What we do
When it comes to climate change, we all have a job to do and a deadline to meet.
All of us need to start to reverse climate change by the end of this decade. The good news is we’ve already started. Our projects and campaigns have already made a significant impact, but together with you we can multiply this, regreen Africa and help cool down the whole planet.
Take a look at the impact we have made so far, and learn about the positive impact we make by making dry land green again.
hectares under land restoration
trees recovered
water bunds dug
liters water retained in 2023
grass seed banks
women involved in the grass seed banks
Fanya Juu & Fanya Chini
Together with millions of farmers and pastoralists, we are restoring 433 thousand hectares of dry, degraded land. Bringing back vegetation has lots of positive effects on the climate, on the environment and biodiversity, on people and their livelihoods.
Kuku, Kenya
Through our work, these forgotten tree stumps are brought back by using a technique called Farmer Managed Natural Regeneration (FMNR), or – as we like to call it: Kisiki Hai. This is more effective than planting new trees!
By regenerating those trees, we are able to restore the degraded areas and make these areas green and cool again.
Farmer practising Treecovery in Dodoma, Tanzania
Bunds (or as we like to call them: “earth smiles”) are semi-circular shaped pits that capture rainwater.
They are dug in our project areas in Africa in order to capture rainwater that will otherwise get washed away over the dry, barren soil. By digging bunds, we can regreen a large area in a very short amount of time, benefiting biodiversity, nature, people and – eventually our climate.
Bunds in Arusha, Tanzania
One of the main advantages bringing back vegetation is that it creates more moisture into the air. Vegetation “transpires”: it releases moisture into the air which cools it down. On a large enough scale, this helps to create clouds and increases the chance of rain, especially at the beginning and end of the rainy season, helping to restore the water cycle.
Water in bunds
Within our grass seed banks, Maasai women grow, harvest, and sell grass (hay) and seeds. They make an income by selling them on local markets or to organizations. The grass seed banks form an oasis of green in the barren surroundings, and the hay the women harvest is food for their livestock in dry seasons.
In total we have 20 grass seed banks in Kenya and Tanzania.
Maasai women in grass seed bank in Kenya
Selling the grasses and the grass seeds harvested from the grass seed banks generates a source of income for the women who are managing the grass seed banks. This income serves as an alternative livelihood, making the women more independent.
In total 415 women are involved in the grass seed banks.
Fanya Juu and Fanya Chini are rainwater harvesting techniques. Farmers dig trenches along the contours within their farmland to prevent erosion and to capture the valuable rainwater within their land.
In total 195 kilometers of these contours have been dug by farmers.
The impact of landscape restoration
In our projects, we restore degraded landscapes by using sustainable land management techniques like rainwater harvesting and Farmer Managed Natural Regeneration (FMNR). Bringing back vegetation has lots of positive effects on the climate, on the environment and biodiversity, on people and their livelihoods:
Vegetation cools in two main ways: firstly by creating shade and secondly through transpiration (when plants release moisture). The impact of vegetation on the micro-climate can be clearly seen in this picture of a water bund.
Look at the temperature difference between the vegetation inside the bunds and the surrounding base soil. The soil within the bund is much cooler thanks to the vegetation.
Vegetation also has a cooling effect on the regional and even global climate. By capturing CO2 from the air, the amount of CO2 in the atmosphere decreases, subsequently reducing the greenhouse effect. On a large scale, this has a positive impact on global warming.
Transpiration (plants releasing moisture into the air) cools down the air and increases moisture in the air. On a large enough scale, this helps to create clouds and increases the chance of rain, especially at the beginning and end of the rainy season, helping to restore the water cycle.
Increased vegetation means more organic matter, more nutrients and more water in the soil. The root system of the vegetation helps water to enter the ground more easily and go deeper, which boosts tree and plant growth.
Less water is lost from the soil through evaporation thanks to the shade of the vegetation, which also increases water availability in the soil. The roots of plants and trees also help to retain the upper layer of soil during intense rainfall, which prevents the erosion of fertile soil.
Our regreening projects are managed by our local partners and the communities on the ground. By regreening their own farmlands, they improve soil quality and water availability, which can have a positive effect on crop yields, boosting their income and strengthening their commitment to – and ownership of – the project.
To promote gender equality, women’s empowerment is an important factor in our work. In Kenya for example, we run grass seed banks which are completely managed and maintained by Maasai women. In our project area in Tanzania, 50% of our Champion Farmers are women.
By digging bunds and improving grazing management practices, degraded areas have time to recover. This not only benefits the animals – livestock and wildlife – but also the Maasai pastoralists who heavily depend on cattle as sources of food and income.
Biodiversity is key for a healthy ecosystem. By bringing back vegetation and restoring ecosystems, we also improve the living environment for many different animal and plant species. With more water and food availability, we see an increase in biodiversity among plants, insects, birds and wildlife in the areas that have been regreened.
Our awareness campaigns
Besides making an impact with our on-the-ground regreening projects, we run global online and offline awareness campaigns. These promote nature-based solutions and aim to inspire, unite and empower an entire generation, growing a landscape restoration movement.
