22/09/2025
The Tale of the Two Brothers
In the dry plains of Kijani Land, there lived two brothers: Baraka and Shujaa. They both inherited pieces of land from their father.
Baraka cleared all the trees on his land to plant maize. He said, “Trees don’t give food. I need more space for farming.” At first, his harvests were plenty.
Shujaa, on the other hand, left some trees standing. He planted fruit trees among his crops, dug small water pans to collect rain, and planted grass along the riverbank to stop soil erosion. Some people laughed at him and called him “the slow farmer.”
But soon, climate change tested them. Rains failed for two seasons. Baraka’s land turned dusty, his maize dried, and the wind blew away the topsoil. He had nothing to harvest.
Meanwhile, on Shujaa’s farm, the shade from the trees kept the soil moist. His water pans collected enough rainwater for irrigation. His mixed crops—cassava, beans, and mangoes—still gave food even during the drought.
Baraka came to his brother in tears:
“Shujaa, how did your land survive while mine failed?”
Shujaa replied:
“By respecting the forest, diversifying crops, and adapting to change. This is resilience.”
From that day, Baraka joined his brother in tree planting, water conservation, and climate-smart farming. Together, they taught the whole village, and soon Kijani Land became green again.
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🌍 Moral of the story:
Cutting down trees and ignoring nature may give short-term benefits, but only conservation, adaptation, and resilience guarantee survival in the face of climate change
