By Dr Festus Onogholo | Project Manager-Nigeria
GlobalGiving News Letter - February 2025
Our Trees for Peace project with our GlobalGiving Partners and others is contributing to our planet becoming a forest sustainable planet…
With your donations and support, the One Million Trees for Peace Project is planting trees to create new forest plantations that will transform into vibrant, profitable forests and meanwhile create sustainable jobs for thousands of Africans. These forests will contribute to new economic frontiers for global growth and development.
As of December 2024, we have converted an incredible 106.5 hectares of degraded forest land into vibrant forest ecosystems, thanks to the unwavering support of our GlobalGiving partners, the Edo State Government, and the Board of Association Bernadette Strebel World Peace (ABSWP) Europe.
In 2024 alone, 16.5 hectares of degraded land were regenerated into flourishing forests, and we ensured that all planted trees were properly maintained. This progress is a testament to the collective efforts of our local community, forestry workers, and global supporters.
DEVELOPING A STRONG FOREST FIRE CONTROL STRATEGY:
Forest fire prevention remains a top priority to safeguard the trees, wildlife, and communities that depend on these forests. To protect the 106.5 hectares of planted forests, we established a fire-control strategy by creating fire paths (fire-traces) around the entire plantation. Due to the dry weather, trees were losing their leaves, so forestry workers engaged in daily sweeping of the fire path. Thanks to their vigilance, our forests remain protected, providing a safe haven for trees, birds, animals, and other creatures. We are incredibly thankful for this success and humbly call for more support to sustain these efforts in the future.
SUSTAINING OUR FOREST MAINTENANCE CULTURE:
Maintaining a forest is no small task, particularly in the early years when weeds compete with young trees for resources. In 2024, our forestry workers tediously weeded all areas, including the new 16.5 hectares, replaced dead saplings, pruned trees, and carried out road maintenance within the forest.
This work ensures that our forests not only survive but thrive. However, maintaining this, requires resources, and we are calling on your continued generosity to sustain these efforts as we step into 2025.
FOREST OPERATIONS FOR THE YEAR 2025:
We are continuing our forest regeneration in 2025. We have written to the Edo State of Nigeria Forestry Commission to demarcate 20 hectares of degraded land for forest regeneration. We have started the raising of 30,000 forest seedings and in June the Executive Governor of Edo State is expected to flag off the 2025 trees planting with some ABSWP Board members. His Excellency has sent invitation letter for them to come to Nigeria to do this with Mr. Governor on the 5th of June 2025. Greater Project needs greater support and we really need YOU to join us.
BUDGET FOR 2025 GENERAL FORESTRY OPERATION.
To achieve these goals, maintain existing forest plantations, and support the livelihoods of our forestry workers, we estimate a budget of $120,000 to $150,000. This funding will cover:
Your generous donations will support us to sustain the temple of work of we have achieved so far and carry out our plans in the future.
CONSOLIDATION OF FOREST WORKERS WELFARE-END OF THE YEAR PARTY FOR FORESTRY WORKERS:
They say: “All work and no play make jack a dull boy”.
At the end of the year, we had a gathering and gave "christmas rice" to the forestry workers and their families. The One Million Trees for Peace Project is grateful to Sir Christian Gut who made a generous donation for the "christmas rice" for forestry workers, the President of Association Bernadette Strebel World Peace-Bernadette Strebel for her financial gift to the Project manager and lastly the entire board of ABSWP and the GlobalGiving Partners donations that enabled us to pay the workers’ wages in 2024.
The Project manager and the forestry workers thank the President and Board Members of Association World Peace in Europe, the President of the Bauknecht Foundation Germany, our GlobalGiving Partners and our local forestry workers for the successes recorded in 2024 and at the same time look forward to a successful 2025 forestry operation.
Yes, it shows…
Teamwork Makes the Dream Work
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