4.0. Community Engagement Project - Environmental Action #GUnited2018
4.1. List of Acronyms
- CEP - Community Engagement Project
- G-United - Greatness United
- MoEST - Ministry of Education, Science, and Technology
- MoALF - Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock, and Fisheries
- KEMRI - Kenya Medical Research Institute
- FAO - Food and Agriculture Organization
- KEMI - Kenya Education Management Institute
- KICD - Kenya Institute of Curriculum Development
- SP - Samaritan's Purse
4.2. Acknowledgments
Expression of gratitude towards the following institutions for providing information for the success of the project:
- Ministry of Education, Science, and Technology (MoEST)
- Evidence Action for technical support
- Kenya Education Management Institute (KEMI)
- Kenya Institute of Curriculum Development (KICD)
- YaliServes
- Samaritan's Purse (SP)
I would also like to acknowledge these individuals: Elias Tsumas (Headteacher), Makanga Suleiman (Deputy Headteacher), Esther Machache, Stella Umazi, Einstein Mgaza, Esther Mutheu, Andrew Mwasicho (Environment Teacher), the teachers of Mwarovesa Primary School, Chairman of the Board of Management Joseph Nyawa Mbegoa, Chairman of the Parents Association Simon Mgunye Nyawa, Dr. Rose Ayikukwei MMboga and her family (one of my references and for being there through most of my graduate studies), Grace Mwangolo Malau and her family for contributing towards the success of my project, and my family for their moral support. Last but not least, my homestay host in Kwale County, Annah N. Sifuna, and the county coordinator Mr. Maungu for his well-timed organization.
The student group "Self-Trees" who participated in this project are highly appreciated, not only by me but by the whole world, for marking Nelson Mandela Day and sharing a part of their lives with a community they love. Thank you.
4.3. Foreword
Greatness United (G-United) is an annual national volunteer program launched by the Presidency of the Republic of Kenya and implemented by the Ministry of Education, Science, and Technology, with technical support from Evidence Action.
Program Objectives are to:
- Promote National Cohesion
- Strengthen Primary Education Learning Outcomes
- Create enriching professional development opportunities for the youth through community service
“When I hear, I forget; when I see, I remember; but when I do, I understand.” — Chinese Proverb
The Community Engagement Project (CEP) is an opportunity for volunteers to learn by doing. Volunteers explore different global solutions to local problems. Setting up a project involves planning with readily available resources such as time, finances, and human resources, ultimately implementing it with the help of the local community and stakeholders.
Climate change is becoming one of the most severe challenges to Kenya’s achievement of its development goals under Vision 2030. Kenya is already extremely susceptible to climate-related events, and projections indicate that these impacts are likely to affect the country even more severely in the future.
Updated on 5/16/2023 at 8 a.m.
Project Implementation Gallery
Kwale County has a moderately hot and dry climate throughout the year. The average temperature is greater than 23°C throughout the majority of the County, with areas along the coast generally above 25°C annually. There is a strong east-to-west gradient of decreasing precipitation, with coastal parts of the County receiving greater than 1000 mm of precipitation per year, while the central to western expanses average around 500–750 mm. Small areas along the far western border receive less than 500 mm of precipitation annually.
As such, heat stress, dry spells, and drought are hazards that strongly contribute to agricultural risk in the County, especially in its central and western zones. Experts and farmers alike acknowledge that there have been significant variations in climatic conditions over the past years, deeply affecting local agricultural production and livelihoods.
Historical records indicate that between 1980 and 2005, Kwale County experienced a large increase (2°C) in mean temperature, accompanying a reduced crop cycle in the first season, alongside a mild increase (0.5°C) in mean temperature during the second season. At the same time, metrics indicate a significant increase (between 10% and 15%) in heat-stressed days associated with an increase in the frequency of drought and reduced precipitation in the primary season. The years 2009 and 2011 stand out as two of the driest instances since 1980.
Historically, dry spells, moisture stress, and intense precipitation events have disrupted both annual growing seasons. Moisture stress and dry spells occur with approximately equivalent frequency during both stretches, showing roughly 65 consecutive days of moisture stress per season. However, there has been a steady upward trend in moisture stress metrics during the first wet season (January–June) since 1981, a pattern not observed as acutely during the second wet season.
Historical timelines show the first wet season more consistently experienced single days with high precipitation intensity, surpassing 30 mm of downpour in a single day across 8 separate years between 1981 and 2015. Conversely, the second wet season (July–December) experienced greater extreme precipitation volatility, remaining below 20 mm on single days for most years, with only three years breaching the 30 mm threshold. Interestingly, this second season registered the two highest single-day precipitation landmarks on record since 1981—surpassing 40 mm in 2006 and scaling over 50 mm in 1996.
Climate shifts are already materializing clearly within the County. Since 1981, the first wet season has faced a sharp (2.0°C) surge in mean temperature, a contraction of local crop cycles, a significant inflation of heat stress occurrences, and a stark multi-decade reduction in overall precipitation (on the order of a 40% to 50% drop). This parallel dynamic of escalating temperatures and decreasing rainfall dramatically amplifies drought risks during the initial wet season. The secondary wet season encountered a milder (~0.5°C) warming pattern with minimal precipitation variations.
Projecting into the 2021–2065 window, both severe downpours and prolonged moisture stress are anticipated to persist, though behaviors vary contextually by season. Within 30 years, local temperatures are projected to increase by 0.3°C, with the primary wet season bearing the brunt of structural volatility. By this timeline, precipitation metrics are modeled to decrease by 9% in the first wet season and 5% in the second. Consecutive moisture-stress days are expected to increase globally across both seasons, shifting from an average of 65 days up to over 75 days. Concurrently, intense single-day downpours are expected to slightly escalate by 10% to 20% in the second season, while the first wet season scales down its highest single-day thresholds by roughly 10%.
Future projections mapped under climate scenarios RCP 2.6 and RCP 8.5 reflect visible deviations. The structural variations detail more extreme shifts under elevated greenhouse gas concentrations. Furthermore, environmental degradation is exacerbated locally by unsustainable agronomic habits, such as livestock overstocking, inaccurate application of chemical fertilizer inputs, sub-optimal disposal of agricultural waste, and overfishing practices. These habits remain bound to a lack of training and limited access to extension infrastructure (the current tracking ratio sits at 1 officer per 1,886 farmers).
Documentary Insight: Heat Stress & Drought Impact
Ukumbusho wa Mechinga wa kitilu
Greatness United Educational Training
Hodi acheni - Duruma Song (Self-Trees)
The combined impact of these dynamics is directly lowering agricultural performance and narrowing food security networks due to extreme, unpredictable weather configurations. Across Kwale County, where structural crop cultivation depends heavily on rain-fed fields, long dry spells and highly volatile precipitation loops degrade average seasonal yields, making rural households systematically vulnerable to systemic food shortages. Particular climate hazards hit Kwale's critical value production chains along specific failure points, as examined below.
4.4. What Need Does the Project Address?
The objective structural metrics and environmental facts compiled across Kwale County illustrate the critical necessity for active reforestation and sustainable community adaptation programs...
