Tree for Health Program (T4H) is the corporate Social Investment (CSI) flagship project for AAR Healthcare Ltd. We started in 1996 to combat environmental degradation by planting trees within schools and facilitate improved health status among school going children and the community. Our tree planting aims at providing a perimeter fence, shade and fruits for the school going children, which also created a serene environment

T4H project has a long term strategy aimed at sustainability in schools and communities

OUR PILLARS

The Trees for Health programme has three key pillars/objectives:

1. Environmental pillar-
   
   Which aims to ensure successful restoration of deforested areas, thus creating an ecologically sustainable resource, while mitigating the effects of climate change.
   1. The objective under this pillar is to plant a tree for every 10 patients seen in our outpatient centres. In the 2017 AAR healthcare outpatient centres saw 367,450 patients which give us a target of 37,000 tree seedlings this year.The tree planting is done on school grounds, which leads in revival of a healthy environment through afforestration. This also helps in achieving in-house source of energy for schools, fencing, shade and fruit for school children and teachers.

1. Clinical pillar .
   Is the de-worming component that aims at reducing worm infestation and re-infection rate especially in children leading to improved health. This is done alongside basic health education, improving sanitary conditions and advocating for provision of water for hand-washing campaigns in schools.
   1. The objective under this pillar is to deworm 100,000 children each year in both public and private schools.
2. Outreach pillar
   
   Entails reaching students through career talks, mentorship programs and internships. The programme aims at bridging the gap between school and the work place where students are educated on how to make informed choices about their future careers.

The objective under this pillar is to provide career guidance and mentorship to 2,000 students every year through the Our approaches since the inception of the program have been as follows:

1. An annual tree planting day:-
   
   This is an approach that was initiated in the 2017 with the main aim of creating a CRS identify for AAR Healthcare. Our target in this approach was largely based on the number of patients that were seen at our outpatient centres in 2016 ( 367,450 patients )which give us a target of 37,000 tree seedlings this year. The ratio of staff to the patients seen has been increasingly growing with time hence the approach to involve other stakeholders and corporates to help us meet and surpass the growing target as well as create awareness of the program.

Last year being the first of a kind the event was a great success as we brought on board over 15 corporate organizations schools and universities to partner with us. Some of the partners included, AAR Insurance, ICEA lion ,International Peace Support Training Center-(IPSTC),Wildlife Clubs of Kenya, Kenya Forest Services(KFS),Rotary clubs USIU and Multimedia university among others. We planted about 8000 trees in 4 hours which was a great achievement.

2018 Annual tree planting day

DATE: 17^th November 2018

TIME: 9.00 am -2.30 pm

VENUE: Ngong Road Forest along Southern by pass

THEME: Called to cAARe for the environment.

To participate call 0703,655,000 OR  0709 701 000

2. Plant your age-
   This is also another very exciting aspect of tree planting aimed at encouraging our staff to give back to the environment through planting trees equivalent to their age. This approach runs throughout the year and staff are encouraged to ensure that by the end of the year they have all planted their age. This tree planting is done in different areas and its done during the long and the short rains
3. A tree per 10 patient approach–
   
   This approach aims at honouring our patients by planting a tree per each 10 patients. Through this approach we also encourage out patients/customers to participate in conserving the environment through planting tree our tree per 10 patients’ tree planting campaign we hope to make a difference in the community through tree planting and creating awareness on the importance of the same.
4. Making a difference a school at a time-
   
   Our tree planting is mainly focused on primary and secondary schools. This is in our bid to arrest environmental degradation in schools as well as the revival of a healthy environment through afforestation. Our tree planting is also accompanied by environmental conservation talks where we educate students on the importance of tree planting and conservation as a way of keeping the environment health hence translating to healthy individuals.

5. Growing up together-
   
   This involves primary school children in tree planting. Each child plants and takes care of his or her trees until they leave school. More schools join the programme each year. Planting trees connects school children with nature and shows them that their hard work makes a difference in the world.

The benefits a child gets from planting a tree

• As a child grows, so does their tree. This connection between the child and their tree leads to increased environmental awareness and care.
• Planting a tree is often a child’s first act of volunteering for their community
• Tree planting gives children ‘a sense of belonging’. When they’re planting a tree or a shrub, the child is literally putting down roots in their community.
• Psychological research shows a correlation between childhood contact with nature and better mental health.
• Planting a tree empowers children into realising that they can make a personal difference for wildlife, our soil and the environment.

6. T4H-Environmental lessons and demonstrations in schools
   
   We believe school children must take an active role in helping to green their schools and environment. This programme involves teaching the schools about plants and showing them how their efforts make an impact that they and their communities can revisit for years. T4H works with stakeholders like teachers, school administrators, students and parents to plant trees within the school. This programme pays multiple benefits by improving environmental conditions and providing multi-disciplinary learning for students of all ages. The information we share helps in filling the gap between planting a tree and cAARing for its growth to maturity.
7. T4H-Adoption initiative programme
   
   For sustainability, we have T4H champions from all our Out Patient Centres adopting the schools we partner with and our forest planting zones. They play a major role in ensuring the growth of all our tree planting initiatives. Since the adoption initiative, we have seen growth of at least 88% of trees planted since 2014 to date.
8. T4H-energy, conservation and biodiversity concept-
   This concept is about our tree planting choice of species (exotic and indigenous) with relevance to energy, conservation and biodiversity. The main source of energy in schools are firewood, exotic species will do well towards sustainability of the environment from there fast growth cycle. In the forest we plant indigenous species for biodiversity and conservation of the forest and the wildlife ecosystem.
9. T4H -Paper recycling to make pencil, sanitary pads, and tissues papers” Our paper recycling initiative in not only aimed at the aspect of reducing the logging towards paper production but also to create an impact in the venerable school. In partnership with Chandaria industries we are able to collect and recycle all our waste paper from all our Outpatient Centres, schools and other partner organization. From this initiative, we are able to make eco pencils, sanitary pads and toilet paper that impact on schools. The provision of sanitary towels to school going girls though our girl empowerment program plays a key role: by ensuring that the girl child gets an equal chance to education and other activities in school.

OUR TREE PLANTING NUMBERSOVER THE YEARS

Number of tree planted over the last 5 years

OUR TEAMS /STAFF PARTICIPATION

In recent years, T4H objectives have been achieved with the continuous support from the staff through the employee volunteer program that is entrenched in the staff performance and evaluation. Our employee volunteer program (EVP) ensures staff actively participate in our community engagement. By volunteering 8 hours each quarter to participate in a CSR activities, each staff scores 5% in the balance score card (BSC) used in performance evaluation. In a year AAR Healthcare staff are expected to have volunteered 32 hours in community engagement. The CSR program has inculcated a culture of giving back to the community thus building brand awareness, brand differentiation, customer engagement as well as employee engagement.

PHOTOS OF STAFF PLANTING TREES

OUR SPONSORS

Our kind sponsors over the years have been(We can just use their logos)

1. AAR Healthcare
2. AAR Insurance
3. IPSTC-International Peace Support Training Center-Karen
4. Lorenzo dry cleaners
5. Wildlife clubs of Kenya
6. Kenya Forest Services
7. Rotary clubs

OUR UPCOMING EVENTS-How can we make this event stand out in the website?

2018 Annual tree planting day

DATE: 17^th November 2018

TIME: 9.00 am -2.30 pm

VENUE: Ngong Road Forest along Southern by pass

THEME: Called to cAARe for the environment.

To participate call 0703,655,000 OR  0709 701 000