Rwandan charity Compagnie Agricole Environment (CAE) will train 60 local students to plant and protect 60,000 life-giving trees. These trees will provide food, water and income for their families by bearing fruits to improve nutrition, protecting their cattle's water supply from evaporation and boosting their crop harvests by enriching the soil.
Much of Rwanda was stripped of its native trees long ago. Recently, the farming communities of the Karangazi Sector of Eastern Rwanda, about 60,000 people, have been hit by a devastating drought and winds that blow away the dry, exposed soil. Farmers have seen their livestock die and their crops fail from lack of water. Families are malnourished due to limited diversity in local crops; often only potatoes, sorghum and maize. Young students want to help but are unsure how they can contribute.
Trees can breathe life into the land. CAE will establish clubs in three schools to teach students about the value of trees. Students will plant: 200 fruit trees near schools, 15,000 drought-tolerant Grevillea trees in their families' fields, 15,000 Calliandra trees to feed grazing cattle, 4,800 fruit trees around farmhouses and 25,000 trees on farm boundaries. A Tree Guardian scheme will assign planters and caretakers, provide water to help trees take root and motivate students with games.
Trees will provide shade, fruits, firewood, food for farm animals and protection against extreme weather, as well as conserving water supplies. Your contribution will initially support planting over a two-year period. Students will learn how trees positively impact their lives and the environment. The new environmental clubs will equip these young people with the skills they need to continue practices at home and teach others to do the same - improving villagers' land and lives into the future.
This project has provided additional documentation in a PDF file (projdoc.pdf).
