An
innovative initiative was launched in Kenya as the international
community moves to protect Seas and Oceans in Celebration of World
Environment Day (WED) this year. The Art for the Environment,
is a joined initiative by Kenya Bus, Kenyan artists and UNEP to
raise awareness on the threats to marine environment.
For
three months, 5 Kenya Shuttles and 1 Msafiri bus will travel the
Nairobi inter-city streets and to the coast, spreading the environmental
message about this year’s WED theme Seas and Oceans. Fifteen
dedicated Kenyan artists working through the Godown Art Centre
and the Kuona Trust, including artists associated to the Banana
Hill Art Studio and the Ngecha Arts Association have volunteered
their creativity to this Art for the Environment Initiative, which
will be completed at the Godown Centre on 28 May 2004. Joining
the artists are eight young artists from the Kuruka Maisha Street
Children Project. It is an opportunity for them to gain experience,
working under the guidance of mentors. It is also an opportunity
for them to learn first-hand about the power of art as a tool
to raise awareness and build environmental consciousness.
The WED 2004 initiative “Art for the Environment”,
aims to promote environmental awareness through the arts, specifically
painting and sculpture. The initiative hopes to give more support
and visibility to the cultural scene in Kenya, while simultaneously
communicating powerful environmental messages to a wider public
through the universal language of art.
In Kenya, activities took place throughout the country, involving
youth groups, school children, environmental groups, and the general
public. The main national celebrations were organised in Mombasa.
Other highlights of this year's World Environment Day (WED) in
Kenya included:
•
Green Parade and Tree Planting Session at the City Park on Saturday
29 May 2004 to create awareness about WED and in particular, the
need to protect and conserve City Park and enhance the human relationship
with the natural environment. This parade brought together hundreds
of city dwellers including school children, in a move to provide
a forum for people to connect with others and share their environmental
experiences in the outdoors, to re-engage about the natural environment.
•
Essay, Art and Photographic competition among schools nation wide,
in relation with the theme for this year. Winners were announced
and best entries exhibited at a special prize giving ceremony
on Thursday 3 June 2004 at the Intercontinental Hotel.
•
Tree planting at the Aberdares Range Forest on 5 June 2004. The
initiative, backed by bodies including the Kenya Government's
Forest Department, the Kijabe Environment Volunteers and the United
Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) is part of the Responsible
Consumer Initiative through which UNEP plants sufficient indigenous
trees to offset its use of reams of paper at its headquarters
here in Nairobi. For the past three years, over 6,500 trees have
been planted in rehabilitation of degraded catchment areas in
the southern part of the Aberdares Range Forest.
•
Clean-up and Maintance of the Muthaiga-Mathare Roundabout on 4
June. This initiative consisting of the rehabilitation, beautification
and maintenance of the roundabout is part of UNEP’s move
to integrate cultural and environmental values into socially conscious
activities revolving in and around the strategic location of this
roundabout. As part of this project, the Muthaiga-Mathare Roundabout
will be used as a focal centre to spread these values in a beneficial,
socially-conscious way.
•
A Raffle was organised to support an environmental project in
Kenya. This year, "Friday's Arm", a community based
project in Mombasa, pioneered by the UN Person of the Year for
Kenya Guddi Birkigt was handed a Cheque worth Ksh. 100,001. The
cheque was presented during the national celebrations in Mombasa
on 5 June .
•
Environmental Rally on 4 June at the UN Compound in Gigiri. The
aim of this event was to engage UNEP staff members in a competitive,
yet entertaining way and make them reflect on environmental issues.
•
As part of additional activities to mark the WED in Nairobi, UNEP
offered support to the Nivea Environmental Run organized by Beiersdorf
East-Africa Ltd. An information fair was held later on in the
day at the Kasarani Sports Stadium on Friday 4 June, 2004. The
objective was to link the educational aspect of environmental
protection with an enjoyable sporting activity. |
