One of my favorite things about The Smile Project is the opportunity to connect with other people in the non-profit and social good space. As a grantee of The Pollination Project, I can connect with others who care about making their world better.
That’s how I got connected to Milton Oboka, the Co-Founder and Executive Director at One Vision Kenya. Keep reading to learn more.
Liz: Let’s start in traditional Smile Project fashion. Give me a “Happiness is.”
Milton: Happiness is a state of tranquillity within the body, mind, and the soul.
Liz: What is your organization and its mission?
Milton: One Vision Kenya is an organization that equips young Kenyans with skills and knowledge to become stewards of nature and engage in actions geared towards improving community livelihoods and environmental sustainability. One of our projects is Greening the Mind.
Liz: Tell me more about Greening the Mind.
Milton: Greening the Mind, promotes sustainable environmental practices through education in schools and communities in Migori County to enhance the participation of school-going children and youth in environmental restoration. While children are among the most vulnerable to climate change, they need not be considered passive or helpless victims.
Through education, projects and action, children can contribute to every aspect of climate change policymaking, mitigation and adaptation. Children are powerful agents of change. When empowered and educated on climate change, children can reduce the vulnerability of themselves and their communities to risk and contribute to sustainable development.
Greening the Mind has seen the need to intervene through educational and environmental restoration programs that change the mindset of school-going children and youths positively by inculcating knowledge, skills, and values on environmental management and sustainability. We hope that through the project, the younger generation will be inspired and engaged to value nature and develop a passion for green entrepreneurship as a means for their livelihoods, while at the same time contributing to local and national economic and environmental sustainability. The project, further, aims at helping children and youth to build community spirit and social cohesion, while also developing a positive attitude towards agriculture and rural-based occupations as forms of decent livelihoods.
Liz: What is the driving force behind what you do?
Milton: I am passionate to mentor and nurture the next restoration leaders of the mother Earth.
Liz: What does service mean to you?
Milton: Service to me means offering a solution.
I’d like to also include some impressive statistics. Through Partnership by World Vision-Kenya and Financial support from The Pollination Project, Global Green Grant Fund and Arigatou International, Milton has spearheaded the:
Formation Of Environmental Clubs in 38 schools.
Planting Of 48,000 multipurpose trees in 28 schools and hill-tops.
Recruit 1320 learners into environmental clubs.
Train 200 lead farmers on Farmers Managed Natural Regeneration (FMNR) and establish 5 community model sites through partneship with the World vision in the Re-greening Africa project.
Trained and sensitized 200 youths on climate-smart agriculture and briquette making technology.
To learn more or to get in touch with Milton and the team, visit them on Facebook.
