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Meet Valentina, Greenhouse Worker and Brave Single Mother of Five
By Jade Cizeau-Zeenni, Wildlife Works Intern Our profile this week is about Valentina, Wildlife Works Greenhouse worker. Valentina Sera Mwakazi was thirteen years old when she had to leave school to take care of her ill mother. Born and raised in Marungu, Valentina did not have the opportunity to complete primary education. Very young, she got married to a man who was ten years older than her and gave birth to her first child when she turned sixteen. Her husband was working as a driver for the County Government and was able to provide for Valentina and the rapidly growing family of five children. Sadly, Valentina’s world fell apart when…
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Women’s Agency Grows in the Greenhouse
By Jane Okoth In sub-Saharan Africa, women perform more than 50% of the agricultural activity, according to the United Nations. While women provide the majority of labour in agricultural production, their power over resources is restricted due to discrimination by male dominated traditions. Wildlife Works has been co-creating opportunities for economically-marginalized women to take the lead in their communities and generate new sources of income. We have been teaming up with organizations in order to support local women’s groups in setting up greenhouses within their surrounding communities. The concept of greenhouse farming was adopted because only a small size of land is needed to erect the greenhouse, and conditions can…
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Meet Willy Kanyeki: Greenhouse Supervisor
Willy Kanyeki is a young and energetic employee who has been with Wildlife Works Kasigau Corridor REDD+ Project for seven years, and our permanent greenhouse supervisor for four. During his childhood, Kanyeki was passionate about planting and watering trees, and hoped to study Environmental Science as a career. Though he could not proceed with his education due to lack of funds, he did not let go of his passion, and was optimistic that he could do something for the environment irrespective of his academic background. Inspired by what Wildlife Works does to conserve the environment in his home area of Kasigau, Kanyeki decided to volunteer at the our greenhouse back…
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Wildlife Works Personality Profile; Meet Paul Mwachari Kombo
By Jane Okoth The Wildlife Works’ organic greenhouse is one of our many sustainable projects at the Kasigau Corridor REDD+ Project in Kenya. On a typical day, the greenhouse team of 24 people are tending to indigenous seedlings, grafting fruit trees, and focusing on agricultural intensification. However, during the coronavirus pandemic, a scaled-down team from the greenhouse are on site, helping to nurture tree seedlings, plant organic vegetables and distribute seedlings to the community where possible. On an ordinary day, you will find Paul Mwachari Kombo with his team members, planting and grafting organic fruits and vegetables. The 29-year-old father of one is grateful to the Greenhouse Manager George Maina…
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Rising With Resilience, the Story of Charles Nzale
By Carol Chao It’s a warm afternoon at the Wildlife Works greenhouse and it’s always a busy day for Charles Mwavula Nzale. Whenever you visit the greenhouse, you will find the calm composed young man with a wide smile selling and marketing the greenhouse products (such as seedlings), taking stock, or maintaining the equipment among other duties. Charles, now 31, was born and raised in Marungu ward, which is part of the Kasigau Corridor REDD+ Project area. Charles lost his mother at a young age, so, together with his siblings, he had to go and live with his grandmother. Amidst the challenges in his life, which included a lack of…
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Wildlife Works Partners With Zooterra to Build Women’s Capacity in Vertical Farming
By Jane Okoth Women’s empowerment and equality is one of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, and is integral in ensuring that women are not deprived of their basic rights and opportunities. In order to achieve this goal, Wildlife Works has been working with various organizations to invest in women and respect their self-determination. Recently, Wildlife Works partnered with Zooterra, a habitat conservation digital firm that allows anyone to invest in nature conservation through digital tokens called terras, which use geolocation and satellite imaging technologies. Thanks to this partnership, two women’s groups in the Kasigau Corridor REDD+ Project received funds to start a vertical farming project. Celestine Ighombo is the…
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Capacity Building Programs for Women and Girls in the Kasigau Corridor
By Jane Okoth At Wildlife Works’ offices in Maungu, two women’s groups recently visited the project for a day of mutual knowledge sharing. As part of the visit the women were shown different departments including the eco-factory, soap factory, and printing factory, among others. After the tour, they all gathered at the greenhouse for a quick discussion with our Greenhouse Manager George Thumbi, after which the group received a demonstration from our greenhouse team on how to make a vertical garden. Women and girls living in our project area face a lot of challenges that are linked to gender inequality and cultural barriers. The United Nations Sustainable Development goal 5…
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Boosting Reforestation Efforts in the Kasigau Corridor
By Jane Okoth In a tiny village, Juliana Karisa stood beside her house in anticipation as she watched a canter truck accompanied by Wildlife Works’ greenhouse team make its way through her compound. After a courteous greeting, she proceeds to direct the team to where the tree seedlings are located. The greenhouse team then loads the seedlings one by one into the truck under the close supervision of Greenhouse Supervisor Willy Kanyeki. Juliana and her family is one of hundreds of beneficiaries from the Kasigau Corridor REDD+ Project who have received cash in exchange for tree seedlings. In an effort to boost reforestation efforts in the region, Wildlife Works regularly…
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My Trip to the Kasigau Corridor: Seeing a REDD+ Project in Action
Guest blog written by Vibeka Mair, a Senior Reporter for Responsible Investor who visited our Kasigau Corridor REDD+ Project in February 2018. Jacob Kazungu has been disabled since birth. Now 72, he walks with a stick and has shakes when he stands up. But he insists he will stand as he presents the work of his community group in rural Kenya. The Buguta Disabled Group supports the disabled and parents of the disabled with a place to come to every day, conversation and most importantly a form of income through the making of toys, jewelry and baskets sold in places including popular fashion website ASOS. “We want to be self-reliant and not begging,” he says. Buguta Disabled…
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Against All odds: Janet Wanjala’s Determination to Succeed
By Jane Okoth If you happen to pass by Wildlife Works’ organic greenhouses, chances are that you will notice Janet Elina Wanjala. The shy petite woman is always busy; if she is not taking care of the tree seedlings, or harvesting jojoba seeds, she is packing the soil into the potting bags. Janet’s day begins with a 2-hour walk from her home to Wildlife Works, ready to commence her usual duties. On this particular day, she is helping out peeling the mango seeds for drying and replantation. “I take my work seriously, with much dedication and hard work because I find morale and stimulation in it,” she says. According to…
