Present situation

Presently the resources in wood are becoming scarce due to the intensive firewood collection and cattle overgrazing. Gathering wood is the ordinary supply practice, mainly done by women and children, which often are forced to walk for kilometres spending lot of time and energy. In order to improve energy services for local population is essential to increase the availability of wood.

Best Ray strategy

Trees plantation:

In 2010 Best Ray has identified plots of land for afforestation activities for about 10 hectares in Olodyosambu ward and 2 hectares in Ngarenanyuki Ward, in public and private areas.

In Ngarenanyuki Ward the higher value of land (agricultural purposes) made it more difficult to identify plots of land for afforestation. On the contrary, given the higher demand of wood for energy purposes, private individuals were much interested in tree planting.

Seedlings have been distributed to be planted in the selected areas. Even some school, like Ngarenanyuki secondary school (in Ngarenanyuki ward) and Losinoni primary school (in Oldonyosambu ward), expressed interest on tree plantation and they get seedlings to plant nearby the school. Planting trees and tree woodlots will ensure a balance between protection of resource and the production of firewood for domestic use.

Training on tree nursery establishments:

Training on forestry followed the afforestation activities. It is taking place from June to November 2010 (2 weeks per month) and is conducted by the project associate MeruUsa Forest Plantation. The training consists of a practical demonstration aimed to establishment of tree nurseries in the two CERCs of each ward so that community can have nearby sources of tree seedlings which will lead to planting woodlots, manage them and sustainable use. The training is attended by local residents, some of whom are members of the local Ward Energy committee, and others are local farmers or individuals interested in beginning a tree nursery.

The training participants will go on to start a tree nursery, and the small trees will then be sold at the CERC, in the local villages, and to the District government for planting within the Ward.

Providing Theory and Practical tree nursery training to rural community and Schools is an important contribution to a long- term forest tree planting measures.