ELGEYO MARAKWET, Kenya – One of the best things about Kenya’s highlands is their breathtaking natural beauty.
You will notice many tree nurseries while cruising along the Iten-Kapsowar road in Elgeyo Marakwet County.
Established in the Chebara area in 2013 by Agnes Cheptoo, the Cheptengis Okolgei Group has grown into a flourishing sanctuary containing trees of various species.
Known for her entrepreneurial spirit and intense love of the outdoors, the well-known Cheptoo group was inspired to start the nursery plantation journey with a strong business concept.
The nursery’s wide range of plants, from fragile seedlings to blooming trees, highlights nature’s remarkable diversity while working to restore the green hue of our earth.
The nursery offers a selection of seedlings, including pawpaw, apple, macadamia, blue gum, grevillea, oranges, avocado, and jacaranda; the most popular varieties are the grevillea and avocado.
What trees at Cheptengis Okolgei Group are better known for
The trees at Cheptoo’s nursery are vital to human existence. Some produce food, such as avocados, apples, oranges, and pawpaws, which are fruit-bearing plants. Other trees provide medicine.
“We first came together as four women, and the number increased in 2015 after we started an initiative of rehabilitating women who were alcohol addicts in our area. The number later increased to 14. We started with 72000 seedlings even though we had not been sensitized about tree planting and how to establish tree nurseries,” Cheptoo said.
In an exclusive interview with Y Nes, Cheptoo said that World Vision trained them on tree seedlings.
“After acquiring the much-needed knowledge, we trained other groups across Elgeyo Marakwet County. In 2016, we planted 2000 tree seedlings and 300,000 in 2017. However, we failed to secure a stable market in 2018. In 2019, we continued after buying the seedlings from Kenya Forestry Research Institute (KEFRI) in Londiani,” she added.
What are the challenges that Cheptengis Okolgei Group face
Eldoret Water and Sanitation Company (ELDOWAS) supported the group by providing water pipes.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, Cheptoo said the group secured a more significant market because so many people were at home, which meant the need to plant more trees.
“When we started, we had a big challenge with water because we shared it with the community. During the dry season, we ran into losses after our seedlings dried up. So, we saw the need to look for donors to support our group and the entire community,” she added.
Eldowas introduced the group to the Eldoret Iten Water Fund through The Nature Conservancy (TNC), which helped it put up a water pan.
The water pan now helps the group members harvest rainwater.
“We now use piped water but switch to the water pan during the rainy season. Since rehabilitating our fellow women from alcoholism, most of them have transformed. They are doing well in life. They have even constructed better houses and gone into other economic ventures like agriculture. They have seen the need to educate their children, and all this is through planting the trees,” Cheptoo explained.
Cheptoo says that she has seen a lot of profit from environmental conservation.
“If we grow more trees, we will have more rain and enough food. From 2013, since we started this project, we have sold close to 3 million tree seedlings and in the next three years, we project to sell over 10 million,” she said.
How Cheptengis Okolgei Group reap big from their venture
According to Cheptoo, the money is channelled to a joint bank account after the group sells the tree seedlings.
“In 2022 alone, we earned Sh1.8 million, which we shared with ourselves. By December, the group had collected Sh 1.3 million in the account, which the 14 members later shared. It’s also good to note that we give out loans to our members and repay after selling the seedlings.”
As a group, Cheptoo revealed that they sensitize locals to the need to protect neighbouring forests.
When asked why the women were interested in the project, Cheptoo said:
“Women like working a lot, especially from our community. Men believe it’s not their responsibility to grow trees in their homes. But in our group, we have set a target that each member should grow at least 500 trees in their homes,” she said.
The group Y News has established that it has sold 60,000 tree seedlings to the Eldoret Iten Water Fund.
Cheptengis Okolgei Group Nursery’s commitment to fostering a sustainable future through tree planting is an example for individuals and businesses.
