2017 Impact Report

IMPACT REPORT 2 0 1 7

CATIO U N ED

548,698 trees grown

Increase global tree cover, promote reforestation and appropriate tree cultivation

1,973

1,596

young people engaged in learning activities

12

projects reporting increases in biodiversity/ ecosystem services

327

350,031

people reached through awareness raising and campaign platforms

Foster an understanding of the amenity, ecological and economic value of trees

teachers and youth workers trained

hectares of land protected or restored

S

LIHOOD E IV

6,981

CA P

community members active in landscape restoration

12,061

smallholder farmers have increased yields

people who have increased their income Enable communities to develop sustainable and productive landscapes by tree cultivation

2,960

staff, volunteers and members trained

ITY BUILD C A

G IN

14,095

L

E

Our Impact in 2017

T

ONME N VIR N

Build capacity in community organisations to implement and advocate community-based forestry and agroforestry

199

Organisations with increased capacity for communitybased forestry & agroforestry

63%

women in leadership roles in partner CBOs

Introduction

= Number of ITF projects

One of the often understated benefits of our work is the social impact. Our projects highlight not only the value of trees and forests but also the value of community. All the activities we support bring together men, women and people of all ages, from primary school pupils to community elders.

UK

Coming together to tackle the challenges of deforestation, land degradation and climate change gives communities agency and improves cohesion, inclusion and resilience.

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More often than not it is women who are at the centre of these community efforts, spearheading sustainable natural resource management and improved food security and livelihoods.

Our Trees 4 Livelihoods programme in Mali demonstrates what women learning and organising together can achieve in terms of both natural regeneration and income generation from the sustainable harvesting of indigenous trees. It further shows the positive social changes that can be gained through economic empowerment.

1 MALI

2 GHANA

2 CAMEROON

4

3

UGANDA

1 ZAMBIA

1

Women are also at the forefront of our Centenary Campaign: 20 Million Trees for Kenya’s Forests; both in terms of implementation, and as important funders. TreeSisters are a movement of women from around the world coming together to reforest the tropics, and they are a key supporter of our work in Kenya.

1

KENYA TANZANIA

MALAWI

2

MADAGASCAR

The importance of the 20 Million Trees Campaign in restoring highland forests – the ‘water towers’ – that supply most of Kenya’s freshwater was brought into sharp focus by the drought that affected most of the country in 2016/17 and the recent flash flooding.

ITF also places great value on growing a grass roots community network across Africa by enabling community organisations to link together, share experiences and learn from each other through exchange visits and the African Community Forestry Network.

There is so much more potential to support community organisations and to give them a much needed voice with local, national and international policy and decision makers. And it is in all our interests that we listen to their voices, as they can lead us to a more sustainable and healthy future.

Andy Egan Chief Executive

Impact Report Key Number of trees Number of direct beneficiaries Throughout this report, find out how each project contributes to our four strategic objectives.

   

Livelihoods Capacity Building Education Environment 3

Trees 4 Livelihoods: the impacts for landscapes and families In one of the hottest countries in the world, where rain is scarce and most of the land is arid or semi-arid, communities are turning the tide on natural resource degradation.

simple way to encourage natural tree growth between crops.

The soil retains more water, its structure is improved and the crops are shaded.

We are in the Mopti region in central Mali, and despite this hostile environment, people have developed culturally rich ways of life here for thousands of years. Farming is tough, however it’s still the main source of employment for local people. But with increasingly irregular weather patterns, crop yields are unpredictable. As a result, many young people leave the area looking for opportunities elsewhere – whether in other regions of Mali, West Africa, Europe or further afield.

Anta started using assisted natural regeneration in 2013, when the Trees 4 Livelihoods programme introduced the idea that trees can be beneficial to fields. “We used to cut down all the trees before sowing millet, but we now see that trees can be an advantage”, says Anta. “The soil was degraded and if it didn’t rain a lot, the millet did not germinate. Hunger stopped us from receiving proper healthcare. All our income was spent on food.

After four years of intervention by local organisation Sahel Eco and International Tree Foundation, with funding from the Big Lottery Fund, much has changed for communities from 29 villages across the region.

Over 20,000 smallholder farmers have adopted techniques which aim to increase tree cover and improve soil quality.

Some 220 vulnerable people have gained access to land and been given the skills to restore it to productive farmland – also integrating trees into the system. And women have formed 20 groups which process and market tree products, providing them with additional income.

Anta Bouare is one of the farmers who embraced the techniques introduced by the project. Assisted natural regeneration is a 4

The first year, my crop yield increased. The second year exceeded the first year and the third year exceeded the second year!

Now that we practise assisted natural regeneration we can save for our children’s health and education.”

Assisted natural regeneration was just one of the skills taught through Trees for Livelihoods.

Zai is another traditional dryland technique.

By planting crops in basins with compost,

“ Now that we practise assisted natural regeneration we can save for our children’s health and education.”

the rain water and nutrients are kept near the roots, helping the plants to grow (see image below).

“ Ploughing degrades the soil quickly,

whereas with zai you can cultivate for 30 or 40 years without damaging the land.”

Amadou Traore (left) is another of the farmers who have improved their skills and are now using dryland techniques.

Amadou used to dig zai pits before the project, but he says Sahel Eco have improved the understanding and methodology of local farmers like himself. “Ploughing degrades the soil quickly, whereas with zai you can cultivate for 30 or 40 years without damaging the land”, says Amadou. Next year, he plans to extend his growing area using the zai technique to restore a degraded field on his land.

Uptake of dryland techniques has far surpassed the aims of the project. The impact for farmers has been significant, more than doubling crop yields when using the new or improved techniques. The success has brought enquiries from neighbouring communities, seeking advice on how to achieve similar results. This means that the skills will be passed from farmer to farmer, which will further the regreening of the drylands and restore natural resources.

Trees improve agricultural yields, and they also provide essential products in the drylands. Trees are particularly important to women, who are responsible for providing and cooking meals for the family.

Trees 4 Livelihoods supported women to organise themselves into producer groups in each of the villages. Through processing and marketing ‘non timber forest products’ from dryland trees such as tamarind, henna, desert date and jujube, women can earn money to pay for healthcare and education. And when communities see direct financial benefits from trees, they are more likely to conserve them.

510 women across the project area increased their income through these activities between 2013 and 2017. To support 5

But little by little, the men saw the benefits of allowing their wives to become economically empowered. Women now report that they are more often consulted by their husbands concerning household affairs.

“ Now we earn 500 FCFA for the same quantity which was sold at 50 FCFA before processing.”

sales of processed forest foods, Trees 4 Livelihoods opened a boutique in Konna, the largest market town in the area.

Awa Diarra (above) from Koko village was one of these women.

“For us, balanites was only considered good for animals”, says Awa. “We could not sell it as it was, and we used to throw it away. They came and taught us about processing.

Now we earn 500 FCFA for the same quantity which was sold at 50 FCFA before processing”.

Value addition has certainly improved the price women can ask for their products. But bringing women together into groups has had more profound impacts.

There is a network of peer support and more opportunities to socialise.

The women also form Savings for Change groups, pooling resources and giving out small loans to members. Fanta Katile from Takoulala village is one of the women who benefitted from a loan. She planned to start growing vegetables, but soon ran into difficulty trying to source good seeds. Quickly realising the business opportunity, she used the loan to set up a small business sourcing seeds from Sevare, a large town, and selling them locally. Fanta is now well-known locally, and is looking to expand her business.

But this change has not always been easy. At the start of the project, some women found it difficult to justify their participation to their husbands. In certain cases this led to conflict.

READ MORE AT: internationaltreefoundation.org/trees-4-livelihoods 6

By promoting trees in the drylands, communities are realising the benefits of conserving natural resources to mitigate against the difficult conditions and changing climate. In less than four years, Trees 4 Livelihoods has had a positive effect on both the environment and the lives of over 20,000 people.

97,250

3,950

Achievements: 510

Women with increased income People

20,000 with raised awareness on dryland farming

Project Focus

Katondo Women’s Club strengthen community action in Zambia Chiwa village is found in the Lundazi District of Zambia. The surrounding landscape is severely degraded due to clearance for agriculture and charcoal. Wildfires have destroyed much of what was left. But in Chiwa village, the strong community spirit and desire to improve the natural world is paving the way for a more sustainable future.

One year ago, the Chiwa community had little experience in nurturing and planting trees. When local community-based organisation Revival started working with Katondo Women’s Club, they were beginning from scratch.

Agness Zimba is the Chairperson of Katondo Women’s Club. Like most households in the area, she earns a living from farming. A year ago, her main crops were groundnuts, maize, beans, sunflower and sweet potatoes. She would earn about £29 a month. She dried beans, groundnuts and maize for home consumption throughout the year.

Agness. “Nitrogen fixing trees were planted next to my maize field, and there was a big difference in those two lines next to the trees”.

Agness is also using products from the trees, such as moringa leaves, to improve the nutrition of her household.

She has six children and fourteen grandchildren. “My family are not suffering from malaria now as we are taking Moringa as tea every day”, says Agness.

Katondo Women’s Club are keen to spread the word, and recently held a celebration at Agness’ farm. Members of the local YMCA told the story through drama and song. The project is an exemplary case of communities coming together and actively seeking innovative solutions, and we hope to support the expansion of activities in the coming years.

For Agness and the other 24 women involved in the project, agroforestry – the integration of trees into farming systems – was a novel idea. But with support from Revival, Agness soon created a tree nursery on her land and started planning where to plant her trees.

2,837 25 Achievements: 25

Households introduced to agroforestry

Engaged young people in learning in the UK and Zambia

Mission Statements (%)

“I did not waste land by planting trees, I also planted groundnuts, aubergine, pumpkins, and beans between the trees in my orchard and the yield was excellent”, says

READ MORE AT: internationaltreefoundation.org/sustainable-community-forestry 7

Connecting Tree Planters, Near and Far Over 7,000 miles from Zambia, young residents at YMCAs and supported housing sites across the UK are also learning about the many benefits of trees.

“Although we are thousands of miles apart, we are joined by a common ideal”, wrote one attendee at an orchard celebration at Barnsley YMCA. “It has inspired me to plant my own tree” writes another participant in response to the message from YMCA Lundazi in Zambia. Residents at YMCAs across the UK have been exchanging messages and stories with ITF partners Revival (Zambia) and Mount Kenya Environmental Conservation (Kenya), for the last two years.

This exchange between young tree planters from different countries aims to bring the global importance of environmental conservation into the spotlight. Although each Fruit-full Communities group may be planting just a small orchard, they are part of a movement of young people from around the world working to improve the natural world.

The global exchange is just one of the activities that Fruit-full Communities offered to YMCA residents in 16 sites across England and Wales. The project aims to tackle a lack of social cohesion, create job opportunities for young people, and address climate change and environmental degradation. This is achieved through workshops which provide an introduction to horticulture, gardening, tree planting and woodwork.

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“ Although we are

thousands of miles apart, we are joined by a common ideal”

In the second year of the project, over 455 young people aged 11-24 took part from 16 sites. Throughout the year, each group designed their own orchard and planted it out, often involving members of the local community. The project is having a real

impact on the lives of young people going through difficult periods in their lives. As many as half of all young people are not in education, employment or training when they become homeless and 40% identify themselves as being depressed.

“It makes me feel proud that we are growing our own fruit and it’s great that we did it as a team and all contributed to create the orchard”, says Sophie, who took part in planting the orchard at YMCA Plymouth. Tom, another participant from Plymouth enjoyed “being given responsibility to choose and purchase the trees”.

“ It makes me feel proud that we are growing

our own fruit and it’s great that we did it as a team and all contributed to create the orchard”

The Fruit-full Communities project has given young people the chance to take ownership of their residences, meet new people and work as a team. “This project has been transformational in many ways”, says David Finn, Programmes and Participation Manager at YMCA Derbyshire. “Our service users have undoubtedly developed a new appreciation and understanding of the natural world around them, whilst at the same time learning about themselves and how to work with others.

YMCA Derbyshire has been at the heart of the community since 1847 and this orchard seeks to open new ways of bringing people together”.

Strengthening ties in the local community has been a key result at this site and others. As YMCA Derbyshire plan their second orchard, they hope to build bridges with YMCA Lundazi in Zambia through an informal ‘twinning’ next year.

For participants from 2017, the project has brought new challenges, achievements and for some, memories which will ‘last a lifetime’.

Fruit-full Communities is funded by the Big Lottery Fund through the ‘Our Bright Future’ programme. It is led by Learning through Landscapes in collaboration with YMCA England, The Orchard Project and International Tree Foundation.

252 647 Achievements: 79 Workshops delivered

433 3rd

Young people engaged Place in ‘Environment’ category of the National Lottery Awards

Mission Statements (%)

READ MORE AT: internationaltreefoundation.org/fruitfull-communities 9

20 Million Trees Accelerates to Restore Mt Kenya Forest In the second year of our Centenary Campaign, 20 Million Trees for Kenya’s Forests, we’ve expanded to new sites and almost quadrupled our tree planting.

In 2017, we supported communities to plant over 270,000 trees in forests and on farms and school grounds. Over 4,640 community members got involved in tree planting at three different sites around Mount Kenya, as well as on their own smallholdings.

The campaign takes a holistic, three pronged approach to restoring Kenya’s forests. Communities living adjacent to the forest are engaged in raising and nurturing native seedlings to restore degraded forest land. In parallel, these communities are supported through training in agroforestry farming techniques and improved livelihoods. Half of Kenya’s population is under the age of 18, so engaging the next generation in environmental conservation is a key component of our strategy.

Each of these activities is dependent on the other. Communities rely on the forest to forage for firewood, animal fodder and medicinal plants. Without improving the livelihoods of communities and proving an alternative source of forest products, Mount Kenya forest will continue to be degraded.

Our local partners Mount Kenya Environmental Conservation and Mount Kenya Trust have together restored 307 hectares of deforested land over the past year. The trees they are planting are native, raised from seeds collected locally– aiming to restore a natural forest habitat when fully matured.

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On the northern slopes at Karuri, project staff have seen and heard the impact of their work. Birds chatter and fly around in flocks. They were quick to return to the trees. Despite the fact that the trees are only a few feet tall, birds were seen making nests after the first few seasons.

Here, afforestation is driven by community members. They are allocated small pieces of land on which they plant rows of trees, interspersed with potatoes, peas and beans. The trees grow quickly, as they benefit from weeding and watering – and in four to five years the canopy has closed. Through the sale of their crops, communities earn an additional income, as much as $1,000 a year.

The same system is used at our most recent site – the Imenti forest. Almost completely deforested in the past, the entire area has been taken over by an invasive shrub – lantana camara.

Despite being fenced, trees are not naturally regenerating because of the thick bush.

But since last year, community members are motivated by the opportunity to grow crops and earn an additional income. The same system used at Karuri of planting crops between rows of trees has had excellent results in restoring the forest.

Communities are just as actively involved on our first site, on the eastern slopes of Mount Kenya. Here too, forest restoration and farming are closely linked. 20 groups with over 500 members raise seedlings to restore a huge gap in the forest. Each rainy

season they plant tens of thousands of trees in the forest, and integrate useful trees onto their own land.

Almost 60,000 trees have been integrated into the farming systems of these group members. They have started to provide the farmers with food for their animals, firewood from pruning and fruits for home consumption and for sale.

The environmental and social impacts of this programme will take time to show. This is just the beginning of our campaign to plant 20 million trees and improve the livelihoods of 50,000 households in Kenya.

270,790 4,640 Achievements: 4,640 Community

members mobilised to restore their environment

5,080 Smallholder

farmers with improved livelihoods Community

41 groups with increased capacity

Mission Statements (%)

READ MORE AT: internationaltreefoundation.org/20milliontrees 11

Children teach their parents a lesson in tree planting Mike Lwanga is a farmer in Kalagala, a town 30 miles north of Kampala, the capital of Uganda. Mike and his wife farm 3 acres of land, where they grow coffee, bananas, beans and a few vegetables. During the summer holidays, they are helped by their four children.

Mike’s children have a lot to say about farming, despite the fact that they are still young. At Happy Hours primary school, Mike’s children have been learning about tree planting both at school and at home.

Happy Hours is one of the schools that took part in a project run by the Masaka District Landcare Chapter (MADLACC) last year. The project was supported by ITF’s Sustainable Community Forestry Programme. It aimed to improve the productivity of farms and the income of local farmers, working through schools to reach parents and teach them about agroforestry.

MADLACC trained teachers to act as facilitators in their schools. They run junior landcare groups with pupils, teaching them the importance of tree planting, and actively involving them in managing tree nurseries. Schools are encouraged to plant the trees within their compound, so that the children can continue to participate and learn about trees. The remaining seedlings are given to the children to plant at their homes with their parents.

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Before becoming involved in the project, Mike had some knowledge of the benefits of trees, including shading his crops from the heat of the sun, improving soil structure and producing marketable products. But before MADLACC started working at Happy Hours primary school, the price of seedlings prohibited the family from investing. Through the project, Mike and his family received 56 seedlings which he and his family have planted on their land.

Mike planted avocado trees, albizia to provide shade for the coffee, and calliandra – a fodder tree. These trees will take between 1.5 and 4 years to mature.

In a few years, the trees will provide a host of benefits and products, including fruits and forage for livestock. Once mature, the productivity of Mike’s farm will be improved, providing a more nutritious diet for the family and increased income.

The model of engaging children to be the agents of change is seen as key to the project’s long term sustainability.

“ Once the trees mature, the

productivity of Mike’s farm will be improved. The impacts will be felt by his family, whose income will increase over time and whose diet will be more nutritious.”

15,143

“ ... if each child plants and cares

for just 2 trees per year, it has a multiplier effect in the region.”

1,074 Achievements: 20 Teachers trained Young people

Schools are teaching children about trees through dance, song and poetry, and there is a focus on empowering girls.

Head teachers report significant impacts. Butale primary school has seen academic performance improve and has become a learning centre for four other schools. In addition, food production and nutrition has improved especially for children who need good food to support HIV treatment; school meal costs have been reduced; and community trust in the school has grown.

And importantly parents are learning about tree planting, soil conservation and nutrition from their children. As the headmaster says, if each child plants and cares for just 2 trees per year, it has a multiplier effect in the region.

Today, Mike is a very active farmer and one of the parent leaders at Happy Hours school. He encourages his fellow parents and farmers to support their children to actively engage in school activities like gardening, tree nursery management and planting.

746 reached

People engaged

308 in tree planting

Mission Statements (%)

READ MORE AT: internationaltreefoundation.org/sustainable-community-forestry 13

How our income was spent

Our incom e in

We are grateful to each and every supporter who has helped us to achieve our mission over the last year.

1%

16%

2%

In 2017, we changed our year end and the figures here represent the period September 2016 – December 2017 (15 months). In this period, our income was £573,070 and our expenditure was £664,494.

Grants

£333,706

58%

Corporate Donations

£100,648

17%

Individual Donations

£93,748

16%

Legacies

£25,814

4%

Appeals

£12,400

2%

Membership

£8,029

1%

Interest

£1,548

0%

58% 4% With special thanks to

14

7 01 -2

We continue to channel as much funding as possible to activities and capacity building on the ground.

Our charitable spend last year was 92%.

20 16

17%

Our expen ditu re i n

20 16 -2

Charitable Spend

£611,640

92%

Fundraising

£53,034

8%

7 01

8%

Our plans for 2018 2018 will be an exciting year with the launch of our five year ‘Growing Together’ strategy. Our community-centred and holistic approach is essential for a sustainable solution to ensuring both planetary and human well-being.

92%

We will be starting a new initiative in Cameroon with our partner the Environment and Rural Development Foundation (ERuDeF). The Mount Bamboutos Initiative will work with communities to create a long-term plan to sustainably manage the Bamboutos Mountain ecosystem.

Capacity building is a key priority for us, and all of our Africa grants will now include funding to enable our local community partners to strengthen their organisations.

In the UK we will be publishing a new Tree Power course for primary schools “Healthy Food, People and Planet”. This new course links the effects of diet to our environment and wellbeing. Like our first Tree Power course, we’ll be rolling it out to primary schools in the 2018-19 school year.

We also plan to issue a new call for proposals for our UK Community Tree Planting Programme.

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TREES CHANGE LIVES, thank you for your support Together, we planted 548,698 trees in 2017

For more details about International Tree Foundation www.internationaltreefoundation.org

email: info@internationaltreefoundation.org

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