Empower refugees in Zimbabwe to plant 50,000 trees

Thanks to your support, RCCA continues to help refugee families build resilience to climate change through tree growing and clean cooking in Tongogara Refugee Camp.

Since the beginning of 2026, we have raised 3,241 tree seedlings, including 1,300 seedlings ready for planting and 1,941 seedlings currently germinating. This means we have already reached 64.8% of our target of producing 5,000 seedlings by December 2026.

The seedlings include indigenous and fruit tree species such as Kenyan Croton, Neem, Masawu, avocado, acacia, and mango. About 400 of these trees will be planted in RCCA's one-hectare community garden. Thanks to the Camp Authority, RCCA has been granted this land as an expansion of our Nursery and Centre Site for the purposes of agroecology. The remaining seedlings will be distributed to households, schools, churches, and public institutions in both the refugee camp and the host community.

Alongside tree growing, we introduced the Tsotso energy-efficient stove to 30 households. The stove uses less firewood, helping families reduce fuel consumption while easing pressure on the surrounding environment. This work complements our tree-growing programme by reducing the demand for firewood as more trees are being restored.

After renovating our nursery following the devastating storm last year, we are not only producing tree seedlings but also vegetable seedlings as we ensure greater sustainability for tree planting and vegetable growing. We also renovated part of the RCCA Centre into a Climate Education Hall, where young people and community members are learning about climate change, environmental restoration, and sustainable land management.

Thank you for helping refugee communities protect the environment while building a more sustainable future.