One Valley, One River, One Lake, One People- an Environment at Peace!

This is my story, my vision and my dream that in the horizon, my village where Ihave been brought up since my very tender age,that soon we will have a one valley to live as neighbours,one river to share, one lake to envy, one people to interact and an enviroment with at peace with its self and its creator.

I am a kenyan living in the heart of the great rift valley, my village is close to one river(river mbaruk), one lake(lake elementaita). I have seen this village go through a metamorphosis of change in climate and also growth in its population thus having a negative impact on the enviroment that i once used to envy. Recently when the area experienced drought, the river and the lake dried up completely and thus it was survival for the fittest and God for us all for the whole ecosystem. The situation was so serious that even the wild animals had to come to the homesteds to search for water thus creating a conflict between humans and wild animals.

However having said that, I do see hope if the following actions i propose are adhered to since i would suggest a participatory approach within the affected community so that it owns it and also for its sustainability. I propose the following: 1)Education: That the community will be divided into groups or form groups i.e women, youth, men, primary school kids. They will be capacity built on the importance of conserving their enviroment for them and for future genaration and the dangers of not doing so, I will do this with help of like minded peoples e.g UNEP. 2) Ask each member of the group to plant 20 trees per month and evaluate this after one year. 3) source funding for supply of clean water from boreholes to protect the river and the lake from being encroached. 4) Ask the groups especially women and youths to form income genarating activities to reduce poverty and crime in the village. 

It is my wish that if the 4 steps are followed it will take less than 10 years for my vision and dream to be realised however it may take years to realise a dream and having the dream itself is an incredible experience!

Summary: Educate, make them own it, evaluate it and proceed.