AYICC Kenya 2010 Action Plan

CREATE TO INFORM, COMMUNICATE TO EMPOWER, CELEBRATE OUR ACTIONS
(3C CAMPAIGN)

Our 2010 strategy for the year is guided by the 3C campaign. It is our rallying theme for the year and it encompasses all the years’ activities and their objectives as well as our vision for tomorrow. 3C stands for: Create to inform, Communicate to empower and Celebrate the actions. While understanding the dynamic environment we work in, all our activities are geared towards disseminating information to our targets which primarily means that we communicate. In celebrating our actions we acknowledge that we have indeed made a difference and take time to toast to our successes inspite of the shortcomings and challenges we have had to learn from and contend with. The various projects planned for the year would be undertaken under the 3C campaign, these include: Mau rehabilitation Project, Road show Project and Biogas Project.

BIOGAS PROJECT
The idea behind this project is to have biogas plants installed in boarding schools in Central and Nairobi Provinces. Most of this schools rely on fuel wood for their cooking, most of this fuel wood is sourced from nearby forests contributing to a great extend to deforestation. By installing biogas plants in these schools, it will play a great role in reducing deforestation. It is expected that the biogas project will be replicated in the entire community as members of community are engaged in training sessions on renewable energy.
The objectives include;
• To promote and popularize biogas as a form of alternative energy to the communities and schools.
• To build capacity of the youth and the local communities to sustainably utilize and manage the biogas initiatives.

ROADSHOW PROJECT
The concept is to have a solar-powered car move across the country from Mombasa to Kisumu then on to Nairobi to create awareness on climate change and renewable energy. There will be stopovers in schools, churches, market centre’s etc to create awareness on his issues and document the ravages of climate change on their way of life. The solar powered car will be one of its kind and the first to ever be seen in Kenya. The message to everyone is that we can have sustainable development even as a developing country. We hope that it will raise awareness to enable more people to adopt use of solar and wind energy which are abundant as well as lead sustainable lifestyles.
The Objectives:
Create awareness on the use of sustainable and renewable energy.
Showcase how solar energy can be used for different uses vis; powering vehicles, lighting and cooking among others.

MAU REHABILITATION PROJECT
Mau complex in Kenya is the largest water tower in the country. This complex has been badly degraded and deforested in recent times due to massive human settlement in the area. In recent times it has generated a lot of political heat in Kenya with calls for those who had been settled in the complex by politicians to vacate as well as those who own land there. It has therefore been imperative that the government develops a plan to rehabilitate this. AYICC Kenya plans to educate schoolchildren in the area as well as the communities neighboring this complex to raise nurseries, woodlots and mini-forests in the schools and communities. At the end of the day this will be sustainable as they will not destroy the forests.
The objectives include;
• To create awareness on the importance of forest ecosystems.
• Establish tree nurseries in primary and secondary schools.
• To establish miniforests in schools and plant trees in the Mau complex
• Offer capacity building sessions to school clubs on importance of a forest ecosystem and tree nurseries management to in calculate responsible leadership habits to the young generation.
• Hands on training for the school the youths, tree planting in Mau forest complex allocated portion
• Establishment of mini-forest in a local school

Activities we have taken part in this year include:

1. National tree planting, 15th January
The 15th was declared a national tree planting day by the Prime Minister of Kenya. AYICC was represented by George, Richard, Papa and Kevin. The team was able to plant 60 tree seedlings alongside other youths and members of parliament. The national tree planting day was marked by members of parliament headed by the Prime Minister.

2. World Youth Alliance, 13th February
AYICC was invited to make a presentation in the conference that had leadership as its theme. This was wonderfully done by Meg with assistance from George. The audience was quite interested by the initiative’s progress and innovativeness

3. Yadsti Conference-UNEP, 9th and 10th April
Young Agency for Development of Science, Technology and Innovation was celebrating its 6th Annual Science Conference and Exhibitions which was marked at the UNEP headquarters. AYICC was privileged to make a presentation on what they are doing in relation to mitigating and adapting to climate change. The presentation was done by Joshua and George.

4. Social day out, 27th March
The group needed a getaway for to be able to celebrate their hard work. The perfect location was Ololua forest. Tucked away in the depths of Karen in Nairobi which stands at odds with other areas in the city due to its huge tree and forest cover it presents a once in a lifetime experience.It boasts of a scenic waterfall garlanded with various trees, shrubs and other biodiversity. Deeper inside are pitch dark caves enshrined in the low bending tree species, they effuse a certain smell: that of a bats dwelling. It is here that we lit the candles forming the number ‘60’ to mark earth hour; illuminating the caves in surreal brightness. A speech from Hosh (a member of AYICC Somalia) made the event worth-while.

5. Earth hour, 27th March (2030-2130hrs)
AYICC Kenya joined other stakeholders following an invitation from WWF in marking the earth hour at the Kenyatta International Conference Centre in Nairobi, Kenya. The event was a success following a heavy downpour that led most participants to the tent of lit candles by AYICC members. The WWF goodwill ambassador and multitalented musician Achieng’ Abura was privileged to have received warmth from the lit candles and in turn performed acapela with the AYICC members.The candles came in handy in making the number 60 despite the strong winds that kept blowing them off.