“Be the change you wish to see in the world,” is a famous quote by Mahatma Gandhi and Kenya Sevens star Kevin Wekesa is living and abiding by these words.While his performances on the rugby pitch have earned him recognition, his efforts off the pitch are equally impressive. The 24-year-old is on a mission to create a greener future, one tree at a time.Kevin Juma among four released by Gor MahiaWekesa estimates that he has planted around 1,000 trees across the country, a passion project that began during a national team training camp in Nakuru. It was at St. Andrew’s Turi School where he first discussed with the institution’s staff how the rugby team could contribute to environmental conservation.##NAJAVA_MECA_8690618##“As a Sevens player, you travel a lot, and every plane trip contributes to carbon emissions. We were at Turi School, and I was chatting with them about how we could help plant and take care of trees. They allowed us to use some of their land to start a forest, and that was the beginning of things,” Wekesa said in an interview with World Rugby.This initiative led to the birth of the ‘Shujaa Forest,’ which now consists of around 300 trees planted by the Kenya Sevens team, the school’s pupils, and staff.George Maelo on why Kenya Police are ripe to lift FKFPL titleSince then, Wekesa and his teammates have expanded their environmental efforts, planting trees in nearly 20 locations, mainly schools. They also educate students on the importance of combating deforestation.“Deforestation is a big issue in Kenya. People see it in the news but don’t always understand the long-term impact. That’s why I include education programs as well,” Wekesa observed.##NAJAVA_MECA_8684712##The Kabras Sugar RFC ace went on to disclose that he funds these initiatives himself through his salary and allowances.As if not enough, he is spearheading an effort to eliminate single-use plastic water bottles within the Kenyan Sevens setup.Timothy Ouma tipped to follow McDonald Mariga’s path by winning Champions League“At training, we used to drink from 500ml plastic bottles, and after training, the place was a mess. I thought, ‘Why not switch to reusable bottles?’” he said.And no better answer than reusable water bottles, now used by both the men’s and women’s national teams, proudly branded with the message ‘Play Green with Kevin Wekesa.’##NAJAVA_MECA_8684707##His environmental advocacy has even spread beyond rugby, influencing the national tennis federation to adopt a similar policy.Looking ahead, Wekesa hopes to introduce more sustainable transportation options for Kenya’s rugby players.Tegisi opens his Tanzanian account as Matano holds Simba from going topThe limited availability of electric vehicles in Kenya presents a challenge, but he has a track record of turning ambitious ideas into reality, and he will surely hack it.Shujaa are now sharpening their claws in readiness for the upcoming Vancouver 7s, scheduled for Friday 21 to Sunday 23 February in Canada. They will be looking to improve from their 10th-place finish at the Perth 7s in Australia.
