Senator Asige roots for climate-smart feeding programme at Treeside Special School

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Senator Crystal Asige has praised a new climate-smart agriculture project rolled out at Treeside Special School in Nairobi as a powerful model of inclusive innovation.

The initiative, led by Elizabeth Wathuti’s Green Generation Initiative (GGI), introduces a permaculture learning and feeding garden to support learners with disabilities. Treeside becomes the first institution in Kenya to benefit.

“This is inclusive climate action in practice,” said Ms Asige, who also serves as Secretary General of the Kenya Disabled Parliamentarians Association.

“It shows how the environment can be part of the solution to nutrition and disability inclusion,” she said.

The garden features vertical hydroponics, a chicken coop, and a food forest. It is designed to boost nutrition, teach sustainability, and generate income.

GGI founder Ms Wathuti said the chicken unit now delivers over 6,000 eggs monthly, providing reliable protein for the school’s feeding programme.

The hydroponic garden is already producing vegetables, with peak yields expected to hit 20kg per day.

“We’re solving hunger, teaching green skills, and building resilience,” said Ms Wathuti. 
“Our plan is to scale this to at least 100 schools.”

Treeside Head Teacher Salome called the project “a blessing,” saying it had solved a major challenge for the school.

“Our learners now know where their food comes from—and it’s right here at home,” she said.

Officials from the Ministry of Environment, Ministry of Agriculture, National Treasury, and several development partners attended the handover.

Among them were Mercy Corps, The Nature Conservancy, Safaricom Foundation, and the Kenya Community Development Foundation. The Belgian and French embassies also sent representatives.

The Treeside garden will serve as a Centre of Excellence, training other schools and Eco-Clubs across Nairobi and beyond.