1000 Trees for IFO Police

1000 Trees for IFO

By Jeremy Leariwala.

One day as we were travelling from Ifo Police Station to Dagahaley Police Post our driver pointed to an open ground on our left side and said something that excited my brain. “There were a lot of trees here when I came to Dadaab. This camp was not here by then but now they have cut down all the trees.” Every time we passed that road I always looked at that field and wondered why the community living on our right hand side had to clear it mercilessly.

We drove for about 500 meters and came across a long line of women carrying loads of firewood on their backs. They are common here and if not the women there would always be a convoy of donkey carts laden with wood or a combination of both. I could not believe the damage the community had caused within five years. ‘What would happen after the next five years if action is not taken?’ I muse before we come across an old man seated under a shrub probably half his height. His face was awash with sweat but he must have been thankful for the small shade provided.

When I was growing up my elder brother used to call for a village meeting sometimes when he came home from his job station. My family together with our neighbours would be present. One principle he always insisted on was: “If you want to cut down one tree here, first plant two!” There were no community tree nurseries by then. He made us report to him anyone who cut down a tree without planting two around the village. I can say that our village enjoys the largest tree cover to date.

The old man we spotted squatting under a shrub also reminded me of the days I spent in the city. I paid to sit under a shade in Nairobi. Free shades were either crowded, far to reach or insecure. Thus if I had to occupy a seat in a restaurant or shop, then I had to buy something therein. You will appreciate the importance of trees the day you will ‘decide’ to walk out of your comfort zone or situations force you to leave them.

If my brother could stop our villagers from cutting trees, I think I can join my friends to plant trees too. If there were lots of trees here when we established our stations, then we can replant 3 trees each and protect them before the next rain season (that starts in August 2015). Tree planting need not be a one day activity after which all the seedlings are left to wither out.

Of course you are aware of other benefits of trees apart from the shade. If you have been to Ifo Police Station, then you must have noted an expansive bare ground in front of it. The amount of dust that rises from that field as it’s picked and blown into the station blocks is torturous. IFO area in general is hot, dry and windy but all places bordering bare grounds here can only be described as dusty, tormentors, ugly locations. I can bet that IFO Station leads. But we have made a decision. Since we are not just here to maintain law and order, we will plant trees to replace those our customers have destroyed. We are aiming at 1000 trees (15 trees per officer) before the next rain season and we would take care of them for the next one year; that is during our free time. These trees would protect us from the dusty winds and prove that we can cover the bare fields being created by the charcoal burners and firewood collectors. This place will have a new look soon.