Planting complete · Mpimbwe, Tanzania
Working alongside local communities to plant trees on degraded land and boost food production.
As is the case for the majority of farmers around the world, growing a diverse mix of crops reduces the risk of loss of income if a certain crop fails, for example due to drought or disease. For subsistence farmers, growing a range of crops is also important to ensure they and their families are able to eat a varied and healthy diet.
In Uganda’s Namayingo District, subsistence farmers are primarily growing one crop – cassava, a drought-tolerant starchy root vegetable. While cassava brings several health benefits, relying so heavily on one crop means people are exposed to nutrient deficiencies.
There has also been a rapid decline in tree and vegetation cover in this area in recent decades. Trees are cut for charcoal, boat construction and expansion of conventional agricultural systems. This, in combination with monocropping of cassava, has led to soil erosion and depletion of soil fertility.
Project notes from Ecologi, our planting partner for this site.
Greening Mpimbwe campaign in southern highlands of Tanzania
Mpimbwe, Tanzania
Updates from the people planting it, newest first.
The project officially reached its target of supporting 240 households, delivering meaningful environmental and economic benefits across local farms, schools, and homes.
Lazaro Mkwama, an agroforestry beneficiary:*‘’All of the 200 trees I received and planted are surviving and some such as pawpaw and guava are already producing fruits’’.*
This hands-on training taught farmers step-by-step techniques for establishing bare-root nurseries to support seedling production and the hillside initiative, enabling them to independently raise and harvest seeds for diverse tree types (timber, fruit, fuelwood, medicinal, and native).
The practical format drove high participation and proved far more engaging than prior theoretical sessions, with hands-on concepts like "Double Digging" and "Seed Pre-treatment" significantly boosting comprehension.
The practical exercises fostered rich peer learning as members actively shared their own experiences.
The most recent of the 300 trees planted here for somebody's pet.
Every tree on this site still stands and still has its page. New trees go to the sites we plant now.
