Before clearing
Homes hemmed in by thorns
In parts of Garissa, Prosopis grows taller than a person and thick enough to swallow footpaths, grazing land and the space around homesteads. This is what clearing crews walk into.
Garissa County, Kenya · Conservation is our priority
Turning an invasive threat into land, livelihoods and clean fuel.
We are a community association clearing Prosopis juliflora ("Mathenge") from Garissa's grazing and farming land, paying local people for the work, and converting the cleared wood into charcoal briquettes for household use and local trade.
Registered with the Registrar of Societies
Members are vetted and bonded to uphold our constitution, the Forest Act and Kenya's charcoal regulations, with sign-off from the County Forest Office and Ecosystem Conservator.
01
Clear
Community crews remove Prosopis thickets, roots included, from priority grazing and farm plots.
02
Earn
Local people are paid a fee for clearing work, putting income directly into Garissa households.
03
Convert
Cleared biomass becomes charcoal briquettes, so no indigenous trees are cut for fuel.
04
Reclaim
Land goes back to pasture and cultivation, with access to water points opened up again.
The challenge
A tree planted to fight desertification is now consuming the land.
Prosopis juliflora was introduced to Kenya's arid and semi-arid lands decades ago to stabilise soils and provide fuelwood. In Garissa it has spread far beyond where it was planted, forming dense, thorny thickets along the Tana River and across rangeland.
- 🐄Lost pastureThickets crowd out grasses that pastoralist livestock depend on.
- 🌾Abandoned farmlandFields and irrigation channels become overgrown and costly to recover.
- 💧Blocked water accessPaths to rivers and water points are choked off; the tree draws heavily on groundwater.
- ⚠️Harm to people and animalsSharp thorns injure livestock and people; the pods can harm animals that eat too many.
Our model
One activity, three returns.
Every hectare we clear restores land, creates paid local work, and produces a cleaner fuel that takes pressure off indigenous trees.
Environment
Restore ecosystems
Removing Prosopis lets native grasses and trees recover and reduces the demand to cut indigenous species like acacia for charcoal.
- Uprooting, not just cutting, to slow regrowth
- Priority on riverbanks, water points and grazing corridors
Livelihoods
Pay the community
Clearing is done by local residents for a fee. Members also earn from trading and transporting briquettes under licence.
- Income for youth, women and pastoralist households
- Skills in briquette production and enterprise
Energy
Produce clean briquettes
Cleared wood is carbonised and compressed into briquettes that burn longer and more evenly, sold for household use and small-scale trade.
- Legal, traceable charcoal supply chain
- Revenue that helps sustain clearing work
Stories from the ground
When the thickets go, life comes back.
Photos and voices from our members and neighbours in Garissa County.
In his own words
[Add one line from his video, translated]
A community member speaks on site, among piles of cut Prosopis, about living with the thickets and the clearing work around his home. Filmed in October 2026.
On the land
After clearing
Ground opening up again
Once the thicket is pulled out, grass and crops have room to grow and paths to homes and water are open again. The tree line behind shows what used to stand here.
Thicket to fuel
Nothing cleared goes to waste
Cleared Prosopis wood is turned into charcoal and briquettes, then bagged for licensed transport and local sale. Households get fuel without cutting indigenous trees.
In the community
Mazingira Day 2026
Planting trees alongside government
Our members joined the Ministry of Environment, Climate Change and Forestry, the County Government of Garissa and forest and wildlife rangers at the KWS grounds to plant trees.
Our members
Standing up for the environment
Under the day’s theme, “Our environment, our responsibility”, members in GAFOCTTA colours stood with partners for collective action on tree growing and environmental stewardship.
Organising
Members planning the work together
Members and local leaders come together to plan clearing sites, welcome and vet new members, and agree how the work is shared across the community.
Why clearing matters
🩹
Fewer thorn injuries
Prosopis thorns cause deep, painful wounds that are slow to heal and often become badly infected, in children, herders and livestock.
🐐
Healthier livestock
Goats and cattle that feed heavily on the sugary pods suffer rotten teeth and blocked digestion, which can kill them.
🐘
Fewer human–wildlife encounters
Thickets near homes hide predators and snakes and block wildlife routes to water. Open land keeps people and wildlife apart.
🌊
Less flooding
Dense thickets choke river channels and drainage and push floodwater onto homes and farms. Cleared banks let the river follow its course.
For government agencies
A ready local partner for national and county priorities.
Our work supports Kenya's land-restoration, climate-adaptation and livelihoods goals in the arid and semi-arid lands. We are looking to partner with agencies that fund or deliver this work in Garissa.
Forest & land restoration
Landscape restoration
Clearing invasive species is a first step to restoring degraded rangeland and riparian land, in support of the national tree-growing and restoration agenda.
Climate adaptation
Locally-led climate action
Community-run, ward-level projects that improve resilience to drought, suited to county climate change funding windows.
Regulation & compliance
A legal charcoal value chain
Members are vetted and bonded to the Forest Act and charcoal regulations, giving regulators a single, accountable point of contact.
Livestock & agriculture
More grazing, more farmland
Reclaimed pasture and fields support pastoralist livelihoods and food production along the Tana River belt.
Youth & enterprise
Green jobs
Paid clearing work and briquette enterprises create income for young people and women in the county.
Research & extension
A field site for learning
We welcome collaboration on Prosopis management, regrowth control and briquette quality.
Governance & accountability
Funds you can trace. Members you can trust.
We know partners need confidence before they commit. Here is how we hold ourselves to account.
- Registered with the Registrar of Societies, Office of the Attorney-General, Kenya. Registration certificate available on request.
- Written constitution binding every member
- Each member signs a bond to uphold the Forest Act, charcoal regulations and other relevant laws, with membership forfeited on default
- Every member is backed by a guarantor from within the association
- Applications reviewed and signed off by the Ecosystem Conservator, County Forest Office and the GAFOCTTA Secretary
- Financial reports and site records available to funders on request
How a member is approved
1
Member's offer & bondApplicant commits to the constitution and Kenyan forest and charcoal law.
2
Guarantor bondAn existing member stands surety and accepts a financial penalty on default.
3
Ecosystem ConservatorReview, signature and stamp.
4
County Forest OfficeReview, signature and stamp.
5
GAFOCTTA SecretaryFinal approval with reasons recorded.
Ways to support
Where your funding goes.
Choose the option that fits your organisation. Every contribution is tied to a site and reported back to you.
Individuals & businesses
Clear a hectare
~KES 1,000,000 / ha
Pays community crews to clear and uproot Prosopis on one hectare of grazing or farmland.
- Site name and GPS location
- Before and after photos
- Number of workers paid
Donors, foundations & CSR
Equip a production unit
~KES 430,000
Kilns, a briquette press and tools for one community group, so clearing pays for itself over time.
- Carbonisation kilns
- Briquette press & binder supply
- Safety gear and hand tools
- Quarterly progress reports
National & county government
Programme partnership
From ~KES 22M
Multi-ward clearing and restoration delivered through our members, with joint monitoring and reporting.
- Grant or contract delivery
- Joint site selection with county teams
- Shared monitoring data
Funding need: Phase 2 clearing & restoration, 12 months
Indicative budget for 20 hectares. Equipment prices are based on 2025 Kenyan market listings and estimates; final costs will be confirmed with suppliers.
| Line item | Unit | Qty | Unit cost (KES) | Total (KES) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Community clearing fees | hectare | 20 | 1000000 | |
| Carbonisation kilns | kiln | 8 | 25000 | |
| Briquette presses | press | 2 | 230000 | |
| Tools & protective gear | kit | 40 | 5000 | |
| Transport to market | month | 12 | 50000 | |
| Training & monitoring | lump sum | 1 | 500000 | |
| Total funding need | ||||
Help Garissa take its land back.
Request our profile, budget and site plans, or arrange a field visit to see the work in person.
Contact
Let's talk.
Postal addressP.O. Box 26051-0054, Nairobi
Field officeGarissa Town, Garissa County
Phone / WhatsApp[ADD: +254 ...]
Email[ADD: email address]
Chairperson / Secretary[ADD: name & title]