Tree planting in Africa!

We are a team of Swedish volunteers that have the last seven years been planting fruit and forest trees in Amhara region in Ethiopia, so far all based on private funding.

This is a pilot project of five hectares of grass land (from the beginning not even one tree were growing on the land) and now it has become a fruitful forest in a permacultural aspect. We are now at the second stage of reaching the goal to fulfill the project proposal. That is to bring electricity to the project site which will benefit the farmers and all the locals in this rural area. To be able to do that £30 000 are needed for a transformer that the authorities are asking us to contribute with.

This will enable us to use the machinery that is brought in from Sweden for the purpose of processing local non-threatened species. So, by installing electricity in this area this will both help the local community with this basic need and also contribute to reduce the need for import of high quality wood products into the country.

The wood processing part of our project is not merely a business it is also meant to be an education center, where youths can learn basics wood working skills. This will reduce the high unemployment rate in the rural area, to create more sustainable work opportunities and training. We are focusing on the younger generation, especially women that are struggling to survive in the country side.

If electricity is installed on the project site we will be able to extend this reforestation plan through the incomes from our wood processing activity. Our aim is that healthy food producing forests in Ethiopia will continue to grow, which we know will be beneficial for the environment in a sustainable way.

So far we are supporting ten local workers, mostly young women between 20-30 years of age, whom we also train in sustainable organic farming methods. Electrical power on the site will create even more employment opportunities. If you would like to know more, feel free to contact us through email.

We are now asking for your donations to help this plan to be fulfilled.