Chuka, Kenya – In Tharaka Nithi County, the people are reconnecting with an ancient truth: forests are not just trees — they are food, income, and survival.
Marking World Forests Day at Chuka Forest Station, community members joined local leaders to promote tree planting as a grassroots response to environmental degradation and food insecurity.
![Public Service Commission (PSC) Vice-Chairperson Mary Wanjira Kimonye (right) receives a trophy gift from the Institute of Human Resources Management [IHRM] during the 6th Women in HR Convention which is in Naivasha. Photo by Shikuku/ Immaculate Kariuki](https://coatmediaafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/DSC_3896-120x86.jpg)
But while state officials like County Commissioner David Gitonga offered seedlings through government channels and pushed fertilizer registration, residents are taking matters into their own hands — forming cooperatives to plant fruit trees, produce honey, and restore food forests rooted in African ecological knowledge.
“Forests aren’t just carbon sinks for donor projects — they feed us and pay us,” said County Forest Conservator Reuben Muigai, who revealed the forest produced eight tonnes of honey last year alone.
Locals were encouraged to join Mkopo ya Miti programs — “tree loan” initiatives that offer financing for community reforestation and income-generating activities like beekeeping — blending land restoration with economic dignity.
As floods from heavy rains threaten homes, Gitonga’s warnings underscore a deeper truth: climate resilience begins with land restoration, not last-minute evacuations.
The event’s theme, “Forests and Food: Trees for Better Lives,” reminds us that food sovereignty in Africa must start from the soil up — not from fertilizer subsidies or foreign aid, but from forests we plant, protect, and profit from.
