- Source: Kaluki Paul Mutuku
Kaluki Paul Mutuku (born March 4, 1993) is a Kenyan climate activist and environmentalist, working to improve youth participation in decision-making around climate justice. He is the co-founder of Kenya Environmental Activists Network (KEAN), an NGO which provides a platform for connecting environmental activists. He focuses on African environmental rejuvenation, afforestation, organic farming and youth leadership.
Biography
Kaluki Paul Mutuku grew up in a rural Kenyan community in a family of three brothers and a single mother. He spent his childhood in Machakos, Ukambani zone in Eastern Kenya, where he developed his love for nature. He witnessed water becoming more scarce as he grew up, and the challenges his family faced due to changing climatic conditions led him to activism. He is a graduate of the Environmental Conservation and Natural Resources Management program at the University of Nairobi, and is inspired by the work of the climate activist Wangari Maathai.
Activism and work
Mutuku has called for safe environmental practices and proper youth inclusion in Africa. With forests occupying 10% of Kenya in 1963 and only 6% in 2009, Mutuku has concerns about the decreasing forest resources in Kenya. He encourages campaigning against environment-degrading practices. He was a member of an environmental awareness club during his college days, and since 2015, he has been part of the African Youth Initiative on Climate Change.
Mutuku has previously worked as an environmental education officer at A Rocha Kenya, training students, farmers and communities about organic farming, biodiversity conservation, and the SDG goals. He has worked as a communications lead at 350.org-Kenya team for the DeCOALonize campaign and at AYICC-Kenya under the Education for sustainable Development (ESD) project. The deCOALonize campaign pushed for the use of renewable alternatives rather than fossil fuel. He is also the Coordinator-Environmental Advocacy/ Partnerships & Networking lead for Youth Coalition for Environmental Advocacy & Renewable Energy.
Mutuku is currently the regional director for Africa at Youth4Nature, a global initiative calling for youth led nature-based solutions. He is also an ambassador for the Global EverGreening Alliance. In September 2018 he signed a letter addressed to Secretary Ryan Keith Zinke opposing the lease of public land to oil and gas drilling in California.
His organization, Green Treasures Farms is using organic farming, biodiversity conservation, tree growing, environmental education, and water harvesting to improve sustainable environment and income among rural Kenyan women and youth. In 2016, the Green Treasures Farms initiative nearly died due to unavailability of land. In January 2017, the initiative's new approach of working with different families that owned land brought a turn to the project.
References
External links
Green treasurers farms
Youth4nature organization
