Green Africa's Green Sports A Refreshing Break
12 Jan 10
By Jack Kwemba, Sports Editor All over the world Sports has been viewed as an entertainment with mass following helping to bring people together even in times of war.
As such with its mass following and unifying factor, the introduction of Green Sports in the country will go along way in helping saving the environment which has lately been under increased focus due to the deteriorating climatic conditions.Growing populations and human encroachment has become a major threat leading to destruction of forests.
According to Isaac Kalua who is the Chairman/Founder of Green Africa Foundation which is a world renowned environmental conservation organization based in Nairobi, Green Sports will go along way in helping save the environment in the country.
"From my experience Green Sports must be used to save the environment in the country and that is why elite sportsmen have been appointed by United Nations Environmental Program to serve as goodwill Ambassadors with an aim of spreading the gospel on the importance of conserving the environment throughout the world," Kalua said.
The Green Africa Foundation boss whose initiative to save the environment in Kenya especially in his home District in Kitui has earned him world recognition and has seen him presented with Head of State Commendation (HSC)Award said conserving the environment must be given priority and sports must be used in this initiative.
"Look at a situation where Moi International Sports Centre in Kasarani is full to capacity and each of the participants and spectators are asked to plant five seedlings. This will be a big boost to the environment," said Kalua who has in the past led Kenya's Olympic Games, All Africa Games and Commonwealth Games contingents along with officials in planting tree seedlings within the Kasarani complex.
The bespectacled environmentalist who spearheaded the use of plastic poles to replace wooden poles along the routes during IAAF World Cross Country Championships in Mombasa said a clean environment where rains come in plenty is healthy for a nation.
"Before the IAAF World Cross Country Championships was staged in Kenya, IAAF used wooden poles along the routes and when I saw that in Japan I felt trees were being cut somewhere and I protested to the IAAF President Lamine Diack and proposed to him the use of plastics instead of wood and I am happy that my proposal was accepted," he said.
After founding Green Africa Foundation which has hosted renowned sportsmen and sports administrators in Kitui where they regularly go to plant tree seedlings, Kalua's
Green Sports venture has proven a great success in Eastern Province which is well known for hunger and poverty due to long dry spells. Green Sports has been organizing races in Kitui District where participants race through the forest giving them a rare opportunity of having the feel of a cool and green environment in the countryside. "Whenever Green Sports holds any sporting event we ensure that every participant including spectators and officials plant tree seedlings and this has gone along way in creating awareness in conserving the environment in Kitui District," Kalua said.
He said time has come when conservation of the environment should be treated as a serious subject in schools by the Ministry of Education right from primary schools so that children know the importance of conserving the environment from an early age.
"In Brazil soccer is second to religion and I want say that in our situation let us make conservation of forests to be second to religion and this initiative can only be pushed through by the introduction of Green Sports in Kenya," said Kalua.
Among world personalities who have worked closely and supported Kalua's initiatives in Green Africa Foundation which has now borne Green Sports are the Prince of Monaco, IOC President, IAAF President, Edwin Moses, Japanese Foundation, National Olympic Committee of Kenya, Athletics Kenya, UNEP, Habitat and the Kenya government through the Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources.
| 
