Christine Robby: A passionate Advocate for the Environment
Christine Robby is a CES Alumna currently completing her Masters in Environmental Science degree at the University of Embu, Kenya.
From the time I was a little girl, I have somehow known that it was nature that gave me life and that somehow I needed to learn how to protect and nurture my environment.
As the firstborn in our family, my mom was keen on my health and physical appearance. She always reminded me, ‘cleanliness is next to Godliness’, and so I had to take the responsibility of taking care of my surroundings.
It felt good to see our compound clean and most visitors would complement me for it; everyone who came around loved to sit under trees to enjoy the shade and a cool breeze. I loved to see the beautiful green grass and nature in general. It was a complete evidence of peace around us.
As a young girl, I felt it was hard for me to participate in other chores and also clean our big compound. Being a primary school kid, sometimes I felt like it was a punishment to do all that and also do my school work. This was the biggest challenge for me then, though nowadays I feel it modelled me to become a responsible lady.
My interest in studying Environmental Science began when as a student at Kimang’eti Girls HS, I became a member of the CES Kenya family. I later moved on as an alumna to study at University of Embu. Back then in my high school life, CES was committed to see that our school had access to clean water and that trees were planted. This made our school to be the most beautiful with serene surroundings. Being a geography student it impacted me much, and I began to plant more trees at home, with beautiful flowers. I was slowly changing to become an environmental activist.
I was keen on protecting mother nature, and for four years at the University, I understood that other than protecting the environment, we also needed to use its available resources sustainably and not compromise our future generations. I discovered that we were losing thousands of species of plants and animals, and that people were becoming more vulnerable to diseases, increased pollution levels, and prolonged drought leading to hunger and lack of water.
I was awakened to an unfolding crisis and I knew that something needed to be done to restore our mother nature. I managed to join Kenya Forest Service (KFS) Embu, with a goal to restore Njukiri forest by planting more trees. I joined the university environmental team to clean nearby towns and villages, and to create awareness of environmental safety. I attended different workshops on the environment and also participated in tree planting activities within our institution during environmental days. These activities have now become a way of life for me within my community.
Recently in 2022 I had the privilege of studying at Uppsala University (SLU) in Sweden. In as much as we want all species to exist, Sweden and Europe as a whole are experiencing a devastating increase in the geese population. It has brought geese into conflict with people as they invade the agricultural lands (Madsen et al, 2017).
This means there is a need to keep geese populations in check; otherwise, with time there will be food insecurity. Scaring is one of the most commonly used methods to keep birds and other animals from more sensitive fields. The research shows there is a need to evaluate the effectiveness of available scaring techniques used to keep geese from agricultural lands, moving them to alternative fields where they don’t cause damage.
As an exchange master student from the University of Embu, I was privileged to work with a research team working on a ‘goose project’. The topic was protecting crop damage by geese-effectiveness of different scaring techniques’. I managed to collect data from the field by testing three different devices (scarecrow/kite/inflatable man) using one control field.
I am working on analyzing the same data, so that the output will provide solutions to the agricultural sector and wildlife conservation agencies. The goal is that farmers will not experience losses and the geese populations will be protected and not harmed. It will be interesting to share my results with time.
My general experience in Sweden was super cool and I was impressed with how my colleagues were keen on environmental management and conservation. As a Kenyan, I was greatly challenged by how the country manages to keep its population low with less pollution. I fell in love with the outdoor nature and the people. Despite Sweden having the sun at specific seasons, they maximally use solar energy when the sun is up and thus conserve electricity.
They conserve water suitably and protect its sources against pollution. Everyone takes responsibility. I first thought that was natural for them, until I discovered that it was the people that decided to act. I believe change starts in our mind; first as individuals, then collectively as a group. The Swedes have shown me a mindset that we can all follow.
I am a committed environmental ambassador. I now have a renewed interest in promoting Environmental Science and Sustainability of the Environment. We must take action. Every human has a choice to make, whether to make a difference, or join the rest who see no future for humanity. The issues facing Earth are big, but not insurmountable. My goal is to see all of us apply very simple strategies; and, to learn about the small but important changes we can make in our daily life to reduce greenhouse gas emission, save water, help wildlife, recycle properly, replacing disposable items with reusable and limit pollution.
Society has a duty to empower students at all levels to act responsibly in sustaining and caring for the environment. It is as an important goal of education to encourage conservation of water and electricity and also to involve communities to support local and environmental friendly economies.
And according to Canadian climate scientist Dr. Katharine Hayhoe, “it’s not the number of people that matters, it’s how we live.” Her point being that climate change is more a matter of overconsumption than overpopulation. Dishi Ravi, Indian climate activist put it this way, “if you cause any form of environmental damage then you should be ready to take responsibility and fix it.”
I believe it is critical that we all become 'Champions for the Environment'. We can all do our part to create awareness of the problems we face in our respective countries. What I see in Kenya is a nation where people struggle to survive and where there are not enough resources left at the end of the day to do something positive. In as much as Kenya has been known for its wildlife conservation (the big five) and diversity of plant species, there has been increased death of wildlife recently, due to prolonged drought that has led to hunger and insufficient water.
We are living in reality; it is tragic to see innocent kids dying because of the problems we ourselves have caused. People are struggling to make the ends meet. The principle of ‘survival of the fittest’ now applies since the available resources can’t sustain the population. This has resulted in increased crime cases, theft, corruption due to dissatisfaction, and an epidemic of suicides among youth. It is hard for people to reach out and consider their environment when they are suffering so much on a personal level. It hurts to see people ignorant of the small things that need to be done as a routine. My cry is, “before we lose everything, we must act now.”
Our future lies in what we can do today, as individuals and as communities. Let's talk about it and create many calls to action. I believe major environmental problems that we face today did not appear overnight. They are a result of various forces working together; our technological innovation, our consumptive behaviour, and our pursuit of wealth along with the recent exponential rise in the human population. The challenges may seem overwhelming, but we can beat the odds if we take action. Imagine this, that we are the generation called upon to save our planet! Let’s be practical - now! Together we can make a difference. Change starts with us!
I am, Christine Robby - Passionate Advocate for the Environment
1st March, 2023.
Kakamega, KENYA
