Partner With Us
Completed Completion report

Young Climate Stewards

Young Women-Led Tree Growing and Stewardship

A two-year stewardship intervention in which young women planned, grew, maintained, and monitored trees with participating community institutions.

Period
March 2023 – March 2025
Location
Busia County · Siaya County
Two young people examining a stream and surrounding vegetation.
Illustrative image

Results at a glance

200 young women trained as tree stewards
1,500 trees established across participating sites
78% recorded survival at the twenty-four-month review

Intervention overview

The case for this work

01

Context

Short planting events can produce visible activity without establishing the site preparation, species choice, watering, replacement, and local ownership needed for trees to survive. Young women are also frequently invited as participants without being given responsibility for planning and monitoring.

02

Our response

The intervention placed young women in stewardship teams responsible for site assessment, species selection with technical guidance, planting, care, replacement, and survival records. Schools and community institutions agreed continuing responsibility for each site.

Beneficiaries

Who the intervention serves

Young women interested in practical environmental leadership and community restoration

Objectives

  1. 01

    Equip young women to lead practical, locally appropriate restoration work.

  2. 02

    Grow and maintain 1,500 trees through a full two-year establishment period.

  3. 03

    Establish clear community ownership and survival monitoring at every site.

Delivery

Activities and implementation

  • Stewardship training and site assessment
  • Species selection and seedling preparation
  • Community tree-growing days
  • Watering, mulching, protection, and replacement
  • Six-, twelve-, and twenty-four-month survival monitoring
01

Mar–Aug 2023

Stewardship and site preparation

Teams assessed sites, received practical training, and agreed maintenance responsibilities with institutions.

02

Sep 2023–Mar 2024

Tree growing and early care

Planting followed local rainfall conditions, with watering, protection, mulching, and replacement schedules.

03

Apr 2024–Mar 2025

Maintenance and survival review

Stewardship teams monitored growth, replaced losses, and transferred continuing site records to local custodians.

Measurement

Results framework

Result Indicator Baseline Target Verification
Young women lead restoration activities and monitoring. Trained stewards completing at least three monitoring rounds 0 160 Training, team, and monitoring records
Trees remain established after the maintenance period. Proportion of registered trees alive at twenty-four months 0% 75% Geotagged site register and physical survival count
Participating institutions continue site stewardship. Sites with a named custodian and current care plan at close-out 0 12 Signed site handover and care plans

Inclusion and safeguarding

Participation by design

  • Young women held team leadership and monitoring roles rather than participating only in planting days.
  • Site and activity planning considered safety, transport, care responsibilities, and accessible participation.

Risk management

Risks addressed in delivery

Drought, grazing, or accidental damage reduces survival
Match species to sites, protect seedlings, schedule replacement, and assign named local custodians.
Tree counts are reported without verifiable survival evidence
Maintain a site register and conduct physical survival counts at agreed intervals.

Sustainability

What continues beyond delivery

  • Transfer site registers, care schedules, and responsibility to participating institutions and steward teams.
  • Connect experienced stewards to future environmental learning and green-enterprise opportunities.
Back to Young Climate Stewards

Work with AYCP

Build practical opportunities with young people

AYCP works with institutions, community actors, and aligned partners who can strengthen programme learning, reach, and long-term value.

Discuss a partnership