Kenya’s water tower is burning and currently in need of urgent help to rescue the fragile ecosystem.
Throughout the past five days, winds and extremely dry conditions have burnt hectares of moorlands at Mount Kenya and the fire is now dangerously close to the forest.
Mount Kenya Trust, MKT, has since launched an appeal for funds to help arrest spreading fires on the slopes of the famed Mountain.
“We desperately need more funding for helicopters hours - dropping people and dousing the area with water and planes for surveillance high up on the mountain,”
The trust, an organization dedicated to helping preserve and protect Mount Kenya started a fundraiser on Wednesday within Kenya seeking help to douse the raging fires.
“In some areas, the forest is starting to catch – along with the bamboo regions. We are struggling to regain control.”
The trust is working with the Kenyan government and local partners around the clock, but resources and funding for the scale of the problem are scarce.
They announced local money transfer lines through which people could donate as well as their bank details. As at Wednesday evening, its crowdfunding appeal dubbed ‘Mount Kenya Fires had raised about £2,200 out of a target of £15,000.
The flexible nature of the funding module means they receive donations as and when they are made. Persons in organizations in the United States are also urged to donate via a fellow conservation outfit, the Tusk Fund.
If you are in Kenya, donations can be made via mpesa to Paybill 329142 and reference FIRES.
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