trees

Trees are a vital resource for rural poor communities in Africa. They provide shade and shelter, help to prevent soil erosion, restore degraded land, and can be a valuable source of food and nutrition. tackling poverty and improving the lives of local communities.

Tree planting is also one of the most effective ways to mitigate the effects of climate change. A single mature tree can remove upwards of 25kgs of harmful greenhouse gases out of the atmosphere. But carbon sequestration is not the main reason why African families plant on their small farms. Trees offer a ‘win win’ for African communities – as rural poor families, while least responsible, are amongst the most vulnerable to the effects of climate change.

Countries across Africa are playing their part in worldwide efforts to plant more trees and help combat the climate emergency. Self Help Africa recently planted close to 350,000 tree seedlings as part of Ethiopia’s recent reforestation efforts, while states along the southern fringes of the Sahara Desert are engaged in a massive campaign to plant a ‘Great Green Wall’ of trees, to halt the desert’s southwards spread.

At Self Help Africa, tree planting is an important part of the mix of activity on small farms. As conditions become hotter, rainfall more unpredictable, and extreme weather events more widespread, tree planting is more important than ever.

In Africa, millions of people are surviving on land with diminished and declining productivity. Our tree planting work is helping vulnerable poor farming households adapt to, and cope with the effects of climate change in their lives.

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