By Brandy Lellou | Program Director
Trees for the Future’s projects in Tanzania are just south of the Maswa Game Reserve and Serengeti National Park. Developing tree cover to create more climate smart agriculture is essential to increasing food production, protecting biodiversity and creating systems that can adapt to climate change rainfall and heat fluctuations. With support through GlobalGiving, the 1072 farmers we are working with in the Singida Region of Tanzania planted 977,294 trees in December, 2019.
Rains in Singida come in December and January. This is when the outplanting of trees occurs to ensure their survival during the dry season. However to prepare for the rainy outplanting season, farmers must develop tree nurseries and water them for 3 months during the dry season (September to December). It takes about 60 liters/day to water 1000 tree seedlings, which costs about 46 cents/farmer/day. GlobalGiving funds help support this vital element of tree planting.
Trees for the Future has three projects in the Singida region that are in different stages
Iguguno (Singida#1) is entering its final year of the program: In this project farmers have completed living fences and intercropping of trees. In 2019 they planted fruit trees and timber trees and a variety of vegetable crops, fully diversifying their fields. In the final year they will optimize their crop selection, learn to harvest seeds and to develop additional income generating activities from their increase crop production. These farmers will graduate in 2021, having completed a 4 year, 16 module field based training program. Each farmer will receive a diploma, endorsed by the United Nation Institute for Training and Research, certifying mastery of Forest Garden Techniques.
Tumuli (Singida#2) and Siuyu (Singida#3) are entering the second year of their project. They have completed 2 rows of living fence and completed some intercropping of nitrogen fixing trees. This year farmers will begin diversifying their land continuing to learn how to best diversify their crops with a combination of fruit and nut trees as well as vegetables. Farmers pick their drought-resistant and hardy crop portfolio to best meet the nutritional needs of their family and to respond to local market opportunities. The provided graphic shows the dietary needs being met by each crop.
Vegetable planting also occurred in December 2019, and farmers will be harvesting crops from February through April. Your ongoing support for this project helps us to continue to address the challenge farming communities face; as we aim to plant millions of trees across Tanzania. Thank you for your steadfast partnership in this work!
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