Achievements & Challenges

Having being popular in tree planting for town councils, private plantation establishment, radio and group agro-forestry training, the organization is in a position to draw attention of the community. Through the training forums, it can also market its products.

The organization won 3 TOTAL ECO- CHALLEGE awards for being the leading firm on tree planting in Kenya. This gained the confidence of customers and motivated us to work more.

In the year 2002- 2008, SARES was appointed by national Environmental management authority (NEMA) under environmental mangement and cordination act (EMCA). ACT Number 8 of 1999 SECTION 29 this was to help the government oof KENYA reduce pollution in all the industries within Athi RIver Industrial Hub in MACHAKOS County. The organization conducted projects with industries around Athi river region whereby it managed to develop waste water recycling plants with Kapa industries and Orbit chemicals. Quarry backfilling and rehabilitation was done successfully with Portland cement. Tree nurseries were also established in many of the steel milling industries and in flower firms with the industries taking responsibility of the management and transplanting. Out of those Nurseries, many seedlings were donated and planted in schools around Machakos County.

In the year 2005, the organization did trainings in all the secondary schools around the larger Machakos district whereby students and staff were trained on tree planting and solid waste management. The same was done in D.Os Barazas around the District.

Up to date, many tree planting projects have been performed with a remarkable achievement whereby 1.5 million seedlings are planted in Mombasa Municipal and county council every year, 200,000 seedlings are also planted in Kitui county council every year. These has led to the two counties winning the year 2010 and 2011 Total eco-challenge awards.

Strategic Challenges
This includes:
-Unwillingness of the society to engage in long term projects of which forestry is part of.
-Unwillingness of the society to trade parts of their farms for tree planting.
-Regular tendency of the community to expect free supplies; unwilling to commit their efforts
-Poverty; makes farmers unable to afford organic inputs which are rather expensive.
-The community does not prefer indigenous trees

Three tree growing challenges in SEMI ARID regions are:
1.Lack of knowledge of good tree growing and management practices.
2.Prolonged drought(lack of water for domestic use and watering trees, or inadequete rainfall 600mm - 900mm per annum) 3.Pest attack that termites destory youth tree seedlings.