From small beginnings, a tree nursery has grown livelihoods for young people in south western Kenya and bolstered reforestation efforts.

Thirteen years ago, life was very different for 38 year-old Nancy Mutai from Chepalungu, Kenya. As a young parent, she struggled to raise money to send their children to school, and it was difficult to make ends meet.

Today, she stands proudly among a field of tree saplings and chickens with a smile on her face.

From small seeds, big trees grow

Chepalungu lies in south western Kenya in the province of Bomet – an area which has seen a lot of deforestation. Due to a lack of job opportunities, many young people often leave the area and seek their fortunes in the larger towns. However, Sigor Youth’s Vision Self Help Group has bucked that trend.

The Group started in 2011 when 11 friends clubbed together in an attempt to address their financial challenges. In 2023, they received a grant of USD 4,000 under the Forest and Farm Facility’s small grants programme and used the funds to improve a small tree nursery that had already been established. Their profits were ploughed into a savings and loans scheme and were made available to its members as micro-credit.

Fast forward 13 years and the group has gone from strength to strength. It has tripled in size and now comprises 19 young women and 11 young men aged between 33–40 years old. Together, they manage a tree nursery which has produced over 1 million seedlings over the past three years and which has transformed their livelihoods.

Providing easy access to funding

With support from the FFF, over the years, Sigor Youth Group has been able to develop its organizational capacity and its financial management through training. Their village savings and loans association has had a positive ripple effect on the local community. Its members are now able to quickly borrow money from the group’s savings to allow their children to go to school, pay medical expenses, and easily plant crops and trees on time every season. The Group are proud to have grown their revolving VSLA funds to USD 4,600 in 2024.

Expanding the nursery

In more recent years, the nursery has also diversified into poultry farming. Raising chickens among the saplings provides an extra source of income and natural fertiliser for the trees and crops in the form of chicken dung. It also acts as a buffer in case of any of the crops fail due to the increasingly erratic climate, and means there will still be an income.

Starting with about 300 cypress, eucalyptus, and pine seedlings, the Group has expanded the types of tree it grows. It now also cultivates fruit trees saplings of olea, acacia, podo, cedar, olive, waburgia ugandensis, elgon teak, and nandi flame etc, which are sold to help support restoration efforts of the nearby Chepalungu Forest. The forest plays a crucial role in conserving local biodiversity including crested cranes, bush babies, monkeys and antelopes and as carbon storage in the fight against climate change.

 Working together

Nancy Mutai is proud to part of Sigor Youth. Support from the FFF has helped the Group remain organized and focused, and by working together and sharing resources, the Group benefits from shared profits every year.

As Nancy Mutai explains, “Being part of Sigor Youth has changed my life. Now I can provide for my family. Not only that, I am also supporting local climate action to look after the future of our planet.”

“Life before was very hard. Of course there are still challenges, but the tree nursery has made a big difference to my family and given us a different future.”