MaMa Doing Good has partnered with The Nature Conservancy to jointly plant one million trees along watersheds in Uasin Gishu and Elgeyo Marakwet counties.

The partnership, supported by various stakeholders including the Ministry of Environment and Forestry, International Fund for Agriculture and Development (IFAD), Eldoret Water and Sanitation Company (ELDOWAS) and local community forest associations, aims to conserve the environment and improve livelihoods.

Speaking at Kaptagat forest in Keiyo South on Friday, the First Lady urged residents to take advantage of the opportunity to invest in tree nurseries and earn a living from the sale of seedlings.

“We can partner with the Kenya Forest Service to establish tree nurseries to earn a living from the sale of seedlings,” she said.

Mama Rachel Ruto also appealed to the community to take care of the trees they have planted for the benefits they bring, such as better rainfall, food security and an additional source of income.

“Planting trees is more than just putting them in the ground. It means taking care of them to ensure that they grow strong, healthy and productive,” she added.

The First Lady further residents to switch from firewood and charcoal to clean fuels to reduce deforestation and exposure to household pollution.

The event also saw the donation of 50,000 tree seedlings to local the local community in support of the First Lady’s goal of planting 500 million trees by 2032.

The exercise, organised by the Eldoret-Iten Water Fund, saw over 13,000 trees planted on Friday. Learners from primary, secondary and tertiary institutions of learning as well as members of the local community took part in the event.

So far, 400,000 trees have been planted in the Uasin Gishu and Elgeyo Marakwet watersheds and the remaining 600,000 seedlings will be planted gradually during the rainy season.

The First Lady later joined women groups at AIC Kaptarakwa Church in Keiyo South Constituency and later met with religious leaders in Iten Town.