Title
Tanzania
Project Summary
There are many good ways to more trees in the ground. In the Rorya District of Tanzania, near the village of Kinesi, seedlings are grown in a nursery and distributed to whom needs it most: women-lead households or families hosting orphans get priority. Local schools also get trees (often fruit trees) to plant on their premises. The project furthermore provides training in sustainable agricultural practices including permaculture so that the trees boost agriculture yield and food production. Families with larger and diversified incomes now enjoy better food and can pay for medicine. WeForest has worked in Tanzania for many years with Global Resource Alliance.
Working an irrigation system at the tree nursery
Restoration plot
Trees 8 years old
Seedling nursery
Region
Project Status
Restoration Approach
Target 2018
Project Partners
Global Resource Alliance
Project Goals
Restore native forest
Increase food security
Create access to clean water
Promote access to medicinal and other forest products
Latest Project News
Why is intervention needed?
In Tanzania, the destruction of natural forests is threatening rural communities and native wildlife: inviting everyone in the community to plant trees in a great way to increase tree cover and raise awareness. WeForest funds tree nurseries that grow hundred of thousands seedling, which are then distributed to households in difficulty, churches, schools and clinics, providing trees for fruit, fencing, nitrogen fixing in farms firewood and animal fodder as well as medicine.
Ecological restoration
Experienced agroforestry trainers and trained workers are hired to grow thousands of tree seedlings in the nursery. These employees develop the nursery, train other families in the program, as well as the community at large, on how to plant and take care for the trees. They distribute seedlings once the holes have been prepared for planting and oversee the maintenance and care of the trees. Trees are distributed to individuals, families and groups, like churches, schools and clinic. A variety of species are distributed to provide fruit, fencing, nitrogen fixing, firewood and animal feed and medicine.
Livelihood development
Tree distribution goes hand in hand with training on how to plant and how to protect them for the long term. Up to date, a total of 2500 households and 130 schools have received training and support to plant trees on homesteads, farms and school grounds. The project directly creates jobs: it currently employs six full time employees and 15 "guardians" (orphan caretakers), and directly benefits around 90 orphans. Finally, there are many thousands of local residents in Rorya and Tarime districts that benefit from the environmental enrichment that these trees provide.
