Mazingira Bora 1 TIST KENYA M A Z I N G I R A B O R A Trees for life - Conserve your environment Monthly newsletter April 2005 TIST Kenya seminar attendants 11th April 2005 at Gitoro Conference Centre, Meru. Infront: CAAC President Mr. Ben G. Henneke Jr. WELCOME TO TIST (THE INTERNATIONAL SMALL GROUPS AND TREE PLANTING PROGRAM Greetings to all TIST small groups. We hope that the month of March and April was successful with lots of transplanting and weeding. Thank you for your continued work. The first TIST activities were began in Kenya between July and October 2004. TIST Kenya Chapter was officially launched between 21-26 Feb 2005 after a successful TIST initial Kenya seminar at Nanyuki. Finally the International small groups and tree-planting program went home to the grass roots. In March there were TIST seminars conducted by the eleven TIST administrative groups around our villages. They trained farmers and other interested persons the importance of tist program. TIST procedures and best practices amongst other lessons was taught during the 40 day plan. In April 11-14 there was a TIST Kenya follow-up seminar in Meru.
The venue at Gitoro conference center was a place of joy and satisfaction as various administrative groups reported impressive results with over 1,000 TIST groups in Mt Kenya having expressed wish to join the TIST fraternity. There was jubilation and dance at the center as shouts of “Sisi ni TIST” rent the air. It was a very good time for Www.tist.org April 2005 Mazingira Bora 2 trainers to share ideas about how to improve and identify specific needs of their communities and prepare achievable and realistic time bound, observable, quantititable and measurable action plant for the next 60 days. In addition to groups from the six offices of Kinyaritha, Ntugi, Lamulia, Naromoru, Chugu, and Meru central. The occasion was graced with the presence of Mr. Ben Henneke the president clean air action co-operation U.S.A, Philip James, Engineer Ramesh N., Mnyanyi Dennis Director of training, Sikitu Frank P Director of administration. The absence of the likeable Mrs. Vanessa Henneke was deeply felt. The seminar also picked coordinators, trainers and quantifiers. THE TIST KENYA COORDINATORS ARE:- Festus Mwenda, Alphaxard Kimani, Charles Ibeere, Patrick Muriuki, Mary Wanyoike, Joseph Wahome, Susan Muita, Dorothy Naitore, Rebecca Isaiah, Duncan Maina, Jane Kanja and Jacob Mwangi. TIST KENYA QUANTIFIERS 1. Susan W. Muita 2. Festus Mwenda M. 3. Eunice Kihoro 4. Jane Kanja 5. Alphaxard Kimani 6. Susan Karamuta 7. Justus Kinyua 8. Mwiti 9. Kaunga 10. James Mwangi 11. Bernard Githui 12. Lucy M. Kigunda After the 3-day seminar, the quantifiers also underwent intensive training to enable them be fast and efficient in counting trees, nurseries and establishing species and age of trees. This was done under the
tutorage of engineer Ramesh and Sikitu Frank. Time was then ripe to conduct the TIST field days. TIST staff including TIST Kenya Coordinating Council prepared for TIST field days to visit the operation areas. MERU CENTRAL A splendid visit to the Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources District Forest Dept. office took place on 19th April 2005. In hand to receive the TIST team was Mr. Morris O Abuto D.F.O Meru central. He affirmed his commitment to help TIST in its endeavor. Mr. Abuto requested TIST to organize a seminar for forest officers and other stake holders to explain its importance. Afterwards TIST team proceeded to forest station where a mammoth crowd awaited them. Mr. Lukas Gichuru the forester introduced the TIST team to the crowd. The TIST team thanked the forester for allocating 130 hectares of land in Meru government forest to TIST groups. The crowd in attendance was trained by the active trainers through lecture and rib tickling dramas. Registration of the groups also took place in over 800 people who attended the training. CHUGU The TIST train next stop at K.W.S office at Chugu. Super preparations had been made by the area chief Mr. Charles Ibeere a TIST trainer. Many groups were registered as around 200 people attended the launch Mr. Dennis of Tanzania Phillip and Ramesh planted trees at the ground to honour the office. Eager people of Chugu were especially enthralled by the TIST rotational and servant leadership. The quantifiers Mazingira Bora 3 meanwhile conducted a successful practice session at the nearby grove. A warm farewell saw off tist team whose next stop was at Ntugi that afternoon. NTUGI 560 people had braved the afternoon scorching sun to welcome TIST visit to Ntugi. In his introduction speech Mr. Dennis Mnyanyi expressed satisfaction with the turn out which was a testimony of the community’s appreciation of its message of tree planting conservation farming and HIV/AIDS. Among the attendants who had walked for several kilometers to the training venue EAPC Mbaaria were from Marurui Ulinzi groups Ntumburi, Subuiga and Nkando. The trainers were again at their best in spreading the T
IST gospel to the crowd and again people expressed their desire to form TIST groups and benefit from cash, trees and cleaner healthier environment without toxic gases. On their part the quantifiers successfully counted trees and also took data on species, circumference and area of the tracks. The TIST team appreciated the efforts of Mr. F Mwenda Muthomi and others in spreading the TIST message into Ntugi. KINYARITHA On Thursday 21 April the TIST team visited Kinyaritha TIST office at Karandine the lower Imenti forest office. The entertainment included cultural songs performed by Meru women’s “tembea mbone ugitembea” meaning move l want to see you moving (spread TIST). Demonstration was in pairs. The number of farmers who turned to welcome TIST was over 1,030 men and women. Their nurseries at the office grounds had 62,000 seedlings in 20 different species. The very most excited and happy activity which impressed the TIST staff was carried forward by the council of Njuri Ncheke elders of Meru offering a traditional (ruling stake and a three legged stool (luling’a/tukuyu) traditional guards (gikiri) and traditional plates (kajuga) to Dennis, Sikitu, Ramesh and Phillip.
The quantifiers had a very hard work after traveling for 6km two way to quantify the trees of Mr. Francis Kinyua. What has made me happy! “we are very excited to hearing about planting trees while earning”. We are also taught more about time bound best practices and we are happy of rotational leadership amongst others, lower Imenti. NARUMORU The expansive Naromoru was the last stop for the TIST training on 22nd April At Gitero primary school. Mr. Kimani conducted a field lesson on common trees species planted around the area. On hand to receive TIST was the area chief Mr. Muriithi who assured the government support for TIST. More that 100 people turned to attend the meeting. The next stop was at Manyatta polytechnic where the area councilor Mr. Njua received warmly the TIST team. We are ready to join hands with TIST team to plant trees in Gituamba primary school immediately after it rains, councilor Njua continued to say. We are encouraged enough of TIST entering into Naromoru to improve the semiarid climate of the area. Karundas also was another place where TIST team visited. And despite its late arrival about 100 people led by the hardworking Mrs. Monica Ruguru. After the intensive training was done by Mazingira Bora 4 the dedicated trainers and as the team bid Karundas bye, they promised to visit the area soon for more training. Meanwhile, the TIST team USA and the TIST team
Tanzania left for their countries having achieved a forty day plan laid down at Nanyuki on February. They left having been overwhelmed by TIST Kenya’s success. They hope to keep in touch before coming back after 60 day action plan in June. TIST Kenya wished them all the best. SMALL GROUP BEST PRACTICES How big is a TIST small group? TIST groups should be between 6-12 people. With less than six people you may not get as good ideas or it will be harder for you to achieve your TIST goals. With more than twelve people it is more difficult for everyone to feel included or to contribute. 6-12 people lets the group know each other well, with every one participating. How often should we meet? At least once a week. Servant leadership ¬ The leader should be patient, accepting and honest. ¬ The leader should show the same acceptance and respect for every group member, regardless of what they do outside the group. ¬ Encourage people when they have made a contribution. ¬ Don’t pretend you know all the answers!! ¬ The leader should not speak all the time. He/she should encourage all members to share their ideas and have the chance to speak. ¬ Try to recognize the gifts that each person has and to encourage them in the things they do well. CO-LEADER What does a co-leader do? Help keep the group on time and help the leader when needed. Why does the co-leader have an important job? Leaders do a better job when they know they have someone helping them. Keeping the group on time helps people to focus on the important issues. It also avoids the meeting taking more time than needed and people loosing motivation. Design a schedule for who will be a leader and a co-leader each week. It is good for each person to be a co-leader on one week and then a leader the next week. ROTATIONAL LEADERSHIP ¬ Everyone should get a chance to lead and co-lead. ¬ At the end of each meeting decide who will be a leader and a co-leader next time. ¬ Begin rotating leadership as soon as possible. ¬ If a group member does not want to lead or is shy, the group can let him or her watch others lead first. Then they can co-lead before leading next time. KUJENGANA ¬ At the end of each meeting every member of the group makes one positive statement to the leader about his or her leadership of the meeting. ¬ Instead of making a general statement it should be a specific statement about an
observable behavior of the leader. ¬ Each group member’s kujengana must be different than that has Mazingira Bora 5 been said by other group members. ⊇ Small group – Kikundi kidogo ⊇ Servant leader-mwezechaji ⊇ Co-leader –mwezechaji mwenza ⊇ Rotational leadership – uongozi wa mzunguko ⊇ Kujengana – building one another (gwakana). VALUES OF TIST ¬ Truth and honesty ¬ Work done by members ¬ Accuracy, real results, low budget ¬ Developing and sharing best practices The basic steps for developing best practices 1. Discuss or share within the small group the things that are working 2. Decide on what is best to try. 3. Do it! 4. Observe the results 5. Discuss again 6. Share again with other groups at the seminar and listen to others to learn. 7. Go back to own small group and share what was learnt. 8. Back to the beginning Meeting schedule The following is only an example, but includes some of the important steps. ¬ Greetings and introductions/gathering (5 minutes) 0-5 mins. ¬ Opening prayer (3 minutes); 5-8 mins. Only do this if your group wishes. Many groups find this the best way to being. ¬ Songs (6 minutes) 9-15 minutes; these could be songs written by your group or songs that encourage people e.g, religious songs or traditional songs. ¬ Agreement on task and time (5 minutes) 15-20 mins. The leader explains the proposed schedule for the meeting. The group members agree to
do that task unless something lese important needs to be done instead or in addition. The time to spend on the task should be agreed so that the coleader can help keep the meeting on time. ¬ Group work on task (90 minutes) 20-110 mins. Ideally the tasks should have been discussed at the end of the last meeting. Tasks might include sharing what each person has done to help TIST activities, sharing best practices training etc. ¬ Prayer requests (5 minutes) 110- 115 mins; let everyone know each other well. If a member is not feeling well or he/she has another problem at home, announce before the members to enable the team to commit the issue to God. Remember the scripture says; call to me and l will answer you and show you great and mighty things. Jer 33.3. ¬ Kujengana (3 minutes) 115-118 mins. Each group member makes one positive specific observable statement to that week leader about his/her leadership of the meeting in addition. Anyone may identify a gift seen in the leader. ¬ Closing prayer (2 minutes) 118- 120 mins. If agreed upon. The whole TIST meeting should not exceed exactly two hours (2hrs). Mazingira Bora 6 COVENANT Each small group should agree on a set of group values, expectations and behaviours that they will follow. This should be done during the first or second meeting. Covenants are based on love and respect and only work if everyone agrees to follow them. Some groups creates a written covenant. Asking each group member to sign it. Members can agree to add further points later. The covenant should include: 1. The time and place you will meet. Some groups rotate meeting places
among members homes. Others meet at a church or restaurant. It can be good to rotate the location, so that no single person has the responsibility all the time. 2. Confidentiality - members agree not to share personal information outside the group. Best practices can be shared with anyone! 3. The basic purpose of a group - Group members should agree generally on what they are going to have as a task e.g. work together to plan 3000 trees this year. 4. Agreeing to do the work necessary between meetings. 5. Selecting a group name. It should not be someone in the groups name. Be creative. Some groups covenants may include other items such praying for each other and how to share any money raised. TREE PLANTING –WEEDING REMINDER i. Here are some of the advantages of weeding your groves. ii. Tree grow faster because weed don’t take the nutrients and water from the soil. iii. Trees will become stronger and grow taller in a shorter period of time. iv. Trees can get the sunlight they need unhindered. v. Trees are not exposed to as many diseases. vi. Trees are more protected from a fire spreading. vii. Clean groves indicate that small troupes are maintaining them and are good examples of the TIST program,. This will attract many people to come and see your work. viii. Clean groves enable the quantifiers to count the trees quickly and accurately. We encourage you to weed your groves. The hard work will make a difference your trees will be healthier and stronger. GREEN HOUSE GAS MECHANISM → Growing trees eat carbon dioxide through photosynthesis. → Bigger trees eat more carbon dioxide . → Carbon dioxide is a greenhouse gas which means it traps heat inside the earths atmosphere. Some scientist think the earth therefore gets hotter and hotter which can be very damaging. This is called the greenhouse effect. → Carbon dioxide is produced by burning fossil fuels such as oil, coal and natural gas. → Because trees absorb carbon dioxide, they can help reduce the green house effect. → Trees can help by absorbing this CO2. → Governments and industries in some countries want to reduce their emissions of carbon dioxide Mazingira Bora 7 so that the earth does not heat up so much.
→ Scientists work out how much carbon dioxide the trees can absorb. → Companies and governments can then buy carbon credits, meaning they can pay for trees to reduce their carbon dioxide emissions. → We must have honest, accurate data on trees to “sell’ these credits to a buyer. → Remember the greenhouse gas credits are not all the value you receive. For the small groups the trees are worth 10-40 times as much as money you get from the carbon business. → Calculate CO2 in tones:- This is done by measuring the length of the seedling weighing the weight and other calculations such as identifying the species and others. → Clean air action co-operation announces the carbon dioxide around you to the companies. CONSERVATION FARMING As with your seedlings an important activity for conservation farming is weeding the holes. This is hard work but is worth the effort if weeds use up soil nutrients and water then your maize will not grow well. If you weed your holes your maize will be more likely to grow taller and stronger. It is worth the effort. Also the more the weeds you pull up now the less there will be next year. Benefits of C.F 1. Increases yield 2. Saves money 3. Saves time 4. Less labour 5. Easy to do 6. Improves soil quality 7. Reduces soil erosion 8. Retains moisture in the soil 9. Allows you to farm more land 10. Environmentally friendly 11. The holes will be used for three years 12. Easy weeding 13. Harvesting more rain water 14. Harvesting carbon dioxide. Materials 1. String 2. Ruler 3. Bottle tops 4. Hammer 5. Jembe 6. Pegs Fertilizer At every hole, put one full spade of compost manure from animals. Plant three certified maize seeds in each hole but in different corners. Measurements and intervals Width – 35 centimeter Length
– 15 centimeters Height – 15 centimeters From one hole to another – 75 centimeters Line to another- 90 centimeters NB ¬ Don’t plant more than three maize seedlings in one hole. ¬ Don’t plant beans inside the hole. ¬ Plant beans and other cereals in the middle spaces. ¬ After mixing the soil with animal manure don’t fill the hole with soil completely so that the rain water may be easily harvested. ¬ The holes can be used as much as three years repeatedly. Seed correction ¬ Don’t correct seeds from one tree. Mazingira Bora 8 ¬ Make sure you have corrected from 30 different trees or possibly more. ¬ Make sure the seeds are mature. ¬ If somebody has seeds, don’t buy before asking questions. ¬ In forest or woodlots, correct seeds from different trees as far as the intervals of 50m away possibly. Watering your nursery ¬ Small trees needs more water ¬ Bigger trees need a little water H02. ¬ Small trees need more shade. ¬ Bigger trees need no shade. HIV/AIDS What is HIV/AIDS? * HIV – Human Immunal Virus * AIDS - Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome How is HIV/aids spread? ¬ Sexual intercourse. ¬ Mother to child – during birth ¬ Breast feeding (smaller risk) ¬ Kissing – (smaller risk) ¬ Cutting tools ¬ Injection during birth ¬ Fluids – virginal ¬ Semen ¬ Saliva pass ¬ Infected blood How can you prevent the spread of HIV ¬ Protection from infected blood. ¬ Abstain from sexual intercourse. ¬ Being faithful. ¬ Use a condom. ¬ Discourage traditional circumcision. ¬ Discourage prostitution. ¬ Avoid pornography ¬ Avoid excessive drinking (alcohol+drugs) ¬ Discuss openly with your family. Steps towards progress ¬ Be tested V.C.T ¬ Discuss the results with your partners. Nimechill! TIST PROCEDURES What you need to do to be a
TIST group: 1. Forming the new groups 6-12 member covenant. 2. Registering: inform the quantifier. The group should sign the green house gas contract “GHG”. 3. Tree planting and maintenance. 4. Payment preparations:- open a bank account in co-operative bank. 5. Quantification. 6. Monthly reports 7. Payments per year in quarterly (after 3 months). 8. Payment for live trees after they are 6 months old. 9. Audit done by other staffs to check for accuracy. 10. Payment 1,500 per 1000 trees per year. 11. Have one acre of conservation farming per group member. 12. Use small group best practices and work together to develop and share with other groups best practices in all areas of your lives. TIST STATISTICS - KENYA – FROM 26TH FEBRUARY 2005 TIST - small groups 1,075. TIST - expected additional groups by October 2,550 TIST - seedlings 1,323,042 Mazingira Bora 9 TIST – trees planted in the forest or farms April 660,500. Tist planted in the forest or farms April 660,500 TIST – co-ordinators – 12 TIST – Alternate - 6 TIST – office equipments trained people TIST TENTATIVE PLAN OF ACTIVITIES (60 DAY ACTION PLAN) * April 29th Meru coordinators council meeting * May 13th stakeholders and council meeting at Naromoru. * May 28th Meru co-ordinators council meeting. * June 10th seminar in all regions training by trainers and coordinators meeting. Cos register 1000 groups and quantify at least 50% of them. CROSSWORD PUZZLE M L A T N E C U R E M C O N S E R V E J R E E S S S S A B E S T S E R O F K I N Y A R I T H A P R A C T I C U R J T H E I N T E R N A T I O N A L E A I R U M A L M R I S S M A L L K N I G R O U P S A N D Z G T R E E Z F O G M O S P L A N T I N G N E K E N P R O N G R A M Z Z M N N I K O P J O K K M J A N E K A N J A A A U G U C A O I K D T R E E O N A O G A A S R E D N O W O N D E R L R N Z N R E D G A L G A R N G O J A C O B M I G U T N P A A M O E H O R A H L F I F E S T U S M W E N D A W A H N M H K E D O M A L U A L A E I N E R E E B I S E L R A H C J I I M O C I T M P P M U M I T I N I D A W A A X X H A H V O R E T I N E R A M E S H N A R A S I M H A N A Z S H A I B O K A E P J N N E M E F I L S I S E E R T R J A Z N B R I C R O P A T R I C K M U R I U K I A S A D O N A E E S N T Z I S E M O H A W H P E S O J T R E E K X T R Z M A R Z L U A J A Y F A I N I T I M I T I R A I A T R A D E N I S M N Y A N Y I E K I O Y N A W Y R A M X I R B E N H E N N E K E U R E M A Y N E K A C I R F A X S H A C P E N N K L M A E S W A F I I J C D O H P K N F T A A A N A S I T I M A D N A P U G U M A Y I N A M I O P * You can use a pen to show the names e.g. VANEZA. * The names are written:- ¬ Diagonally,
¬ Horizontally ¬ Vertically ¬ Across ¬ Down. TIST STAFF KENYA TIST OFFICES 1. Ben hennke 1. Chugu 2. Vaneza 2. Ntugi 3. Philip James 3. Meru Central 4. Denis Mnyanyi 4. Kinyaritha 5. Sikitu Frank 5. Lamuria 6. Ramesh Narasimhan 6. Naro-moru TIST KENYA CO-ORDINATORS 1. Alphaxard Kimani 2. Susan Muita 3. Festus Mwenda 4. Patrick Muriuki 5. Mary Wanyoike 6. Charles Ibeere 7. Jane Kanja 8. Dancan Maina 9. Rebeccah Gakii 10. Joseph Wahome 11. Jacob Mwangi 12. Dorothy Naitore The time-tested ways of our people are the best. Yet oh, God, lord, make us wise that we may accept change!! TIST – this is truly the work of an old hand. WELCOME TO TIST