This is an Environmental Stewardship Training Program that seeks to build capacity in the communities adjacent to the forest namely ? Huruma Village, Githogoro, and Deep Sea. The project shall target organized groups of women in the communities. Currently one hundred and twenty (120) community members belong to social livelihood improvement groups. These groups are mainly made up of women and girls. They are currently loosely involved in casual labour for the forest sivilcultural activities in rehabilitation, reforestation, regeneration and general conservation work. There are also other women with high school education or equivalent who could be useful in the Community Forest Association if given skills and knowledge on conservation. The project is to train and enhance the knowledge and skills of these women but more importantly give them agency to take responsibility and leadership as custodians of community interest in forest management.

The everyday hardships that these communities face ? poverty, unemployment, poor housing and food insecurity ? are symptoms of deeper issues of disempowerment, disenfranchisement, poor political and economic governance, inequities, poor education and loss of values. We believe that these women who are members of the CFA but hardly participate, as is required, in participatory forest management, they often acquiescent and work closely with the forest managers and their male colleagues in the CFA almost without questioning. Friends of Karura Forest- Community Forest Association are like no other in Kenya because they have, as their membership, very wealthy as well as very poor communities living adjacent to the forest. We believe that if some of the women are given exposure and equipped with the skills and knowledge, they could be a great positive influence on community values and can change community attitudes in environmental stewardship. Some of them are very passionate about conservation but lack agency because of deficiency of skills to lead as stewards of the forest. Skills and knowledge of conservation methods, environmental governance and forest management practices would also give them confidence to participate in forest governance. They can bring about transformation in environmental governance and livelihood improvement.

The Karura Community Forest Association is working with women and girls in the surrounding areas to train them on environmental stewardship as well as train and enhance the knowledge and skills of these women but more importantly give them agency to take responsibility and leadership as custodians of community interest in forest management.