Stoves and planting 800 Trees
As the forest line recedes further up Mt Kwaraa and is replaced by farms and homes, I am ever more concerned about the slow pace of change in the demand for fuel wood. The ever transient local leadership does little to tackle the issue of forest depletion because when the problem comes, it will be someone else’s. At a national level if the price of alternative energy was given tax relief it might make gas or solar more attractive to the rural poor. While we wait for changes outside our control to come, we do what we can at the micro-level. We recently added 5 more fuel efficient stoves to schools and each school now has a tree nursery to so that they can start the process of planting trees for firewood self-sufficiency. In fact over 800 trees have been planted in the last few months. The schools are also starting their own environmental clubs and we are planning a tour of schools showing films about environmental conservation together with collecting ideas on recycling and reuse. All recycling ideas welcome.