In the wake of devastating floods that have wreaked havoc in low-lying communities around the country, the Tujiamini Initiative, powered by SportPesa, came out on Friday to support the rehabilitation and cleanup of the Ngong River in Nairobi’s Nyayo Highrise Ward.

In partnership with Empowering the Community (ETCO), an environmental activist group, and other humanitarian agencies, Tujiamini mobilized residents and volunteers to help restore the river’s health along a one-kilometer stretch by clearing refuse and flotsam that came downstream with the floods. This was in addition to a tree planting exercise to mark National Tree Planting Day in memory of the lives lost due to flooding experienced in various parts of the country.

ETCO, spearheaded by the founder, Collince Onyango, also a Nondies rugby player, raised concern regarding the challenges and other risks of environmental damage on account of flooding, such as river blockage due to floating debris going downstream, most of which gets deposited at various intersections, thus affecting communities along the river.

 

“We have witnessed unprecedented flooding and backflow in people’s houses, heavily impacting families along the river. In this time of devastation characterized by the unfortunate loss of life and homes, schools, businesses, and general disruption of livelihoods, the environment might not feature highly on the priority list. Still, by kick-starting efforts to clean up the neighborhoods and reducing vectors for risks such as disease due to blockage of streams and such water bodies, we can quickly help restore the affected community's well-being, among other efforts in recovery," said Onyango.

During the exercise, the Tujiamini Initiative, a grassroots sports and talent support endeavor, donated Kshs500,000 worth of essential foodstuffs and other consumables to support 300 families who were impacted by the floods along the river. There is a clear intersection between sports and environmental responsibility. Tujiamini is taking a proactive stance in addressing the urgent needs brought about by the ongoing heavy rains. Our commitment in this regard extends beyond sporting and talent-related activities, by supporting sustainable and positive community initiatives with the aim of
improving living conditions for affected residents,” said Willis Ojwang, Communication and Advertising Manager, at SportPesa.

The community members participated in a sensitization exercise by ETCO and Tujiamini emphasizing the importance of environmental responsibility towards making a collective impact, with plans of extending the exercise throughout the year to mitigate immediate and future risks posed by overflowing rivers and flooding scenarios.

Also at the exercise were representatives from the local government, who underscored the importance of community-driven environmental stewardship.