“There is always one moment in childhood when the door opens and lets the future in.” This quote by Graham Greene speaks to the importance of exposing children to new experiences from an early age because we never know when inspiration will strike and mold the little one’s future. For Irene Asuwa, this moment came very unexpectedly as she was growing up in Western Kenya. Flora and Fauna surrounded Irene’s home and she interacted with it whenever she stepped outside. There was an undeniable sense of serenity that she felt whenever in this setting.
In 2015, Irene enrolled at the University of Nairobi to study Political Science and Sociology. During her first year, she joined the university’s Kenya Red Cross Society Chapter. Through her coursework and her club activities, she began interacting with communities based around Nairobi. Irene witnessed the contrast of her own upbringing to that of children growing up in an urban setting. Being able to climb trees and swim in shallow streams had instilled in her a profound appreciation for nature.Irene developed a deep belief that it was important for children growing up in the city to have a green space of their own as well.
Irene’s studies also shaped her view on environmental issues as she began to perceive pollution as a political and social issue that affected everyone in society. One of the activities of the Red Cross was tree-planting drives, but Irene felt that there was an opportunity to have an even bigger impact on the environment. With these aspirations, she ran for the position of Vice-Chairperson of the club and ascended to office.
In 2016, Irene organized a partnership between the club and Nairobi County’s Department of Environment. The result was an initiative of planting community forests in neighbourhoods across the city. To run this initiative, they got in touch with community leaders and explained the urgency of their work. With this support, communities began to rally behind them and pitch in with the planting exercises. Slowly, Irene’s dream of giving children growing up in the city a green space became a reality. The need for these spaces became more apparent during the pandemic when an activity as mundane as a stroll through a park became paramount for mental health. Funding became key to make Irene’s project a reality.
The process of approaching organizations and asking them to implement a Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) to support climate justice began. Irene started alone but this changed soon enough. She gained support as more people sought to take up her cause. These individuals came from all kinds of backgrounds with the sole purpose of using their skills and experiences to agitate for climate justice. This became the basis of founding Ecological Justice, a collective of community groups working to reclaim public spaces in Kenya.
Land reclamation is a difficult process. The legal procedures involved as well as community mobilization efforts make it a tall order. Irene’s role as one of the co-conveners of Ecological Justice is to streamline this process so that public spaces can be used by communities. Different forms of public mitigation are needed. Sometimes, reclaiming these spaces means transforming them from dumpsites to children’s playgrounds. Grabbed land beign returned to communities through petitioning is another part of this process. Many of these injustices take place in Eastlands making it the centre of Ecological Justice’s work.
Through this work, Irene is championing a greener future for Kenya and equitable distribution of climate resources. Hongera to this eco-warrior for her tenacious spirit!
#OurGreenHeroes