website: kaburo kobia
The Isiolo Context
Participants, including Sisters, novices, and community members, spoke candidly about the local climate crisis: disappearing rains, increased flooding, and erratic seasons.
Isiolo, like other arid areas in Kenya, faces environmental degradation and climate-linked conflict. Drought, shrinking water supplies, and reduced pasture have intensified competition and fuelled tension between pastoralist communities. These resource pressures have hit livelihoods hard and disrupted access to essentials like food, healthcare, and education, especially for women and children.
The region’s unique vegetation, ranging from scattered acacia trees and hardy shrubs to drought-resistant grasses, has been shaped over generations by arid conditions and traditional grazing practices. This fragile biodiversity is increasingly under threat as climate change accelerates. Prolonged dry spells are reducing plant cover and drying up water sources, while sudden floods from intense rains wash away topsoil and young seedlings before they can take root. Native species that once supported pastoralist livelihoods and traditional medicine are disappearing, leaving behind exposed, degraded landscapes..
Why Faith Matters in Environmental Restoration
Faith was at the heart of this gathering. As Sister Rose said during the training, “Pope Francis reminded us in Laudato Si that we all have a responsibility to care for our common home.” Sister Mercy echoed this, saying, “We are mandated by our Creator to steward the environment, not exploit it.”
With more than 80% of the global population identifying with a faith, these approaches are not just effective, they’re essential. They reach both heart and mind, turning climate action into a personal, moral commitment.
A Model Farm
The six-acre farm will now serve as a demonstration site for the wider Isiolo community. It may be the first time an entire community of Catholic Sisters has not only been trained in FMNR but also embraced it, and worked together with pastoralist leaders to develop action plans for restoring both church and community lands.
With a charism rooted in ‘care for creation’ and ‘care for the vulnerable,’ the Holy Trinity Sisters are natural leaders in this work. Their rural roots and farming knowledge made them powerful contributors. As one participant put it: “To restore land, we must first regreen our minds.”
To mark the end of the training, a Mwarobaini (Neem) tree was planted at the Pastoral Centre. The Sisters and community members also co-created action plans to guide their next steps.
Participants proudly display their certificates after completing an impactful training session.
Sisters and novices attending the training
OikoDiplomatique co-directors Nkatha Kobia and Dr Alan Channer with Sister Rose during one of the site visits
A striking example of this is the spread of Mathenge (Prosopis juliflora), an invasive species originally introduced for its fast growth and drought resistance. While initially seen as a solution for degraded landscapes, it has since become a major problem, choking out native plants, degrading pasturelands, and even harming livestock with its thorny branches and sugary pods that cause tooth decay and digestive issues in animals. For many, the spread of Mathenge is a symbol of unintended consequences, how well-meaning interventions, if not carefully managed, can end up worsening the problem.
Faith, Diplomacy, and Hope
As their name suggests, OikoDiplomatique works to foster diplomacy grounded in shared values and mutual respect. Sister Mercy captured this beautifully: “God gave us the Bible as a manual for how to live, including how to care for the earth. If you want nature to treat you well, treat it well.”
For pastoralist leaders from Turkana and Samburu, trust is essential in planning for the future, and they trust the Church. This trust is key in addressing land and resource conflicts.
In Isiolo, what began as a training has grown into something greater: a movement. A movement to restore degraded lands, rebuild relationships, and rekindle hope, one stump, one community, one acre at a time.
Invasive mathenge species spotted in the 6 acre farm
OikoDiplomatique Programme Assistant Zuhura Juma with Sister Grace on a site visit, exemplifying OikoDiplomatique’s inter-faith approach
Restoration action planning with the Holy Trinity Sisters and Maryan Ntausian, founder and director of Baringo-based CBO Community Land and Environmental Protection Agency
A novice waters the neem tree planted to commemorate the occasion, as Nkatha and Sister Rose look on.
How the Shared Journey Began
TThe journey began with a pre-visit on 2nd and 3rd April 2024. During this time, the OikoDiplomatique team met local leaders, assessed community needs, and tailored the FMNR training to suit the Isiolo context.
The training itself took place on the 8th and 9th of April at the Pastoral Centre of the Catholic Diocese of Isiolo. It was chaired by Nkatha Kobia, co-Director of OikoDiplomatique, with sessions delivered by World Vision Kenya experts Anthony Mativo and Grace Ngumbi. Valuable insights were also shared by community leader Maryan Ntausian, founder and director of Baringo-based CBO Community Land and Environmental Protection Agency, Simon Ngawasa, Ngaremara Area Manager, Rhoda Mwendwa from Caritas Isiolo and Dr Alan Channer, co-Director of OikoDiplomatique and a Senior Fellow of the Global EverGreening Alliance.
The seeds of this initiative were actually sown years earlier when Sister Cathy attended a faith-based FMNR training and felt compelled to act. Read more on the Global Sisters Report website >>
Sister Cathy dedicated six acres of the Sisters’ land for restoration, but early efforts were hampered, including by broken fences from elephant damage, uprooted trees, stolen water pipes, vandalised equipment, and the harsh struggle against drought. Looking for deeper expertise and support, she reached out to OikoDiplomatique, known for working at the intersection of land, climate, and conflict through a faith-based lens.
This phenomenon has given rise to what some call the “green desert”, areas that appear lush from a distance but lack ecological diversity and usefulness to local communities. These spaces may be green, but they no longer support traditional livelihoods or restore ecosystem balance. They are, in effect, deserts in disguise, further compounding the effects of climate change and deepening community vulnerability.
In the face of these challenges, past interventions offer a measure of hope. Though the USAID Nawiri nutrition programme in Isiolo has ended, its legacy remains. By supporting peacebuilding and income-generating activities, Nawiri helped communities build cohesion and navigate insecurity. From our conversations with locals, it’s clear that the programme also helped shift mindsets around livelihoods. While it’s not a direct line, these earlier efforts, combined with the leadership of trusted faith actors, may have paved the way for community-driven land restoration, easing tension and supporting long-term peace. They also prepared the ground for the easier adoption of new solutions like FMNR.
Restoring Land, Rekindling Hope: Holy Trinity Sisters Embrace Farmer-Managed Natural Regeneration in Isiolo
World Vision team demonstrating FMNR principles at the 6 acre farm
FMNR helps farmers diversify their livelihoods by enabling a range of on‐farm and off‐farm activities, sustainable fuelwood and charcoal production; high‐quality fodder for livestock; fruits, nuts and other non‐timber products; flowering species for beekeeping; small nurseries selling tree seedlings; and improved soil health for higher‐value crops. Together, these interconnected activities reduce farmers’ dependence on a single crop or income source, helping them adapt to fluctuating market conditions, shifting demand, and rising input costs, while also enriching diets and quietly strengthening resilience in arid and semi-arid landscapes.
It was clearly emphasised: FMNR is not a substitute for tree planting, it complements it. FMNR tends to work best in drylands; tree planting is usually more suitable for wetter areas.
April 2025
A blog by Carolyne Bii
In early April, OikoDiplomatique travelled to Isiolo County in northern Kenya for a special purpose: to facilitate a unique training on Farmer-Managed Natural Regeneration (FMNR). The event brought together the Institute of the Holy Trinity Sisters, a congregation of Catholic sisters, with experts from World Vision, invited by OikoDiplomatique to lead the sessions. It was more than a workshop; it was a meaningful meeting of minds where faith and science came together to imagine new possibilities for restoring both land and community.
This could well mark the first time an entire congregation of Catholic sisters has been trained in FMNR, and the first time they’ve sat side by side with pastoralist leaders from the Turkana, Samburu, and Borana communities to co-create restoration plans for both church and communal lands. For the Holy Trinity Sisters, whose mission is rooted in caring for creation and the vulnerable, FMNR felt like a natural continuation of their values. Many of the Sisters have rural backgrounds and a deep connection to the land.
What is FMNR?
Farmer-Managed Natural Regeneration (FMNR) is a low-cost, community-led land restoration approach pioneered by Tony Rinaudo. While in the arid lands of Niger, Tony saw more than just barren sand, he saw the potential for a hidden forest underground. FMNR focuses on regenerating native vegetation by selecting and protecting live stumps, managing regrowth through pruning, and letting nature heal itself. It boosts biodiversity, soil health, and water retention, especially critical in dry areas like Isiolo.
Participants learned to identify key species worth regenerating, whether for medicine, food, cultural use, fodder, or timber, and how to apply zoning for grazing, crops, and regeneration. The training also explored assisted natural regeneration using indigenous species like acacia or drought-resistant grasses.
OikoDiplomatique’s Carolyne Bii facilitating the the takeaway session on the final day
The training sparked not only practical learning but also rich interfaith and intergenerational conversations. Trust quickly emerged as a key theme, trust in the FMNR method, and in one another. A Borana Muslim youth leader reminded the group that both the Quran and the Bible speak of caring for the earth, affirming that land restoration is a shared calling.
Although this was a new partnership in Isiolo, the collaboration between OikoDiplomatique and World Vision as faith-based organisations is longstanding. Both work where land restoration, peacebuilding, and gender equality intersect, and in Isiolo, those shared values were not just discussed; they were lived out, in action and in prayer.
Why Faith Matters in Environmental Restoration
Faith was at the heart of this gathering. As Sister Rose said during the training, “Pope Francis reminded us in Laudato Si that we all have a responsibility to care for our common home.” Sister Mercy echoed this, saying, “We are mandated by our Creator to steward the environment, not exploit it.”.
With more than 80% of the global population identifying with a faith, these approaches are not just effective, they’re essential. They reach both heart and mind, turning climate action into a personal, moral commitment.
FMNR field demonstration by World Vision >>
Simon, the area manager and Sister Rose at the 6 acre farm where he helped the team identify indigenous species.