Bringing hope to rural Kenya
Photo story
People in rural Kenya depend on the land – but in their struggle to make a living, they often resort to practices like charcoal burning, over-grazing and illegal logging which damage the environment that supports them. Award-winning photographer Brent Stirton and WWF campaigner Anthony Field travelled to Mombasa and the Rift Valley to see how WWF is working with local communities to break this vicious circle by developing sustainable livelihoods.
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Brent and Anthony witnessed the devastating effects of deforestation and poor farming practices. Soil erosion makes land unsuitable for farming and the resulting loose soil causes rivers and lakes to silt-up, drastically reducing a community’s water supply.
But they also saw more encouraging signs: community tree nurseries; local fish farms; plantations growing papyrus for making mats and furniture; and craft cooperatives carving sustainably-sourced timber.
Local people showed them how these environment-friendly initiatives, developed with WWF staff who live and work in the community, are providing more opportunities and turning a vicious circle into a virtuous one.
Brent is a senior staff photographer at Getty Images, New York.