Tree Aid Annual Report 2018-19 Tree

TREE AID ANNUAL REPORT 2018-19 TREE

AID OUR IMPACT

1 TREE AID helps people in the drylands of Africa Mali

to lift themselves out of poverty and protect • 655,420 trees planted their environment through the power of trees. and regenerated • 6,066 new hectares of land protected • 71,395 people helped Mali Niger OUR VISION Burkina Faso Burkina Faso Thriving, sustainable communities across the drylands of Africa. • 319,324 trees planted Ghana Ethiopia and regenerated • 52,673 new hectares of OUR MISSION land protected To enable people living in the drylands of Africa to • 328,225 people helped unlock the potential of trees to reduce poverty and protect the environment. Ghana Ethiopia Niger • 1,015,337 trees planted • 205,000 trees planted and regenerated • 3,975 people helped • 26,550 people helped • 740 new hectares of • 20,000 tree seedlings land protected produced in nurseries • 15,925 people helped

OUR IMPACT IN NUMBERS

1,734,344 4,902 trees 2.2 million 460,737 planted new f el community trees trees 59,479 village tree efficient planted and regenerated new hectares 446,070 of land protected enterprises stoves forest regenerated people helped anageent plans

2 3 Trees are a solution to the climate crisis, desertification and poverty

2018-19 was another record-breaking year for TREE AID, with 1,734,344 trees planted and almost half a million regenerated. As well as improving the environment, soil fertility TREE AID is significantly expanding programmes to We are proud that all of our work contributes address these challenges and our partners and to the UN’s 17 Sustainable Development Goals, and acting as a carbon supporters are playing an important part in that. a shared vision to achieve a better and more sink, these trees will help Trees are a solution that works for the environment sustainable future for all by 2030. TREE AID’s work and for people living in poverty. directly supports five of the goals, with a focus transform the lives of on sustainable forest management (Goal 15), people living in poverty in In 2018-19, we helped nearly half a million people economic growth (Goal 8), empowerment of across Burkina Faso, Ethiopia, Ghana, Mali and Niger women (Goal 5), action to address the impacts of Africa's drylands. through our four key approaches: Natural Resource climate change (Goal 13) and, ultimately, ending Management, Forest Governance, Enterprise poverty (Goal 1). Development and Food Security and Nutrition. There are many significant global challenges right In the communities where we work, the climate crisis In Ghana, we planted and regenerated one million now that are directly threatening the people we is not a future threat but a daily reality. The effects trees, helping to preserve the Daka River, which is work with in the drylands of Africa but our work last of deforestation, desertification and a changing danger of drying up. In Ethiopia, we supported and year has provided hope for a better future. Thank climate are widespread. There is clear evidence that trained enclosure groups to restore degraded land, you to all the individuals, trusts, corporates and temperatures are rising, a shorter rainy season is now which is now showing signs of recovery. organisations who helped us scale up our work. We a reality and droughts and floods are becoming are looking forward to growing further with your more frequent and severe. In Burkina Faso, participants have increased their support. income from non-timber forest products, such as Forest resources are depleting faster in the drylands baobab powder and shea butter, from an average of Africa than elsewhere in the world. With scarce John of $17.81 to $39.07 per year. natural resources, people living in poverty are more John Moffett vulnerable. It is getting even harder to grow food, Chief Executive We started three new projects, including a project in leaving people struggling to feed their families and Niger to protect the biodiversity of National Park W, generate an income. Shireen a UNESCO World Heritage Site, so that people and Shireen Chambers wildlife can thrive in harmony. Chair of Trustees

4 5 6 household spending. limited decision-makingpowerwhenitcomesto we workwithhavereportedconcernsabouttheir important forwomen.Over50%ofthewomen an incomeoutsideofthefarmanddoubly Therefore, itisimportantforpeopletohave families oftensurviveonjustonemealaday. During thehungrymonths,whenfoodisscarce, harvest isinsufficienttoprovidefoodforafullyear. poor soilsinthedrylandsmeanthatoften line of$1.90perperson,day.Lowrainfalland income. Themajoritylivewellbelowthepoverty the landformostoftheirfoodand77% The communitiesthatTREEAIDsupportsrelyon Who weworkwith

OUAPPROACH R Need Activities Outcomes Objectives Vision 1 management forest in sustainable and investment forest policy Improved contribute tolanddegradation andincreasinglevelsofpoverty. growing population,pooraccess totechnologyandunsustainableproductionpractices, heavily onnaturalresourcesthrough farmingfortheirsurvival,which,whencompoundedby Africas drylandsarehometoapproximately 325millionpeople.Thedrylandspopulationsrely and rights access Improved management resource in natural Building skills Thriving communitiesacrossthedrylandsof Africa wheretreessustainlivelihoods anageent sustainale area under Increased 2 and accessrights forest governance trengthening restored tree cover change, climate resilience to Improved and enrichtheenvironment income Increased 3 nutrition incomes Improved value chains and strengthening enterprises Developing diversity dietary Improved Nutrition Security and Iproving Food 4 empowerment and youth Women employment Increased Food Nutrition Security and us." so muchforwhattheydo thank TREEAIDanditsdonors a bigchallenge.Iwantto and gettingenoughfoodwas but Ididn'tgetagoodyield difficult forme.Igrewcrops go toschool.Lifewasvery didn't havethechanceto me toimprovemylife.I has helped because it support TREE AID's happy with "I amvery – Kabouga,BurkinaFaso

In partnership with communities, Systematic governments and local civil Measurement society organisations and Evaluation IN OURCURRENTFIVEYEAR Grow 8 million trees STRATEGY PERIODWEAIMT continent. to abiggermovementofchangeforthe crisis inAfrica’sdrylands,whilealsocontributing communities livingonthefrontlineofclimate We arehelpingtocreatelastingchangefor reverse theeffectsofclimatechange. acting asacarbonsinktocooltheearthand provide avitalresourceforthewholeworld, flooding whenothercropscan’t.Theyalso Trees areresilient,withstandingdroughtand future generations. and reclaimthelandforthemselvestheir changing climate,reversethegrowingdesert drylands ofAfricatobuildtheirresiliencea initiatives. Wearehelpingcommunitiesinthe 2.5 millionpeoplethroughpoverty-alleviating over 8milliontreesin5yearsandtosupport Our strategylaysoutambitiousplanstogrow the Sahel. 8,000km naturalwonder,spanningthelengthof Wall. ThisisanAfrican-ledmovementtogrow and restorelandinsupportoftheGreatGreen Combat Desertification(UNCCD)togrowtrees We workwiththeUNConventionto people togrowtheirwayoutofpoverty. land, webuildclimateresilienceandhelp movement ofchange.Werestoredegraded Every treeweplantorprotectispartofabigger poverty alleviating resilience and Wall, climate Great Green people 2.5 million upport

O Wall ontheground."” clear impactofthe GreatGreen the Sahel.Wecan seethereisa and watermanagement across metaphor forsustainableland let's formawall,whichis We thought,let'sworktogether, resources. degradation andlackofnatural for months.Thisleadstoland can havecompletedrought within afewdaysandthenwe rainfall with400mmfalling In theSahel,wehaveextreme Green Wall. supporting theworkofGreat doing sinceitexisted,hasbeen doing intheSahel,andhasbeen "All theworkthatTREEAIDis Green WallfromtheAfricanUnion,toldus: Elvis PaulTangem,thecoordinatorofGreat 7 OUR IMPACT THIS YEAR Natural Resource OUR IMPACT 1,734,344 Management IN GHANA trees planted GROWING 1 million trees to TREES restore a RESTORING 1,015,337 740 460,737 river in We helped new hectares trees of land protected 15,925 planted and people trees Ghana regenerated LAND regenerated In the first year of our Daka River Trees Restoration project Bilinari's story in Yendi, Ghana, we planted Bilinari, aged 32, is part of the Daka River Trees 898,368 trees and regenerated Restoration project. After three successful years improving a further 102,059, covering an Protecting and restoring natural “My father didn’t send me to school, so I find it land management practices, the estimated area of 740 hectares. difficult to work, apart from farming. In the past, you resources is essential to slowing Drylands Development Programme in could get a bumper harvest. Now, with the change in Burkina Faso drew to a close in 2019. In The Daka River is drying up for a down the effects of climate change rainfall patterns and the poor soil, my yields are very its final year, we trained 1,527 farmers longer period each year, putting lives low and I struggle to make a small income. and stopping land degradation. (including 748 women) on conservation under threat as it is the main source of In 2018-19, TREE AID planted techniques, including forming water water for household needs, livestock We depend on the trees to protect the soil and to have and nutrient conserving zai pits, which and farming. 1,734,344 trees and protected fruit to eat and sell. But I have seen changes in the help crops and trees to establish better. 59,479 hectares of land. Thanks to support from Ecosia, we trees too - we used to have species here that now my children will never know of. We also rely on the river Firebreaks helped communities along the river to carry out a large-scale tree planting for our water, it is important for our survival, but now Bushfires can cause large-scale campaign. The trees will help to halt the water is drying up. Our approach destruction of trees, with fire spreading Natural erosion and reduce siltation, restoring Resource quickly across large areas of dry land. Natural Resource Management Management the river’s water-holding capacity. I have gained a lot from TREE AID’s In Ghana last year, we trained lead They will also increase biodiversity and training. Before, when I was looking farmers on bushfire management who soil fertility meaning trees and crops for firewood, I would cut the whole then established 26kms of firebreaks to grow better. Trees like mango and tree down, now I know to prune and Tree planting and regeneration stop fire spreading. Trees enhance soil quality, improve harvests, protect from cashew will also provide food and just take the branches - it’s also income for communities in the future. helping improve the fertility of wind and flooding, support ecosystems and increase Fuel-efficient stoves biodiversity. my land. I have planted many The need for firewood depletes forest We established 25 Community trees too, including along the resources and means people – most In Ghana last year, we worked with local communities to plant Resource Management Committees river to protect it for my often women – have to walk for miles 898,368 trees along the Daka River. We also provided training and trained 625 lead farmers on family. each day to collect it. on Farmer Managed Natural Regeneration to encourage tree tree planting, Farmer Managed Natural Regeneration and bushfire I wasn’t happy about not growth from degraded land and shrub vegetation. In 2018-19, we introduced 4,902 fuel- management. They passed on these going to school but having efficient stoves across Ethiopia and this training has given me Soil and water conservation skills, meaning 1,875 farmers are Burkina Faso. These have three fantastic a lot of hope. I share We help communities to adopt soil and water conservation now adopting the practices on their benefits: the stoves use half the what I have learnt with other techniques that reduce the vulnerability of their land to farming fields. firewood; they produce less smoke; and people and the whole community drought and climatic stresses. they free up time for women to focus on are benefiting.” income-generating activities.

8 9 OUR IMPACT THIS YEAR Forest Governance OU R IMPACT IN BURKINO FASO

community Local Forest forest anageent plans Governance HELPING COMMUNITIES PROTECT in Burkina Faso 319,324 trees 52,673 We helped Since 2007, TREE AID has planted and new hectares 328,225 of land protected people FORESTS delivered a Local Forest regenerated 59,479 Governance project in eight new hectares of land protected communes across Burkina Faso. This was in response to the Mouni's story devastating rate of deforestation Mouni, aged 42, is a farmer and was trained by here, with over 1 million hectares TREE AID as a volunteer forest guard in Burkina Faso. In Ethiopia in 2018-19, we trained six of forest lost from 1990 to 2010. TREE AID is a world leader in forest “It is great to work with TREE AID. They teach me groups who are now implementing their With forests rapidly disappearing how to protect the forest and I use the techniques I’ve governance, helping communities Forest Management Plans to restore and soil quality in decline, crops learnt, like Farmer Managed Natural Regeneration, on degraded land, which is showing signs to access forest resources and were failing and options for food my own farm too. of good recovery. There is now 50km of and income were limited. play an active part in managing stone bunding designed to conserve soil Thanks to the project, everybody is involved in and water and prevent the growth of them. Our approach ensures that Capitalising on the government’s protecting the environment, trees are no longer being eroded gullies. new trees thrive and forests are policy decision to decentralise forest destroyed and the forest is even being restored. People management to local authorities, understand now why trees are important for them. managed by the communities that Enclosure groups and Community we work with communities and local Many things have changed for me. Food security is a depend upon them. Resource Management governments to create a lasting, reality for me now. I teach my Committees sustainable support system for daughters to take care of trees We set up enclosure areas and train communities to be able to manage their and they sometimes plant them forest resources. Through restoration and Our approach community groups to protect these too. They know that it is good to areas from unsustainable practices reforestation, 15 communal forests have Forest protect the environment. With a Forest Governance Governance like tree felling, charcoal burning and been restored with over 32,000 hectares good environment, we can increase overgrazing, allowing the forest to re- of forest now managed by 52 groups, our yield of crops in the fields. green effectively. protecting 33 local tree species. Here, trees mean life, Influencing policies or as we say, We support forest governance at all levels, helping to In our Daka River Trees Restoration Communities also have greater voice, Tiga Ya Vim. develop and implement effective policies that give rural project in Ghana last year, we formed access and control over local forests, communities greater access to, and responsibility for, their 25 Community Resource Management reducing conflict over land ownership Taking care of the forest resources. Our forest governance work in Burkina Faso Committees comprised of 250 members, and integrating some of the most environment is a has seen the successful implementation of policies that are including Fulani herdsmen (a semi- marginalised community groups in problem for all bringing positive change for communities. nomadic group) from all 25 villages in decision-making. We are now scaling- humanity. If someone the project. The committees received up the project into 17 new communes supports the Forest Management Plans training on managing natural forest thanks to long-term support from the environment, it is a Through training on sustainable land management resources alongside training on how to Swedish International Development very good thing - techniques and developing Forest Management Plans, rural work together in groups to lead this. Cooperation Agency (SIDA). We will it is courageous.” communities can safely access forest resources on their local support over 112,000 people to restore, land and grow these resources for the future. protect and manage their forests and sustainably use forest products to generate an income.

10 11 OUR IMPACT THIS YEAR

Enterprise Development OU R IMPACT IN MALI

new village tree enterprises Enterprise

GROWING and forest SUSTAINABLE restoration 655,420 in Mali We helped trees 6,066 71,395 planted and new hectares of land protected people INCOMES Over the last three decades, Mali regenerated Meaning all our groups are generating an estiated has seen a devastating decrease £1.3 million in its forest area. Between 1990 in revenue and 2015, nearly two million hectares of forest were lost. Sabine's story Sabine received tools and training in shea butter and soap making as well as on how to respond to her Our Strengthening Malian Forest changing climate. Trees offer many opportunities for Processing equipment and Management project started in July warehouses 2017, with the support of the Darwin people living in poverty to earn Initiative and Sahel Eco. The project “Many women didn’t have the opportunity to go to Tools and equipment are essential for school. Many, like me, don’t know how to read or write. a sustainable and secure income. Village Tree Enterprises – they save time, aims to protect and restore the biodiversity of Duwa and Sutebwo So, there is a lack of income sources for women. They provide fruit, nuts, leaves, keep people safe and allow groups to When I was young, the landscape here was covered have greater autonomy. forests in the Ségou region of Mali. butters and fibres throughout the with all sorts of plant species. Then came exploitation An important part of the project is to of natural resources. With the arrival of the project, year, withstanding droughts and In 2018-19, we constructed three we understood that these resources aren’t infinite and storage warehouses in Ghana. This develop more sustainable income from floods when other crops fail. forest resources. We are supporting two that we must take care of them for our children and means produce stays in a better our grandchildren.” condition for longer, fetching a higher cooperatives to help members increase price at market. It also allows the groups their income from sustainably-sourced shea and honey. TREE AID helped Sabine to generate income from Our approach to sell the products when they need the VTEs and to restore her degraded land to grow more Enterprise Enterprise Development Development income. Buyers are now going directly food: to the warehouses, saving members Last year, we provided a shea and time and long journeys to market. honey processing unit to each Village Tree Enterprises cooperative and training on how to “Our income from shea butter We support communities to form Village Tree Enterprises (VTEs) and baobab has significantly Kiosks and supermarkets use it to make tree products to sell at so they can turn tree products into nutritious food and goods, market. These units are now supporting improved so we can better In Burkina Faso last year, we supported such as shea butter and moringa powder. 28 shea butter VTEs and 16 honey VTEs guarantee our food security. VTEs to set up five shops to market across the two cooperatives. We provide them with training, processing equipment and their tree products. We have started TREE AID also helped to develop TREE AID non-timber forest access to new markets so they can grow their way out of We also provided training on marketing us to protect plant product shelves in supermarkets and poverty. These groups are particularly important to women, techniques to help cooperative diversity and gave shops, with agreements in place with 26 who often have limited access to resources. members negotiate better prices at us training on the outlets. market and helped them to develop different techniques Last year, we formed 229 new VTEs. This means that, across all and produce professional labels. for reforestation Project participants have more than our projects, we are now supporting 565 groups, which have Members also participated in learning of completely doubled their income from non-timber generated an estimated £1.3 million in total revenue from exchanges with other cooperatives depleted forest products, such as baobab 1,200 tonnes of non-timber forest products. and a new Market Information System areas.” powder, from an average of $17.81 to model was set up to provide radio links $39.07 per year. In Ghana, we established and trained 42 new VTEs with 1,933 between the cooperatives and buying members and they have increased their income from $47.74 customers. to $60.97 per year.

12 13 OUR IMPACT THIS YEAR Growing our voice Our aim is to share our experience and research at the international, national and local levels to ensure policy makers and practitioners can learn from our We planted work and implement approaches that enable communities in the drylands of 102 Africa to thrive. GROWING nutrition gardens In 2018-2019 we: in Burkina Faso NUTRITIOUS Presented Promoted the Demonstrated the our forest essential role of success of Village Tree governance civil society in Enterprises at the Forest work at the achieving the Livelihood Assessment United Nations Great Green Research and Evaluation FOOD conference and at a Climate Change Wall Initiative Conference, to the African peer group conference at In Ethiopia we supported COP24, in Poland. Union. Wageningen University. households to plant 5,600 Our West Africa Forest Farm Interface research in conjunction with ango and papaa trees the Centre for International Forestry Research (CIFOR) enabled communities in Ghana and Burkina Faso to self-assess their needs and self-identify better sustainable land management practice. We have In the communities where we Fruit trees shared the outcomes with local and national governments to assist We distribute fruit trees to households with planning. work, hunger and malnutrition are that are struggling with food security. a daily threat. Before people join In Ethiopia last year, we supported 354 Shea trees are an important source of income for the communities our projects, they report having 2-3 households who planted 5,600 mango where we work. Our shea research project tested a variety of and papaya trees. The papaya is methods of shea propagation and orchard management practice months a year of food insecurity, already bearing fruit, with the mango to improve yields. We are incorporating findings into our community which often means cutting down trees expected to in the next few years. training to share best practice. meals to eat just once a day and Increasing dietary diversity filling up on starchy foods like All of these approaches help to increase the dietary diversity of people living in TREE AID’s work in the drylands is more important than ever. I am very millet, with no money to buy the drylands of Africa. Our research proud that we are able to build people’s resilience to climate shocks nutrient-rich food. shows that TREE AID project participants and help them to rise up out of poverty. It means people have more in Burkina Faso have increased dietary hope, choice, opportunity and dignity. diversity to a score of 5.61 compared to Trees are a climate-resilient source of nutritious food in the 5.40 for people who haven’t been part Every year, we are growing and 2018-19 was our most impactful to drylands of Africa. Nuts are packed with healthy fats and of a project. This means date. We are using more technology in our projects to ensure we protein, fruits offer fibre and vitamins and leaves can be rich they are able to have excellent monitoring, evaluation and learning underpinning all sources of minerals and vitamins. get nutrition from our work. This helps us to continually improve and have the best a greater variety Our solution to a possible impact for the people we work with. Through the Great Our approach of foods, including Green Wall initiative, we’re contributing to a movement that is Food Security and Food Security and Nutrition Nutrition green leafy ones. climate in crisis re-greening the drylands at scale and giving communities more ownership of and rights to natural resources. Nutrition gardens Here in West Africa, We work with communities to set up nutrition gardens to grow we are working in a Thank you to everyone who supports us to make our daily work with seedlings, including baobab and moringa. They provide challenging context. communities and governments possible. Thank you especially to edible, nutritious leaves after just three months – an important our local partners, without whom we could not support as many The climate crisis is source of food for families in the “hungry months” when crops communities. struggle to grow. adversely affecting our rural communities, I’d like to leave you with one last thought. In Burkina Faso, we say In 2018-19 in Burkina Faso, where four million people are who depend on the “N’del tiig N tilg naong” - it means “lean against the tree to fight undernourished, we planted 102 new nutrition gardens with environment and the poverty”. local communities. There are now 200 nutrition gardens on this land for their daily needs. project, supporting 6,379 people in areas most affected by Georges Bazongo, Director of West Africa Operations lack of nutritious food. 14 15 Where did the Where we spend the money? Working in Our tree money come from? investment: Our total expenditure in partnership TREE AID’s income for 2018-19 grew to £5.7 million. This was due 2018-19 increased to £5,206,493 to the generous support of individuals, trusts, corporates and Our impact is only possible because of a network of of which £4,513,996 was spent on institutions. people and organisations who provide charitable activities. TREE AID with fantastic support. £10

13p Thank you to the 24 local partner organisations we Corporate worked with last year who share our knowledge, and major expertise and passion and help us achieve our goals donors 10% Charitable Trusts 6% Individuals 10% for communities in the drylands of Africa.

87p £1 For every • Nursery set-up • Training in nursery £1 raised, Plant a tree Legacies 9% we spent: management • Inputs to grow seedlings 87p Meet • GPS monitoring on Programme delivery Clifford £1.50 13p from our • Supporting communities in Ensure on raising the next £1 partner, caring for planted that tree trees survives ORGIIS • Replanting For every £1 spent on • Enhanced GPS fundraising, we raised £8.23. Institutional grants 65% Clifford Amoah Adagenera is the tracking Programme Manager for ORGIIS, our • Monitoring tree survival partner for six years in Ghana that currently supports our Grow Hope project. £4.50 • Training in Climate “The power of trees cannot be Climate Smart land underestimated, especially in this part of resilience management northern Ghana, where the environment itself • Creating forest is so dry, the rainfall pattern is changing and management groups to we are losing our tree cover. manage forest resources On the Grow Hope project, we are supporting communities by looking at issues of climate change, community livelihoods and £3 • Increased producing non-timber forest products. We monitoring and ensure that the Village Tree Enterprises have Community GPS tracking market opportunities to sell their baobab, shea Impact • Development nuts and shea butter. of village tree enterprises We appreciate all the support that is being • Creation of nutrition gardens and raising given (by TREE AID) to the communities right awareness of now. When I see that the women are excited nutrition because we are being able to make a change, I also get so excited especially as, anytime they feel happy about our work, they tend to sing a lot of songs. I feel part of the change and like I belong to the communities.”

16 17 THANK YOU JUST Thank you to all the individuals, trusts, corporates and institutions ONE TREE who supported us in 2018-19, including:

Provides nutritious Acts as a leaves to • Blue Diamond Ltd carbon eat after 3 sink • Center for International Forestry months Research (CIFOR) • Christadelphian Meal a Day Fund Offers wind • Darwin Initiative protection • UK government’s Department for and shade International Development (DFID) • Ecosia GmbH • IDH Sustainable Trade Initiative Enriches the soil • Institut de l’Environnement et de Recherches Agricoles (INERA) • Jersey Overseas Aid • Joseph Rochford Gardens Ltd • Oak Philanthropy UK • RPS Group PLC • Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (SIDA) Stores • Swiss Agency for Development and water Provides Cooperation (SDC) nutritious fruit, nuts, seeds • The A.G. Leventis Foundation and leaves • The Blue Sky Trust Prevents Builds • The Christmas Forest erosion sustainable enterprises • The Headley Trust • The Kirby Laing Foundation • The Langdale Trust • The Patrick & Helena Frost Foundation • The Paul Foundation • The Roughley Charitable Trust Just one tree, • The Triodos Foundation • Turing Foundation • World Agroforestry Centre (ICRAF) Grows a future.

18 19 In Africa, trees mean life

0117 909 6363 [email protected] www.treeaid.org.uk

TREE AID is a registered charity in England, no 1135156, and a company limited by guarantee registered in England, no 03779545 at Brunswick Court, Brunswick Square, Bristol, BS2 8PE.

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