KENYA: Planting Trees in the Face of Climate Tragedy

After a devastating mudslide claimed her best friend, Margizuu planted more than 50,000 trees in her community to confront climate change and create a safer, more resilient future.

Trees saved my family, home, and animals. Cathy's memory fuels my mission to ensure no one else loses a loved one to the devastating effects of climate change.

Growing up, my best friend Cathy and I were inseparable. My parents were tree planters who grew and sold tree seedlings for a few coins. Because some of their customers bought in bulk, Cathy and I helped my parents plant seedlings, water them, and even name the trees. 

As we worked on trees, my dad would talk about climate change and the environmental degradation he witnessed. When we had strange bouts of weather, I asked him if we could die from climate change. “Maybe!” he joked. Then my mother gave him a side eye for teasing me.

Planting trees made my parents popular. They were known for bringing tree seedlings to community events, where many neighbors didn’t have trees. But for some reason, Cathy's family didn't like trees. 

One day, forceful winds swept through my community, ushering in a torrential downpour. I remembered how my dad shared that climate change would teach us a lesson one day. We took refuge from the relentless rains in the store with our chickens and goat. My mother held me close, sensing my fear of the storm rumbling. 

The next thing I heard was a loud bang and people screaming for help. My heart raced. I asked my mother what was happening, but she wouldn’t speak. The rain did not stop for another two hours. Then, my dad stood up and went outside to assess the scene. “Oh no!” he yelled. My mother asked him what it was. He told us a mudslide had swallowed Cathy's family. My mother embraced me, knowing how much Cathy meant to me. 

It took me years to heal from Cathy's death. I still see her empty desk, hear her laugh, and talk to her every night as I go to sleep. In Cathy’s memory, I started a foundation called the Ukaha Youth Program that teaches people how to mitigate the risks of climate change by planting trees. I use my family's story of surviving the mudslide to drive home my message. 

With the help of my parents and NGOs, I’ve run awareness events at different government institutions. My hope and determination haven’t subsided despite a lack of funding. I used the tools available to me to share my story in the local language so everyone could be included in my program.

If you compare my village to what it was 20 years ago, you’ll notice a big difference. I’ve planted more than 50,000 trees in my community in honor of Cathy and her family. The soil is firm and protected, even when rain and harsh wind pass through. Nobody loses a house because there are no more mudslides and floods. I visit schools where we donate trees to students and encourage them to name them after their favorite things.

I have always dreamed of doing this in my community – making it a safer, more peaceful place where people don’t have to worry about what nature will do next. I still think of Cathy now that I have my own family. I wish she were here so our kids would play, plant trees together, and name them — to see a new generation making memories together. But I know she lives in my heart and watches over me and all the projects she motivated me to do. 

I’m grateful for my parents, community, and friends from home and abroad, who support me in being the voice of climate change in my community.

Cathy’s story reminds me that every day is a blessing because it can be taken away in the blink of an eye. Cathy and I played for the last time before she ran home because of the impending rains. I had no idea nature would swallow my best friend hours later. Trees saved my family, home, and animals. Cathy's memory fuels my mission to ensure no one else loses a loved one to the devastating effects of climate change.

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