The University’s Students in Free Enterprise (SIFE) and COP (Community Outreach Program) clubs held the first annual Green Week at the University from 23rd to 28th November.

The goal of the week was to raise awareness about environmental issues and attendant solutions.

The week included activities like tree planting, green challenges and a clean-up exercise. The tree planting exercise was the first phase of a tree-planting project SIFE and COP are undertaking in partnership with the Safaricom Foundation and Total Eco-Challenge.

The students planted 400 trees at Consolata Seminary in Karen. They were joined for the exercise by Ministry of Agriculture officers who gave them tips on how best to plant trees. The second phase of the project will be undertaken in March 2010. The goal of the project is to plant more than 1000 trees!

The clean up exercise involved cleaning Madaraka Estate’s Ole Sangale Road.
The Green Challenges were the highlight of the week. In Green Challenge 1 students were asked to write essays, poems, draw or paint on the theme ‘making a green difference’.  In Green Challenge 2 students were challenged to wear it all green and participate in a ‘Scavenger hunt’, a game where individuals seek to gather a number of specific items specified on a list.

It was a truly exhilarating experience complete with cryptic clues and wrong turns.  Winners of the Scavenger Hunt got T-shirts and Movie Tickets for two courtesy of Fox Theatres and Kenya Airways.

Green minded students applauded the University’s efforts to go green by adopting use of energy saving bulbs, and developing Phase III in adherence to the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Certification - a ‘Green Building’ Rating System of USA.  LEED is now a global certification for green-building technologies that help cut-down on water and energy wastage thus reducing resource depletion and helping sustain the environment.

Green students encourage the entire University community as well to adopt practices and gestures that help preserve the environment like for example disposing plastic waste (water bottles, cups, straws) in the ‘Plastic only bin ‘located in the cafeteria. The plastic waste will then be recycled and used to make plastic poles which will in turn lead to less cutting down of trees.

Heartfelt gratitude goes to the sponsors of Green week, Safaricom Ltd, Kenya Airways and Fox theatres.