| "We will get our fire woods and timber from the | | | | will take a long time and a lot of strategic planning, |
| hills." John had asked a group of women about | | | | implementation, and sacrifice before nature lovers |
| what they will use now that the trees in their | | | | and environmentalist proves to the majority of |
| farms were getting extinct. John pointed to them | | | | the folks that they were not strange and green |
| that the hills they were showing were being | | | | beings from the Mars, but human beings out to |
| reduced to bare land with scanty shrubs. But they | | | | save nature, and humanity from self-destruction. |
| had responded that they were going to get their | | | | After he had engaged the men and women on |
| firewood and timber from Maasai woodlands just | | | | preservation and planting of trees with no |
| beyond the hills. They said as a matter of fact, | | | | success, John thought of what trees and nature |
| with blind confidence. They were unaware of the | | | | lovers might do. He considered all possibilities of |
| "dwindling resources debate and conferences" that | | | | helping to sensitize and mobilize communities to |
| has taken more space and time in national and | | | | preserve and plant trees for utility purposes, |
| international forumns. Though John realized that he | | | | environmental protection, and aesthetic values. |
| was not winning, he told them anyway, that even | | | | One of the ideas to race through his mind was |
| beyond the hills, the trees were going to get | | | | for tree and nature lovers to lead by example. |
| finished. Still they were not moved. By the look in | | | | They can dedicate an open space in their farms |
| their faces, they were now bored to death! They | | | | to plant trees, making sure that they fence |
| found him strange. | | | | properly. He recall that back at home in the |
| John had visited this part of the country, Mulot | | | | neighboring Bomet District, he had put a lot of |
| Division in Narok District, Kenya. The area was | | | | effort , spanning several years beautifying his |
| once covered by green vegetation, made up of | | | | compound and the farm that he shared with his |
| trees of varied sizes. Steady streams and rivers | | | | parents and his siblings. He had planted ornamental |
| flow from the hills, joining Amalo River which is | | | | trees and shrubs. And a good number of people |
| the main tributary of Mara River which flows | | | | within fifty kilometers square had tried to replicate |
| through the world famous Maasai National Game | | | | what he had done with some success. So even |
| Reserve. The farmers used to cultivate maize | | | | someone in Rongena can do the same so that |
| and would realize a bumper harvest. Maasai cows | | | | others may copy. People seem to be driven by |
| and bulls used to roam and graze in the lush and | | | | curiosity and conclusions that there must be |
| evergreen grasslands. Today, John had come to | | | | superior reasons for planting trees, especially |
| participate in the opening of permanent house | | | | ornamental ones. |
| that had been put up by a progressive son of the | | | | Several weeks after John had gone back home |
| village, who was John's cousin. John had visited his | | | | from participating in opening of his cousin's house, |
| cousin several times to help during preparation for | | | | several of his cousins and friends had called to |
| the big day. On one of the days, he had taken | | | | request for trees and shrubs like the one he had |
| some trees and shrubs of onarmental value to | | | | planted at the compound of the house that was |
| plant in the compound of the new house. And he | | | | opened. Perhaps there was a ray of light in the |
| had also helped to do some landscaping. Then | | | | midst of darkness! Actions have spoken more |
| came the day to open the house. John came | | | | than words! Perhaps, Muot Division was going to |
| very early in the morning and found the trees and | | | | regain its past glory - forested hills and river |
| the shrubs he had plated had been mauled by the | | | | banks, and even creation of beautiful parks to be |
| goats. Goats still roam free in this part of the | | | | owned by home-owners, schools, and local |
| world. On seeing what he had planted had been | | | | authorities. |
| reduced to bare ground, John became frustrated | | | | It is not only the uneducated and ignorant folks |
| and helpless. That is when he engaged the group | | | | who destroy trees, but the stubborn and |
| of women and men in a conversation, asking | | | | indifferent educated people who are supposed to |
| them why people do not take care of their goats | | | | provide leadership. And this scenario is normally |
| to prevent them from destroying trees. Their | | | | made worse by poverty and double-speak by the |
| conversation had become long and tedious. John | | | | developed countries. Some leaders in Africa are |
| sighed with relief when his cousin told him he was | | | | suspicious and have reacted to the agenda of |
| going to fence the compound with wire-mesh and | | | | developed countries with indignation and self- |
| barbed wire, then plant trees and shrubs once | | | | destruction. The president of Uganda, Yoweri |
| again. | | | | Museveni, determined to have a beautiful and |
| Johns encounter with the forks at Rongena village | | | | breathe-taking Mabira forest carved out and given |
| made him to realize the immense task of any | | | | to an Asian to plant sugarcane, responded to |
| community and national afforestation | | | | demonstrations against it by saying that trees and |
| programmes. People in many developing countries | | | | forests were a luxury. With such desperation, |
| have not accepted that they are facing a myriad | | | | communities at the grass root level should take |
| of problems that have come up as a result of | | | | lead, and come up with mini-forest in their |
| defforestation and environment degradation. | | | | neighborhoods, to compensate for government |
| Perhaps, they do not pause to think about it! It | | | | ambitious programmes. |