Mazingira Bora - TIST

ENGLISH VERSIONWe Are Servant To Each Other: Wamura ClusterLeader is a good Role Model.Last month, Wamura Cluster, through theirCluster Leader, Mr. Charles Ng’anga, boughtten (10) Envirofit stoves. These are TIST’smanufactured energy saving stoves.Charles volunteered to collect money frominterested members, sent the cash through MPesato Dorothy Naitore (the KitiMoto) in Meru. Luckily,one of the members from Wamura Cluster wasattending a seminar in Gitoro. He was sent to deliverthe ordered stoves to Wamura Cluster. Weencourage other Clusters to do the same. We willDeforestation is the removal of trees and otherwoody vegetation cover.Forests and woodlands cover about a third of theworld’s land surface. They regulate climate, protectwater resources, provide forest products (e.g.timber, medicine, fruit etc) worth billions of dollarsand support millions of plant and animal species.Yet they are being destroyed at a rate of 20 millionhectares per year. Half of the world’s populationdepends on these forests for fuel, yet roughly 100million people do not have enough fuel for minimalenergy requirements.Major causes of deforestation:Deforestation occurs when vegetation iscleared for activities like farming or grazing anduses such as: firewood, brick-making, fish smoking,tobacco-curing, tea-drying, construction, and timber.Forest degradation is when a forest becomesless diverse and resilient due to poor use andmanagement (for example, when old trees are allcut, leaving mainly brush, or when a useful plantspecies is all harvested, or when forest is heavilygrazed, so that trees can’t grow to replace thosethat die).Much of deforestation and forest landdegradation results from a lack of awareness ofthe full value of trees.In some cases, the value of trees may be knownbut poverty and the idea that there are no goodalternatives lead people to clear trees.By Dorothy Naitoreoffer discounts to such similar arrangements. Hereare varieties of manufactured energy saving jikosTIST is selling, to both TIST members and Non-TIST members, at subsidized prices.Envirofit G-3300:2,500 kshDeforestation and forest land degradation areserious problems. What can we do?Consequences of Deforestation.Soil erosion: lack of tree cover and root bindingexposes soil to erosion.Lack of forest resources: removing treesdestroys habitats, reduces biodiversity, removesfood and medicinal resources, and increasescompetition for construction materials. People willhave to walk further for firewood, and if forestproducts are being bought, prices will rise.Lack of other environmental benefits oftrees: Trees act as a windbreak, retain moisture,add oxygen to the air, and add nutrients to soil.Hence without trees the local climate will becomedrier with increased risk of flooding, wind erosion,decreasing soil fertility and diminished air quality.What can we do to prevent deforestation andforest degradation?Establish tree nurseries of diverse andindigenous trees and plant them yourself, ordistribute or sell seedlings to the community.Use energy-saving cook stoves that use lessfirewood and charcoal.Use alternative sources of energy and fuel whenpossible (e.g. heating from the sun, sawdust, coffeeand risk husks, grass, weeds, crop wastes, animalwaste).Carry out tree planting activities. Become asuccessful, effective TIST group! Encourage yourneighbors and friends to join TIST as well.4Envirofit 2-pot/ chimney attachment(to be used with G-3300):1,200 ksh