Together with our partner organizations Wild Forests & Fauna (WildFF), One Tree Planted and the Moyo District Forest Office, we have planted 149,000 trees in the Palorinya Refugee Settlement area. We were able to finance this project as the sole donor.
The seedlings will continue to grow in the area of the Palorinya Refugee Settlement and develop into large, strong trees. Their task will be to provide shade, relieve the burden on existing trees and strengthen the population's food security. An estimated 166,000 refugees from South Sudan are currently living in the Palorinya Refugee Settlement. In order to provide for the refugees, 94% of the trees in the area have been felled to meet the demand for firewood and charcoal. If this pace had been maintained, Palorinya would have been completely free of trees by 2023. The desertification and soil infertility that have already set in have serious consequences for agriculture. Unfortunately, this makes Palorinya a prime example of the devastating effects of forest scarcity.
Involving the local population Involve
In view of the alarming developments, it became clear during the project that planting trees would not be enough. The aspect of sustainability also had to be incorporated into everyday life at the refugee camp. For this reason, the long-term goal was to ensure that the firewood increasingly came from controlled sources and that the local population was made aware of deforestation.
Processes for sustainable wood utilization
The project continues to develop processes that produce a specific type of wood for the construction of huts and for heating, while the rest of the tree population remains. By involving the local population and refugees, jobs have also been created. The project received more interest than expected, which was particularly pleasing. The demand from landowners even exceeded capacity, which is encouraging and shows that we are on the right track.
Thanks to you too!
In spring, we introduced the Impact Bracelet to our range in collaboration with Viva con Agua. NIKIN focuses on ecological aspects, such as tree planting in Uganda and the production of sustainable fashion, while Viva con Agua focuses on social aspects and gives people access to clean drinking water and sanitary facilities. For every Impact Bracelet, one franc/euro will go to the One WASH Program of Viva con Agua and one Tree to a special reforestation project.
Share a photo with your Impact Bracelet on social media with the hashtag #shareyourimpact and motivate others to adopt a more conscious lifestyle and the opportunity to do good.
(Images: Unsplash)
