Green Care Habitat was founded in 2001 but it was not until April 2003 when the organization was finally registered under section 10 of the Non Governmental Organization Coordination act.
GRECAH was founded with an initial core objective of addressing Environmental Conservation and Management for better sustainable development. With Kenya being an agro -based economy whose society’s livelihood rotates around agriculture, it has been over the time adversely affected by lack of enough rains, regular floods and prolonged periods of droughts hence resulting to famines and food shortage. GRECAH was just on the right track by joining other Organizations in the fight against desertification as it was the issue of major concern.
But as things were never to be like before when getting donor funding was easy. Donor funding has always remained a tall ask for us in trying to get the organization grow on donor funding
Come 2003 prior to the application for registration, things became apparent that donors would only fund a few selected established NGO’s already in operation and channel most funds through government agencies. This further complicated our strategy on how GRECAH was to achieve its main objectives of Environmental Conservation and Management for better sustainable livelihood.
Targeting Women and Youth, it is this particular aspect that made GRECAH change track and widen its core objectives to cover other aspects of peoples lives. As luck would have it the other two objectives had already been captured in the Organization’s name. So it was easy to incorporate Poverty Alleviation and HIV/ Aids and other national health concerns. Hence on application for registration GRECAH got registered to address environment, poverty alleviation and HIV/Aids among other National Health concerns. Thus covering;
Environment under “ The GREEN and HABITAT”
Poverty and HIV/AIDS and other national health concerns under “The CARE”
Green Care Habitat – GRECAH incorporating Poverty Alleviation and HIV/ Aids among other National Health concerns really came in as a boost kind of solving our lack of donor funding. Today we have been able to get The Green Kenya Initiative Project running. Funds from the development and production of Information, Education and Communication (IEC) materials on HIV/Aids, Malaria, Rape and Youth, Alcohol and Drug Abuse have earned us funds which in return financed our Projects of on Environmental Conservation and Management and Poverty Alleviation Activities.
Since inception, GRECAH has been able to plant close to 500,000 trees under the Green School Initiative Project, involving the Youth in schools (Forest/Environmental Clubs) and Green Homes Initiative Project involving Women in the rural areas.
GRECAH started its operations since 2003 being accommodated in a shared small room with a staff of three. Today GRECAH has close to 6 Professional Staff hired on contract basis and almost the same number of Support Staff most of these on voluntary basis and some on GRECAH’s Internship Programme.
All that has so far been made possible due to the fact that every body at GRECAH understands the GOAL of the Organization as the key to realizing its Mission.
Having made it this far without Direct Donor Funding for our activities our greatest driving force is to keep the momentum going and make an impact not only in Kenya but the World over by realizing our MISSION “To make Kenya and the world at large a Green, Clean, Healthy and Wealthy Environment for all”
Proper environmental conservation and management will create a Green and Clean Environment.
Proper HIV/Aids and other health concerns awareness creation will create a Healthy Environment.
Addressing of Poverty Alleviation will help create a wealthy Environment.
Therefore we call upon all to join us and help achieve this noble course.
WHO WE ARE
Green Care Habitat-GRECAH is an International Environmental Non-Governmental Organization (Reg.No OP. 218/051/2003/023/2540) whose headquarters are in Nairobi. We major in creating an enabling environment for rural communities to appreciate the benefits of proper Environmental Conservation and Management for Sustainable Development and Livelihood in Poverty Alleviation. Our advocacy also targets HIV/AIDSAwareness and other National and Health concerns afflicting the poor i.e. Rape, Malaria, Cholera and Drug/Alcohol Abuse through development of simple easy to read comprehensive Information, Education and Communication (IEC) materials.
BACKGROUND
Green Care Habitat – GRECAH was founded in 2001 and registered in April 2003 to address the rampant environmental abuse in Rural Kenya but has now incorporated the fight against Rape, HIV/AIDS, other social vices and Poverty alleviation as they are part of the major hindrances towards Economic Revival in Kenya which has always depended heavily on Agriculture.
Most regions of the country once boasted of good, vegetation cover, good climatic conditions, ample rainfall and substantial water catchment areas, today is characterized by harsh climatic conditions (droughts and floods) due to wanton tree cutting thereby badly affecting the Kenya’s Agriculture Sector which has resulted to food insecurity (Hunger/Starvation) and Poverty.
OUR GOAL
To contribute towards sustainable development and improve the living standards of the Rural Folk especially Women and Youth through Environmental Conservation, Poverty reduction and the fight against the spread of HIV/AIDS and other health concerns.
OUR MISSION
“To make Kenya and the World at large a Green, Clean, Healthy and Wealthy Environment for all.
GRECAH’S AIM
To enhance environmental conservation as a key factor for sustainable development.
GRECAH’S OBJECTIVES IN KENYA
To prevent the spread of desertification through afforestation.
To foster the spirit of environmental conservation through education and demonstrational projects to the benefits of the environment among communities.
To help reinstate the country’s forest cover from the present less than 2% to 10% or more as it was at the time of independence.
To build capacity on the locally available resources for economic empowerment of the poor communities.
To Generate information, Create Awareness & sensitize the Kenya Society on the effects of HIV/Aids, Rape, Drug & Alcohol Abuse and other national and Health Concerns that afflict and slow down the pace of socio-economic and family growth.
GRECAH’S PROGRAMMES
Environment Conservation and Management.
Poverty alleviation.
HIV/AIDS and other health concern awareness.
Enhancement of people’s capacities through provision of knowledge by developing varied Information, Education and Communication materials (IEC) on issues affecting their day to day activities.
GRECAH’S TARGET
Green Care Habitat targets Women and Youth as they form 52% and 62% of the total population respectively and are also the most vulnerable sections of the community that are adversely affected by Environmental degradation impacts, HIV/Aids, Rape, Drug/Alcohol Abuse, Poverty Alleviation and other Social Vices.
GRECAH will target the following areas countrywide for afforestation and re-afforestation with a quarter being food-producing trees (Fruit Trees) and medicinal trees. All trees planted will always be indigenous and those that can do well in the particular locality:
Homesteads (mini forests).
Institutions Compounds especially rural & urban Schools and their environs.
Existing bare Hills and their uninhabited slopes.
Around water catchment areas and water bodies.
Private farms (Agro forestry).
Along main and feeder roads (both sides) within a spacing of 20 Metres.
In all, GRECAH will always advocate for a Green, Clean Healthy and Wealthy Environment for all as envisaged in the organization’s Mission.
PRESENT AND PAST ACTIVITIES
1. Environmental Conservation and Management
Adopt a Tree
Green Schools Initiative Project
Awareness Material
Green Homes Initiative
2. Information, Education and Communication Materials
HIV/Aids Awareness Booklets & Charts
Join the Fight against Malaria Charts
Rape Booklets and Posters
Youth Alcohol & Drugs Abuse Booklets
TB Booklets
3. Poverty alleviation
Milk goat keeping, cultivation of sweet potato and white sorghum
Raising fruit trees and floral seedlings for income generation
Fruit tree farming
Indigenous vegetables growing
Please Click the button or link below for Voluntary Donations
Through the GRECAH Books for Trees Initiative Project -BOTIP, we have initiated the Adopt a Tree programme , in which we plant a tree in specified areas and taken care of in honour of you..
Green Care Habitat was founded in 2001 but it was not until April 2003 when the organization was finally registered under section 10 of the Non Governmental Organization Coordination act.
