Life Is Green      

This project is geared to aid the conservation of the Kenyan environment while stimulating domestic tourism.  We will tap the manpower and willingness of the majority of Kenyan citizens to travel to preserve the beauty of our sceneries and destinations and encourage conservation practices that will favour positive generational effects.  These activities majorly are tree planting in national parks including environs, eradication of imposing species in forests and parks to enhance health in our ecology, and clean-ups of rivers and beaches that are of tourist attraction.

Azah Limited/mydestinationz.com under its new program ‘Life is Green’ is focused on creating holiday packages that are affordable to low and middle income earners.  It is expected in the formation of these holiday packages an enclosure of particular environmental conservation activity will mark the success of the event, without depriving the participants off their holiday feel nonetheless. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

BACKGROUND INFORMATION/STATEMENT OF PROBLEM

Kenya’s natural endowment namely wildlife, beautiful scenery, sandy beaches, sporting activities, hotel facilities has made tourism one of the country’s major economic activities. The industry has witnessed a spectacular growth since independence in 1963. The first post-independence National Development plan recognized the great potential existing in the tourism sector. The country currently receives about 1 million tourists per year as compared to about 70,000 at the time of independence.

In January this year, the Domestic tourism Strategy Taskforce commissioned by Kenya’s Tourism minister Najib Balala presented a report stating that lack of awareness of the vast range of products and prices was cited as the main reasons that tourism is prohibitively expensive.  They proposed to target the rising number of Kenyans who are able to afford the vast range of tourism activities and experience. These include families, business people, corporate and educational institutions, public incentives and social groups.

The Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) Director Julius Kipng'etich said recently that the wanton destruction of Kenya’s nature had placed the country’s tourism industry at risk.

“The post election violence and the global economic recession led to the decline in our tourist numbers. However things might get worse if we do not take any action on the degradation of our environment,” he said.

Mr Kipng'etich also revealed that the continuous drought had led to an increase in illegal poaching of wildlife stating that KWS was campaigning for the conservation and preservation of the environment.  He warned that further environmental degradation would ruin Kenya’s chances of achieving Vision 2030 and risk losing all from the highest foreign exchange earner.

“Our tourism industry which we depend on for revenue is nature based. Any negative impact on the environment has the same effect on our tourism sector and that is why we are very vocal about the Mau,” he explained.

The Prime Minister Raila Odinga in January this year echoed his sentiments stating that the country had suffered as a result of environmental degradation and changing climate patterns and that the agricultural and tourism sectors were the hardest hit. He also said more than 7.6 billion trees would be planted countrywide as part of the campaign to conserve forests over the next 10 years.

In the words, H.E the Vice president Kalonzo Musyoka, he urged Kenyans to adapt aggressive tree planting and conservation culture. He said every Kenyan should take it upon themselves to plant trees and take personal responsibility for their growth and sustenance.

The government has started an aggressive reforestation campaign in all the country's natural forests areas, President Mwai Kibaki said. 

The President said the government is also in the process of developing an appropriate legislation to ensure that 10 percent of agricultural land is put under agro- forestry.

"These interventions require a lot of seedlings as well as sufficient resources to enforce the legislation", said the President.

The Head of State said these in a speech read on his behalf by Vice President Kalonzo Musyoka during the official opening of the Second World Congress of Agro-forestry at United Nations Environmental Program (UNEP) at Gigiri, Nairobi.  (August, 2009).

Goals and Objectives

There are two major goals and specific objectives within each goal.

To Increase The Population Of Trees In National Parks and Neighbouring Areas

Objective 1.     Provide tree seedlings to the communities.  In every holiday trip of the package taken, we will involve the local communities to take part in tree planting activities and encouraging them to take care of the young trees.  This way they will feel a part of the whole program and proud to understand the ripple positive effects in the long run. 

Objective 2.    To reduce the Human-wildlife conflict by providing food security to the locals and surrounding communities and in the long run cut down the number of citizens depending on relief food.  When the population of trees is sufficient and the land is lush, the wild animals are able to thrive in their natural habitat therefore eliminating human-wildlife conflict.  This conflict arises when drought is prevalent and wild animals interfere with food plantations from the locals.  In the same scenario, the locals are bound to hunt for bush meat to feed themselves because of their diminishing livestock.  This program will provide food security to the locals and their livestock in the surrounding communities.

To Effectively Encourage Domestic Tourism In Kenya

Objective 1      Prolific wildlife and white-sand beaches bring about 780,000 foreign visitors to Kenya annually. Tourism generates an estimated US$500 million per year in hard currency earnings, making this sector the country's single largest source of foreign exchange. However this is always under the mercy of foreign communities and their attitude towards Kenya at any given time. However, these impacts negatively during travel advisories issued abroad, when insecurity issues arises and negative publicity reigns.  With domestic travel by citizens understanding the issues first hand, the seasonality factor in tourism is cushioned and the negatives of bad publicity are lessened because the tourism industry will receive constant support locally.

Objective 2     Given a chance to affordably travel in our scenic country, most Kenyans will take advantage and be part of enriching the environment around the country.  This will eliminate the mentality of Kenyans that the tourism industry is for the rich and elite.  While travelling around and conserving the environment, he will get to see affordable attractions and destinations that he can return by himself or with friends in future, thus establishing the beginning of a trend.

 

BENEFICIARIES

There are three beneficiaries in Life is Green Program

The primary beneficiary is the surrounding community living by means of consistency farming around national and conservancies.  Guaranteed food security in the future is what they crave for the sake of their young ones.  This clientele group is represented in the projects’ objective Goal # 1.

Tour destinations and attractions would benefit from the conservations and through restoration of the depleting and destroyed ecosystem. This in essence would boost the tourism industry increasing its revenue. 

Thirdly, is the local tourist that will get the chance to travel affordably or cheaply in this project.  They shall act like volunteers in the project and they are represented in the projects’ objective Goal # 2.