This month we decided to support a new continent as we turned our attention to Ethiopia in the Horn of Africa. Here's why...
The tree planting project Eco Garden has supported this month alongside our partners, One Tree Planted, links environmental restoration with income generation, providing the local community with the knowledge & tools to conserve their land, protect their water supply, & create a sustainable, diverse economy for future generations.
It focuses on the Loka Bedelcha Kebele in Southern Ethiopia, & the Amhara region in the North. Both are areas where environmental degradation is threatening livelihoods & biodiversity. These regions face challenges like dry & unpredictable climates, poor soil fertility, ineffective land management practices, & lenient resource regulations.
SOS Sahel Ethiopia are the incredible human beings spearheading the efforts to bring about this positive change. They are dedicated to improving the living standards of smallholder farmers & marginalized pastoralists through better management of their environment & improved access to food. Taking place on communal lands & around homesteads, the planting of these trees will be tied to sustainable business for the local community: fruit & coffee production, beekeeping, & animal fattening. Community cooperatives will be the primary implementers of the project, while school clubs will be established to engage in the tree plantation to learn by doing.
Our partners will plant a variety of trees to ensure this project has a wide-ranging impact. These include multi-purpose tree species (Acacia saligna, Acacia abyssinica, Grevillea robusta & Olea africana), fruit trees (Mango, Papaya & Avocado), and coffee plants. And we owe this positive, revolutionary action to you. Thank you so, so much for supporting Eco Garden in December. It literally means the world.
Now, let's make 2021 even healthier, positive & environmentally conscious & let's keep breaking those personal bests! Have a brilliant week everyone & if we have not had chance to wish it already - we hope you had a fabulous New Year. You deserve to celebrate!
We’ve now been fortunate enough to plant hundreds of trees in our first few months & on a personal note - I just want to express my sincerest thank you. In a year where thinking of others & the bigger picture was easily overlooked due to daily struggles being difficult for everyone in a world stricken by the pandemic - you have truly made a difference. We left 2020 healthier than we found it. And we are only just getting started...
Thank you all!
Billy at Eco Garden 🌍
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