Champion of Nature

Following an environment champions training in Baraka Agricultural training in Molo in November last year, James Tangus, a participant at the training, vowed to implement what he had learnt from the training. True to his word, his momentum for success begun before he left Baraka when he took with him a few seedlings of grafted avocado and bamboo.

“Tangus has been all about trees, his love for nature and trees has seen him supply seedlings to the community around him and the SOCOFONA CFA which I am the chairman and Tangus a member” says Joseph Waitagei. “Recently during the rainy season we bought seedlings worth Ksh.170,000 from him as a gesture of encouraging him to propagate more and also in support of one of our own” he adds.

Tangus depends on propagation of tree nurseries for a living, providing him all his basic needs. “Recently I conducted a needs assessment on my community and found out that there a high demand for fodder trees now that people have begun embracing improved breeds of dairy cows and goats. With the knowledge I gained from Baraka agricultural college I started propagating seedlings and they were booked by buyers even before they were mature for sale.” He says.

“My income has also increased from the sale of bamboo seedlings and the hass avocado seedlings that are grafted. Though there has been dry spells all along, I am trying to maintain the seedlings that I have already propagated. I can’t imagine any of them drying up at all because normally I sell a bamboo seedling at a price ranging between ksh.150- Ksh.300 and hass avocado at Ksh.150 each.” He adds. Mr.Tangus also sells his seedlings at the nearby Sogoo Market in Narok County where he also gives free lessons to clients on how to grow trees.

We find Tangus as a strong willed man who will stop at anything considered a challenge by others. Located 6 Km from the river, Tangus fetches water from the river during the dry season using a donkey or a wheel barrow to water his seedlings that are located on his farm