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肯尼亚牧民种植抗旱树

In northern Kenya, recurrent drought and desertification [process by which once fertile lands turn into deserts] are hitting livestock-dependent communities hard. Families in the Samburu region are hoping to root out malnutrition¹ by planting 18 species of drought-resistant, fruit-bearing trees.

在肯尼亚北部，反复发生的干旱和沙漠化给牧区造成沉重打击。美国之音记者走访了桑布鲁地区，当地家庭希望摆脱营养不良现象，他们尝试的办法是栽种18种抗干旱的果树。

Early morning in Samburu. Ten-year-old Arlha Lenguris is having her only meal of the day, porridge mixed with cooking oil, before heading out to tend to her father’s herd² of goats.

桑布鲁的清早，10岁的阿尔哈·兰古利斯吃着当天唯一的一餐饭，那是掺合了烹饪油的稀粥。吃过饭，她要出门帮助父亲放山羊。

Her father, Mark Lenguris, earns about $100 a month. The family’s diet mainly consists of rice, polenta and beans. It’s what they can afford and what’s available.

父亲马克·兰古利斯每月收入约值100美元。全家的饭食以米饭、粥和豆子为主。他们买得起、吃得到的就是这些了。

Samburu gets low rainfall throughout the year. Drought is common. Herders can travel more than a 160 kilometers in search of green pasture.

桑布鲁全年降雨量低，干旱常见。牧民们为了寻找绿草地，可能要走160多公里。

"The grazing ground for camel, cattle and sheep is just so scarce so that’s why I’ve thought of some options of farming because there’s no ground to graze nowhere to take our animals to feed grass," said Mark Lenguris.

马克·兰古利斯说：“骆驼牛羊的草场太稀少了，所以，我想到了一些务农方案，因为如今找不到牲畜吃草的地方了。”

Lenguris started planting fruit trees about a year ago as part of a U.N.-funded initiative by Sadhana Kenya.

兰古利斯大约一年前开始种植果树，这是“修行森林肯尼亚分部”（Sadhana Forest Kenya）在联合国赞助下发起的行动的一部分。

Today, they plant Moringa Stenopetela. Its leaves can be eaten raw or cooked and are good sources of calcium³, iron and other key vitamins, like A and C.

今天，他们栽种非洲辣木。这种树的叶子可以生吃或熟吃，富含钙、铁和其它关键维生素，比如A和C。

“In an area like this, there needs to be more food production, a greater diversity, and with more trees they can provide it, especially [with the] food-producing trees that we plant," said Bruce Thomas, project director with the Sadhana Forest. "With greater diversity, comes greater diversity of nutrition that’s available, and healthier people.”

修行森林项目主任布鲁斯·托马斯说：“在这样的地区，需要生产更多的食物，加强多样性。扩大种树就可以做到这点，特别是我们种的能产生食物的树。这样，营养的多样性也就加强了，人们也变得更健康了。”

They are planting other trees also indigenous⁴ to the region that need little water, like African oak and desert date trees. The community expects its first harvest in about a year.

他们还在栽种本地原产、不需要很多水的其它树木，比如非洲橡树和沙漠椰枣树。他们预计将在大约一年后首次收获。