Kenya: Girls in Kenya Are Repurposing the Invasive Mathenge Tree Into Furniture

Kakuma, Kenya — Char Tito is 16 years old. She is hammering nails into wood at Kakuma Arid Zone Secondary School. Tito is making a traditional chair outside one of the classrooms under the hot sun.

The wood she uses comes from a local tree called mathenge. This species, known as Prosopis juliflora, is native to Central and South America. Many locals dislike mathenge because it invades land and has sharp thorns that can injure livestock.

Residents say rivers and dams dry up quickly where mathenge grows. Despite this, they have found it useful for firewood and charcoal over the years.

Now, young people are repurposing mathenge to make furniture like chairs. Tito fled war in South Sudan in 2017 and now lives in Kakuma Refugee Camp. "Plastic chairs are expensive," she explains. "That's why I started making chairs from mathenge."

She learned this skill at school. "Mathenge is abundant here," she says. "We’ve used it for firewood but didn’t know we could make chairs."

Income-Generating Scheme

Kakuma's land is barren with poor soil that can't support agriculture. The area receives little rain and can go five years without any rainfall.

Most trees here are acacia or mathenge, which stay green despite high temperatures and droughts. Government data shows that mathenge spreads by 15 percent each year, covering a million acres in Kenya.

Some locals use mathenge to build fences or shelters for livestock. They rely on livestock production and selling charcoal or firewood for income.

Dennis Mutiso works with Girl Child Network (GCN), which supports Tito and other refugees. He says the project teaches students valuable skills while contributing to climate goals.

Tito plans to sell some of her chairs to neighbors soon. "This skill will help me earn a living," she smiles.

Mathenge was introduced in the 1970s to restore degraded lands in East Africa. It resists drought well due to its deep roots but has caused problems for locals too.

Despite heavy cutting for firewood, mathenge regenerates quickly compared to other trees like acacia. Lewis Obam from the Forestry Commission notes that communities have negative views about mathenge because it harms livestock with its thorns.

"It was meant to combat desertification," he explains, adding that its hardwood is great for making furniture.

Protecting Environment

To restore other trees in their area, Tito and her classmates plant trees at school and home. She has planted five trees at home but faces challenges due to extreme heat reaching 47 degrees Celsius.

"I’m proud I’m helping reduce climate change effects," she says. Sometimes they bring water from home to keep the trees alive since water is scarce.

Trees absorb carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, helping mitigate climate change impacts. Kenya aims to plant 15 billion trees by 2032 through its National Tree Growing Restoration campaign launched in December 2022.

Magdalene Ngimoe also attends Kakuma Arid Zone Secondary School and has planted two trees at home too. "I hate mathenge; it complicates our lives," she admits but feels good using it creatively while planting more beneficial trees at school for shade.

Her family sells meat, and she hopes her new skills will help them financially too.

Edwin Chabari manages Kakuma Refugee Camp under the Department of Refugee Services. He acknowledges that what was once seen as a nuisance can now provide income for local youths through crafting furniture from mathenge wood.

With funding from Education Above All Foundation based in Qatar, GCN has planted nearly 896,000 trees so far across Kakuma and Dadaab camps aiming for 2.4 million by next year.

Ngimoe dreams of becoming a lawyer representing vulnerable children one day while enjoying science classes at school.

Established in 1992, Kakuma Refugee Camp houses around 304,000 people from over ten countries including South Sudan and Somalia.

Joseph Ochura oversees schools under the Teachers Service Commission (TSC) in Turkana County.
He notes that tree-planting initiatives improve learning environments significantly.
"When you visit supported schools, you’ll see large shaded areas,” he shares.
During breaks, students often sit under these trees; sometimes lessons occur there too.
The TSC received an allocation of 200 million out of Kenya's goal of planting 15 billion trees.
Some schools even maintain nurseries where they grow seedlings before planting them locally.
"Girls lead many tree-planting efforts,” Ochura adds proudly.
Tito enjoys English class and aspires to be a doctor while contributing positively towards environmental protection efforts.
"As a girl, I feel proud,” she states confidently about her role in creating green jobs within Kakuma.