Planting trees to cultivate lasting change

Meet Onesmus Ngamba, one of many smallholder farmers in Kitui County, Kenya who’s embracing the transformative power of trees.

Onesmus Nganda stands proudly next to the trees he’s growing on his farm in Mulango Village.

Kitui County, is a dry region with low rainfall and scorching temperatures. And over the years, deforestation, unsustainable farming practices and a changing climate have taken a toll on this already fragile landscape.

For local farmers like Onesmus Ngamba, the situation on the ground has been devastating. Irregular rainfall has made it extremely difficult to produce enough food and make ends it.

Three years of growth

Hundreds of farmers like Onesmus have turned to tree planting to rejuvenate their farms, since this project with Kitui Development Centre began nearly three years ago.

After planting 321 trees on his farm in 2021, Onesmus has seen a remarkable turn around. His crops are thriving. And soon he’ll have a steady supply of nourishing fruit and fuelwood.

In the photo above, you can see 3-year-old trees growing and thriving on Onesmus’ farm. This is a huge transformation compared to how they looked at just 6 months.

Onesmus and other farmers in his community have planted native trees like grevillea robusta, a fast-growing evergreen tree which is popular for farm forestry across Eastern and Central Africa.

They’ve also planted fruit trees like citrus and pawpaw which are doing extremely well as seen in the photos below.

Slowly but surely, more farmers in Kitui County will join Onesmus in planting trees. They’ll also receive the training and support they need to ensure that their trees survive for decades to come.

And with time, this parched and degraded landscape will transform into a rich ecosystem that supports people and wildlife to thrive.

Support farmers like Onesmus

Donate today to help smallholder farmers like Onesmus to plant trees for a greener, more sustainable future.