Enviro-Hension emerged from the vision of Wangechi Karimi, a passionate environmentalist deeply engaged in various community initiatives throughout her life. From her involvement in church groups during high school to active participation in university clubs, including Rotaract clubs and various organizations, Wangechi recognized the commendable efforts of different volunteer organizations striving to make a positive impact in Kenya. These community-based organizations were intentional about creating change but often lacked the critical information needed to fully realize their social and environmental goals. Wangechi's journey through these diverse groups opened her eyes to the profound gap in environmental education and knowledge dissemination within various communities.
Enviro-Hension took shape as an organization that seeks to empower communities with information and resources to undertake environmental sustainability projects effectively. This commitment to education and empowerment is at the core of our mission and the driving force behind our vision for a more sustainable future.
Kenya's economy heavily relies on tourism and rainfed agriculture, both vulnerable to climate change and extreme weather events. Rising temperatures and frequent droughts result in significant crop and livestock losses, leading to famine, displacement, and threats to human health. The country's predominantly low-lying coastline and surrounding islands face the risk of sea level rise, posing implications for the fisheries sector and storm surge protection.
For years the residents of Syokimau, a flagship community for communities in Kenya greatly affected by pollution, have suffered pollution, respiratory diseases and even death caused by the massive emission by factories in Syokimau. The factories release dark smoke to these residential areas, to the point of soot settling in the communities homes and property.
In early 2023, Kenya faced an unprecedented crisis with five consecutive below-average rainy seasons leading to the most severe drought in recent memory. Environmental and climate change issues in the Arid and Semi-Arid Lands (ASAL) region are escalating rapidly, affecting approximately 6.4 million people, including 602,000 refugees in 2023. This marks a 35% increase from 2022 and stands as the highest recorded number of people affected and in need of humanitarian aid in Kenya over the last decade. Among pastoral areas, herders have suffered widespread losses, with a recorded 2.6 million livestock deaths attributed to the drought thereby creating environments for bandits and banditry attacks.Schools and other social institutions have closed indefinitely as parents and students flee bandits attacks in different affected parts of Kenya.
In late 2023 over 80,000 families and homesteads were affected by the El-nino rains with areas in nothern Kenya seeing the submerge of markets, schools, hospitals and even police stations. The Kenya Meteorological Department had issued warnings of these heavy rains, despite the early on warning, the people and governments of Kenya were still caught off guard by the nature and state of the rains. These rains and the heat waves caused by climate change have created suitable conditions for the growth of vectors of disease carrying organisms that have seen a rise in spread of viral diseases such as the chikungunya and dengue virus, malaria. In addition the mass of waters have seen increased transmission of water communicable diseases such as cholera, bilharzia, typhoid. The environmental sustainability and climate change related issues in Kenya are an existing crisis, with very few of the affected communities having the knowledge and skills essential to help them navigate the challenges associated with these issues.