The Kakamega Forest, the only surviving rainforest in Kenya, is under threat from overexploitation, but a group of women is looking for ways to use and protect the forest’s resources.
Listed in 2010 by Unesco as a World Heritage Site, the Kakamega Forest is the easternmost remnant of the prehistoric Guineo-Congolian Forest. It is a sanctuary for a variety of endemic birds, insects and over 380 plant species, many of which are not found anywhere else in Kenya.
People living near Kakamega Forest depend on wood, firewood, herbs, building materials and other resources for their daily life. But high levels of poverty often mean that resources are harvested in an unsustainable way.
“When we were in this area in the past, this forest was very big. It has really changed,” said conservationist Maridah Khalawa. “We have lost some very important trees like the kumulembe tree which is used to treat some diseases, including ulcers.”
Khalawa believed there was a way to preserve and reap the benefits of the forest, so he founded the Muliru Farmers Conservation Group.
The group has a beehive in the forest, from which they harvest honey every three months, showing that people can benefit from the forest while preserving it. To use medicinal trees, the group advocates ethical harvesting procedures: bark, leaves and root parts can only be harvested from mature trees so as not to disturb the younger growth.
Agnes Mulimi, head of Shamiloli Forest Conservation Green Growers, works with the same philosophy as Khalawa when leading agroforestry and reforestation efforts. This all-women group was established in 2000 and officially registered in 2015. It trains members in alternative ways to earn income from the forest and distributes tree seedlings to encourage reforestation.
“We gave this person [eucalyptus and cypress] free seedlings and also give advice on planting, “he said. “We are against throwing away just one tree.”
Government forest officials allow the group to plant plants in the forest as long as the plants do not require the cutting down of indigenous trees.
The Shamiloli group grows camphor basil and sells it to a factory run by the Muliru Farmers Conservation Group.
Others, such as the Valonji Women’s Group in the Shinyalu region, are working to reduce household consumption of forest resources like firewood. The group manufactures and sells energy-efficient stoves that conserve heat because they are made of clay and therefore use less firewood than traditional three-stone open fires that are usually used for cooking. He also has 23 beehives for extra income, harvesting about 12kg of honey every three months, which he sells for 1,100 Kenyan shillings ($8.61) per kilogram.
Inger Anderson, executive director of the United National Environmental Programme, said at the UN’s 66th Status of Women meeting last year: “We have had enough of male-dominated solutions. A just transition to a green and sustainable future requires a gender-responsive approach.
This article first appeared on Continenta pan-African weekly newspaper produced in partnership with Mail & Guardians. It is designed to be read and shared on WhatsApp. Your download free copy here.