The Lions Clubs of Kenya, Aga Khan Development Network (AKDN), Aga Khan Foundation (AKF), Serena Hotels, local schools and members of the Hombe Community in Nyeri County came together to plant 11,000 trees on the morning of 9th December 2013 for Kenya’s 50th birthday.

The main aim of this is to preserve the water towers in the Mount Kenya region and the Mau Forest and essentially enhance water conservation efforts. The model draws on the volunteer energies of AKDN institutions, the Lions Clubs and schools to transform whole deforested areas. Tenant farmers who have been granted rights to cultivate crops on government land are required to plant trees within their fields- a model famously known as the “Shamba System”. When the land is eventually exhausted, these trees eventually hold the soil and reform the forest.

The Partners continue with the efforts and plan to grow 15Million trees in Kenya between 2014 and 2017. As of November 2013, they had altogether- jointly planted over 7 million trees.

The Lions Clubs of Kenya have been recognized by the Global organization for planting 2.5Million Trees and this has been widely documented via our global website www.lionsclubs.org under the key words “Tree Planting Projects”.

Serena Hotels has over the years planted over 2Million trees around Mount Kenya alone and these efforts will continue.