Transforming Arid Land into a Forest
We set out a foresting project in 2017/2018 in an area called Ol Maroroi in Kajiado West. The area was mostly semi-arid with very few trees. We planted gravelia trees and the Maroroi Tree in an area of about 3 acres to test and see how the area will be transformed. So, we started with the fencing trees - Bottle Brush species which is a very good windbreaker. The first picture shows the planting process in 2020 and the one after shows the growth progress in 2024.
Later on we decided to fill a full acre of trees - a plan which was almost shunned by the community. Many said that our project would fail because the area lies on the leeward side of the Ngong Hills which means rainfall is less compared to most of the areas around. As you can see in the image below, this was the area in 2019 even before we put up a perimeter wall.
The picture above is a testament of the first fruits given to the land rejuvination project. This was the first tree that we planted in the land and within the month we planted several more (see below).
Eventually, we had filled the whole piece of land with various types of trees - croton, gravelia, cypress, bottle brush, podos, casaurinas and very many fruit trees - mulberry bushes, mango, guava, apple, avocado, lemon, orange trees and apple trees.
From afar, we see the transformation that the project has given to the area where we see more green canopies than brown earth beyond the stone wall. evidently, a perimeter wall now enclosed the project to protect the young trees and fruit trees from wildlife and human intereference. Talking of animal interference, the forest has attracted animals of all kinds from birds, bees, giraffes, wild hares, baboons and monkeys seeking something sweet for their palates. For a long time, this was unheard of in the area but it is becoming common place thanks to the transformation.
Below: November 2024 while inside the forest at Ol Maroroi. See the transformation of patience and care in a small area. Imagine how much so it would be if many people would emulate similar projects in their pieces of land.
