Rwanda Aid Tree Nurseries – supporting livelihoods and carbon capture
Rwanda Aid supports the establishment and maintenance of tree nurseries in southwest Rwanda – there are currently 15. These are community nurseries that provide tree seedlings vital for people struggling to make a living on small plots of land.
Trees help people to become more self-sufficient through use and sale of their products - timber, firewood and fruit - as well as soil improvement, better crops and health.
Supporting the tree nurseries can also contribute to mitigation for your carbon release.
Community tree nurseries in Rwanda
Each tree nursery:
Costs around £1200 to establish
Costs £600 p.a. to maintain (£9,000 pa for 15 nurseries)
Produces around 20,000 - 30,000 tree seedlings p.a.
We are currently fundraising for maintenance costs for 2012 and 2013
The tree nurseries are requested by community members, who then provide the manual work in building the tree nurseries, transport of manure, transplanting seedlings, watering and keeping an eye on seedlings as they grow. Training and advice is given by Rural Development Interdiocesan Service staff, who use Rwanda Aid funds to purchase materials such as transplanting pots, manure, watering cans and seeds.
Tree seedlings are distributed free of charge to needy people in the community. The trees are planted on farmer’s smallholdings and community woodlots to provide building timber, firewood, fruit to combat malnutrition, soil conservation and income. There are many other direct and indirect benefits from planting trees – see the list below.
Trees:
Provide food – fruit, nuts, seeds, leaves
Provide renewable firewood, building timber and charcoal
Provide livestock fodder
Provide medicines from roots, bark, leaves and seeds
Provide an income from these products
Absorb C0and store carbon
Absorb other air pollution
Provide oxygen
Provide shade from sun for crops, livestock and people
Increase rainwater percolation into soil
Reduce soil erosion on steep slopes
Increase soil fertility - Nitrogen fixing species
Increase health and wellbeing – physically, mentally and spiritually
Provide wildlife habitats
Donations give valuable support for growing trees in Rwanda and mitigate your carbon release
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