnership with ChildFund and Dow Chemical as part of the “Building Learning Opportunities with Orchard Management in Schools” program. The project aims to promote re-greening and establish orchards in schools across six counties: Makueni, Taita Taveta, Tharaka Nithi, Kiambu, Embu, and Nyeri. A total of 500 fruit and indigenous trees were planted.
The tree planting event at Iiani Comprehensive School was graced by Ms. Teresiah Mburu, Deputy County Commissioner, Kambu Sub-County; Ms. Jacinta Mumbua, representing ChildFund; Dr. Michael Okeyo, Assistant Regional Director, Kenya Forestry Research Institute (KEFRI), and Mr. Peter Ole Kesis, National Disaster Management Authority. The school was led by the Headteacher, Mr. Richard Mbithi and was accompanied by the School Board of Management, parents, pupils and other community leaders.
In her remarks, Ms. Ndekei highlighted that the Foundation is leading efforts to promote sustainable environmental practices and conservation under its priority area of Community Climate Action and Sustainability. Under this priority area, the Foundation hosts the Kijani initiative that seeks to establish orchards in schools to enhance nutrition, increase tree cover, promote economic empowerment, and instil a sense of environmental responsibility within schools and surrounding communities.
Ms. Ndekei further encouraged the community to fully utilize the Iiani community borehole, highlighting its role as a unifying resource that brings people together. She also emphasized its importance in building resilience to climate change by providing a reliable water source that can help the community adapt to challenges such as droughts and water scarcity. She also underscored the significance of supporting and promoting healthy diets for families while emphasizing the need to nurture and prioritize the well-being of children and their surroundings. She commended the school for its conservation efforts and encouraged them to make optimal use of the land by growing food and launching additional programs such as beekeeping, rabbit and vegetable farming, turning these activities into income-generating ventures for the school. To support this initiative, Ms. Ndekei donated seeds for establishing the vegetable nursery at the school.
The School Headteacher, Mr. Richard Mbithi, expressed his gratitude for the school’s selection as a beneficiary of the project in the county. He noted that this opportunity would position the school as a model for effective orchard management. He also reaffirmed his commitment to ensuring the project’s sustainability by taking proper care of the trees to fulfil their intended purpose.
The Deputy County Commissioner, Ms. Mburu, reiterated the National Government’s Tree Growing Restoration Campaign, which aims to plant and grow 15 billion trees by 2032. She urged both the school and the community to take care of the 500 trees planted and to prioritize the well-being of the environment.
While representing ChildFund, Ms. Jacinta Mumbua emphasized that climate change affects everyone, with children being particularly vulnerable. She stressed the importance of addressing these impacts through environmental conservation, climate-smart agriculture, and community-driven climate-adaptation initiatives.
