How forest groups help save tree hubs

Community Forest Associations play an important role in safeguarding the forests, says a leading member of the organisations.

Daniel Gathiru, project assistant at the National Alliance of Community Forest Associations (Nacofa), says Kenyans are used to event-planting of trees and when everyone has left, there is no one to nurture those trees.

“More often, we do not designate people responsible for taking care of the seedlings in the forest. After a few months, you only have less than 40 per cent of trees that have matured,” Gathiru says.

Community Forest Associations play an important role in safeguarding the forests, says a leading member of the organisations.

Daniel Gathiru, project assistant at the National Alliance of Community Forest Associations (Nacofa), says Kenyans are used to event-planting of trees and when everyone has left, there is no one to nurture those trees.

“More often, we do not designate people responsible for taking care of the seedlings in the forest. After a few months, you only have less than 40 per cent of trees that have matured,” Gathiru says.

“We shared with the 12 CFAs our intention of forming a network and they agreed to the idea,” Gathiru says.

“They acknowledged that it is important for them to come and work together in addressing their challenges. Each forest station nominated members and currently, we have a network in Nakuru county called the Nakuru Community Forest Association Network.”

He says they have also linked the network with relevant stakeholders.

“Previously, it was difficult for an individual CFA to have a courtesy call with a partner, but it is easy for them to approach as a network. Their issues have started getting attention from various stakeholders and the county is now beginning to listen to them,” he says.

The project assistant says Nacofa will come up with memorandums that will be used to guide the network, while connecting them to various partners to help in achieving their goals. 

Gathiru says Nacofa has also been involved in policy formulation and is currently pushing through the Cost and Benefit Sharing Bill at the Senate.

“The Bill looks at how revenues of natural resources trickle down to the communities,” he says.

“It is all about sharing resources. We are building the capacity and trying to ensure that when it goes to Parliament, it is passed into law.”

The story was produced with support from WWF-K VCA project and Mesha