KID LOVE FOR NATURE

                        Kids love for nature – Central primary, Eldoret

A visit to Central primary school less than a kilometer away from Eldoret Town would invoke a colossus of intrigues on the marvels of its natural surrounding. At first glance into the compound one thinks it is a botanical garden. Not until you sway your eyes and realize that it’s a school sandwiching an expansive nursery bed, full grown indigenous trees and well maintained blocks of beauty flowers.

My desire to ask a question about what my eyes had just seen is interrupted by our host’s introductory remarks detailing the conservation activities taking place in his school. The school, he says, encourages pupils to be environmentally savvy and has thus allocated enough space in its environs for annual tree planting exercises. Different species, after personal inspection, have been widely planted, managed and properly nurtured. These include Casuarinas, Gravellier, Nandi flame, Jacaranda, Cyprus, Blue gum, Pinus and lots of home flowers – Roses, Bougainvillea, Hibiscus, Copper leaf, Vitex, Golden Duretus e.t.c.

It further downs to us that the massive tree nursery bed is owned by the pupils and it is these lovely kids who protect and operate its management activities in their free time. They boast of having over ten thousand tree seedlings of varied species which they believe no school, or even certain colleges within Uasin Gishu County would surpass their seedling numbers or match their prowess in promoting conservation matters.

 To boost labor in their nursery, proceeds from their seedlings are used to employ additional workers, who ensure daily management activities as root pruning, weeding and watering are effectively performed.

Doubly inspiring, the primary school has an environmental club that comprise of standard seven and eight pupils. The club takes pride in engaging in environmental protection matters that entail tree planting, discussions and partnering in regional environmental clean up exercises around the Town occasionally organized by the Eldoret Municipality and other oriented movements especially from Chepkoilel university college.

Their endeavor to nurture nature befits laureate prize recognition but since this may take too long before it arrives, my prayer is that God grants these Central primary angels passion and vigor to continue doing what they do best as they pursue academic excellence.

It is emulating to other primary schools to embark on this nature improving exercise, which guarantees a healthy and a clean environment for all.

It impresses to see school children who unknowingly contribute towards achievement of the millennium development goal number seven that emphasizes on environmental sustainability juggle books and conservation.

Thus, it is a challenge to you out there who still cut trees haphazardly, drop litter anyhow, refuse to plant trees, and commit other environmental travesties and walk scot-free…a voice is calling from somewhere in the outskirts of Eldoret Town. From the tender voices of Central primary environmental club pupils; that there is a need to show love to our nature; there is a need to protect this planet; there is a need to protect mans’ only home. There is a need!

My accompanying friends, not forgetting Mr. Kosgei – who aided this environmental excursion – left the school fully conscious that there’s a need to conserve and that the spirit to conserve should be nurtured from an early age . I exit.