I&M Foundation
I&M Foundation spearheads the shared value agenda for I&M Bank and is charged with the responsibility to deliver positive impact to society through social investment programs. Our mission is to deliver positive impact to society through lasting solutions by engaging planet, people and profit to create shared value for our shareholders, with a vision of seeing communities whose physical, social and economic environments are positively impacted as a result of our partnership. The Foundation’s implementation approach is to work through partners to deliver its objectives, by seeking to leverage and complement resources, skills, experiences, knowledge and track records of partner organizations in a catalytic and value adding manner.
I&M Foundation Environmental Conservation Pillar
Environmental conservation is I&M Foundation’s key flagship pillar. I&M Foundation working through Kenya Community Development Foundation (KCDF) is inculcating the spirit of environmental conservation and sustainable management of natural resources for communities around the learning institutions. The project whose targeted key beneficiaries are children and youth in 172 learning institutions, is being implemented over three years and is expected to benefit over 5,000 households in Narok and Kilifi counties. The project objective is to incentivize and promote conservation practices and sustainable use of natural resources for communities in and around the learning institutions.
Project Outcomes
The implementing partners under KCDF have so far achieved remarkable milestones in their first year of implementation as listed below;
- More than 90 learning institutions on boarded to participate in the environmental conservation program
- 26 community and school-based forums on environmental awareness and conservation conducted
- More than 150,000 trees have been planted around learning institutions
- Procured and obtained 90 solar lanterns and 43 energy-saving jikos for sale to community members at subsidized prices.
- Environmental clubs set up in the schools involved
- Installation of 11 institutional energy saving jikos in learning institutions
Case study: A Rocha Kenya in Kilifi County
A Rocha Kenya is one of the implementing partners supported by I&M Foundation to inculcate the culture of environmental conservation to the children and youth around Arabuko Sokoke Forest in Kilifi County. The program has mobilized children for twenty (20) primary schools and engaged them in wildlife clubs on environmental education and tree planting activities in their schools. Their parents were provided with seedlings to plant in the forest, public places and at their homes. They were trained on how to nurture the seedlings to see them grow into trees over three to five years.
A Rocha Kenya has been advocating for sustainable use of resources including mitigation measures such as employing alternative clean cooking technology. The organization working with the local communities have adopted a simple yet effective technology of fireless cookers with the following notable achievements:
- 23 households have been trained on making the fireless cookers; 15 of the trained households have moved ahead to make and use their own fireless cookers
- 20 households have been provided with the solar powered lanterns that will enhance the learning for their children
- One rainwater harvesting tank was procured and installed in a school to support the tree nursery establishment
- Over 42,600 trees have been planted and are being nurtured in different spaces including in the learning institutions.
In conclusion, adaptation to climate change through environmental conservation is timely. It is encouraging to note that more young learners now appreciate the importance of maintaining the integrity of the environment especially through environmental conservation education and tree planting activities. It is commendable how through the environmental education, young learners and communities involved get to know more about their surrounding environment and its related issues, become aware of the how to create solutions to the environmental issues and take proper actions to save the environment from potential issues.