Million Tree Growing Campaign Corporate Roundtable

Global Peace Foundation (GPF) Kenya welcomed Global Peace Foundation International Vice President for Strategic Partnerships, Mr. David Caprara, to its country office for high-level consultations aimed at strengthening ongoing environmental and youth-led initiatives. The visit brought together corporate representatives, education stakeholders, and development partners to accelerate the Million Tree Growing Campaign, which seeks to grow 45 million trees in alignment with the national ambition to reach 15 billion trees by 2032 and reinforce Kenya’s role as a leader in environmental peacebuilding through youth engagement.

Organized in collaboration with Chandaria Foundation and UNICAF, the Corporate Roundtable created a platform for representatives from Kenya Commercial Bank, KenGen, academic institutions, and Presidential Youth Fellows to identify practical partnerships that advance environmental sustainability and youth leadership. Participants explored ways to scale collective action around tree growing, community stewardship, and long-term development impact.

Opening the forum, GPF Africa Regional Representative and Kenya Country Director Mr. Daniel Juma, alongside UNICAF Country Director Winnie Rachel, emphasized the value of cross-sector collaboration in addressing environmental challenges. Mr. Juma noted that the initiative is designed to unify partners around shared goals rather than isolated efforts. He stressed that lasting impact must be rooted in character formation, youth empowerment, and joint responsibility. “We are building a movement that goes beyond planting trees to nurturing leadership, discipline, and national unity,” he said. “This consortium allows us to pool strengths, scale impact, and ensure that trees planted today grow into lasting assets for communities.”

In his keynote remarks, Mr. Caprara praised Kenya’s progress and urged stakeholders to deepen and expand the environmental consortium formed through GPF partnerships. He described it as a model capable of transcending individual projects and contributing to a global framework for environmental stewardship and peacebuilding. Reflecting on GPF’s work following the 2007-2008 post-election period, he highlighted youth-led restoration efforts along the Nairobi River where communities collaborated across divisions to rehabilitate ecosystems and restore trust. With support from global partners, including Martin Luther King III, tree planting and restoration activities evolved into sustainable community-driven ecosystems.

To date, under the leadership of Chandaria Foundation and Global Peace Foundation, twenty tree nurseries have been established across 16 counties, increasing annual seedling production to two million, with each nursery producing 100,000 seedlings per year. These achievements build on Kenya’s strong environmental heritage, inspired by leaders such as Nobel Laureate Professor Wangari Maathai, whose advocacy continues to inspire institutions and young people to link environmental protection with peace and development.

Million Tree Growing Campaign Corporate Roundtable

A significant moment during the roundtable featured presentations from Alliance High School and Lenana School, showcasing how educational institutions are integrating tree nursery programs into their learning systems to contribute to national climate objectives. Caprara reiterated that environmental action is inseparable from leadership formation. He also highlighted the growing reach of the Global Peace Foundation Presidential Fellowship and Global Peace Leadership Corps, which are mobilizing young leaders across the country to serve as environmental champions and community peacebuilders. Through these platforms, tree growing is evolving into a broader movement focused on responsibility, entrepreneurship, and national unity.

Million Tree Growing Campaign Corporate Roundtable

He further announced efforts to connect Kenya’s environmental consortium to Global Peace Foundation’s broader international portfolio, linking similar initiatives across Asia, Latin America, and Africa. By engaging partners in global climate forums, including international summits such as COP17 in Mongolia, the Million Tree Growing Campaign is positioned as a flagship demonstration of how environmental restoration can advance peace and development. Caprara also honored industrialist and philanthropist Manu Chandaria for his lifelong commitment to service, noting that environmental initiatives create shared purpose. “Environmental action brings people together,” he said. “It builds peace, strengthens communities, and creates a shared legacy.”

The forum concluded with renewed commitment to sustain the consortium as a long-term initiative beyond 2030, aligned with global development priorities and Kenya’s national vision. Through the Million Tree Growing Campaign, youth leadership programs, and strong institutional partnerships, GPF Kenya continues to advance collaborative solutions that restore ecosystems, empower young leaders, and promote lasting peace. Guided by its dedication to development service through environmental action, the Global Peace Foundation remains committed to initiatives that strengthen communities and create sustainable impact for future generations.

For more information on how to support environmental programs by GPF Kenya, visit Kenya | Global Peace Foundation.