THE FACE OF CLIMATE CHANGE - Tree Aid · THE FACE OF CLIMATE CHANGE At TREE AID our vision is...

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TREES MEAN LIFE TREES MEAN LIFE TREES MEAN LIFE

THE FACE OF CLIMATE CHANGE

Tree Aid Update Summer 2013.indd 1 12/08/2013 10:09

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TREE AID Freepost (BS 8866), Bristol, BS2 8ZZ | Tel: 0117 909 6363 Email: [email protected] | website: www.treeaid.org.uk | Twitter: @TreeAid @philipTreeAid | Registered Charity No. 1135156 | Company No. 03779545

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As a new member of the TREE AID team I am delighted to be joining such a wonderful charity as Senior Programme and Policy offi cer. Having studied Conservation Biology, Ecology and Zoology during my undergraduate studies and having most recently spent 12 years working on African projects for the Wildlife Conservation Society, I was naturally drawn to my role here at TREE AID in further assisting the rural poor in Africa towards a positive and sustainable future. TREE AID’s solution-oriented approach and dynamic objectives will prove to be exciting and meaningful for me, as they already have in my fi rst few months. So today, I am thrilled to be introducing this summer issue of Update to you – an issue that focuses on you our donor, climate change and how at TREE AID we are helping people across the Sahel be resilient when the effects of climate extremes are experienced in their daily lives.

Droughts and fl oods can wipe out months of hard work, future food supplies and life opportunities, and desert land in Africa is expanding southwards by an average of 30 miles every year1. It is hard to imagine what people across the Sahel are facing year in year out. Yet these are people who are not only keenly aware of what is happening, but also why. They are voicing the need to prepare themselves for climate change and are working to do just that.

I’ve recently returned from Africa where I met people who recalled a very different time – a time when land surrounding their villages was green and when trees provided food, income and protection from the extreme weather of Africa’s drylands. Today, the topic of conversation is climate change and how they can become more resilient to the changes ahead.

Our work is helping poor, rural families to manage their natural resources and bring degraded agricultural land back into production. We are helping people to fi nd alternative options and to be resourceful. Trees are critical to these landscapes and powerful tools against climate change.

In this issue I really hope you enjoy reading about the success of our Village Tree Enterprise projects in Burkina Faso and Mali (pages 4 and 5), and my recent time in Africa seeing the faces of people affected by climate change (pages 6 and 7). On pages 10 and 11 meet our West Africa team and read an interview with Barthélémy Kaboret, TREE AID Project Offi cer for Enterprise and Trade in Burkina Faso.

We are always really keen to hear from you so do get in touch by emailing us [email protected]

Thank you,

Front cover image: Collecting manure to sell as fertiliser in agricultural fi elds in Bongo, northern Ghana, prior to the start of TREE AID’s River Trees Project. This practice is counter-productive as it stops the manure from naturally enriching the soil, refl ecting people’s desperate need for income prior to TREE AID’s work in the area. 1 Smithsonian.com, 2009: Endangered site: Chinguetti, Mauritania,http://www.smithsonianmag.com/travel/Endangered-Cultural-Treasures-Chinguetti-Mauritania.html

Monica WrobelSenior Programme & Policy Offi cer


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In May, our CEO Philip Goodwin attended the UN Food and Agriculture Organisation’s fi rst International Conference on Forests for Food Security and Nutrition in Rome. Philip gave two presentations at the conference, talking about the role of tree foods in food security in the Sahel, and the role of fair trade in improving the food security of small farmers. It was a fantastic opportunity to share TREE AID’s expertise, and to gain inspiration from other organisations doing brilliant work around the world.Visit www.treeaid.org.uk/conference to listen to an interview with Philip and view his presentations.

Earlier in the year, TREE AID’s ‘Regreening Ségou’ project was nominated to be part of a bid to win €30,000 in a poll held by the European Outdoor Conservation Association.

Don’t forget to listen…Here at TREE AID we’re really excited about featuring on BBC Radio 4 once again. This time, Zoë Wanamaker will appeal on behalf of TREE AID to Radio 4 listeners to support our work across the African drylands. You can tune in to our appeal at 7.55am and 9.26pm on Sunday 25th August. If you do miss it you can catch it again at 3.27pm on Thursday 29th August. We’re always keen to hear what you think of our work so please let us know by emailing [email protected] or calling 0117 909 6363.

NEWS AND VIEWSSharing knowledgeat the top level...

Thanks for voting for us!

Thank you so much to all 1,096 of you who voted for us in the public poll earlier this year. Although unsuccessful in that poll, we’re delighted to announce that we were selected to receive the funding through the EOCA’s internal vote of its members. This is fantastic news for us and for the 41,578 people in southern Mali who will directly benefi t from the project. A big thank you to the EOCA and its members on behalf of all at TREE AID.


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At TREE AID, we are always deeply touched by the generous donations that we receive from our supporters in the United Kingdom, Europe and beyond. We are delighted to be able to report back to you on the real impact that your donations have had.

Recent evaluations of projects carried out in Burkina Faso and Mali between 2007 and 2012 have provided rich evidence of the life-changing impact of our work. These impacts include dramatically shortening the ‘hunger gap’, the annual period of scarcity between harvests, and supporting women to have an income and a strong voice in their communities for the fi rst time.

These achievements would not have been possible without the support of donors such as you. Your generosity and continued belief in our work is having a direct positive impact for some of the poorest people on the planet, so thank you.

Bridging the hunger gapThe ‘hunger gap’ is the yearly period of scarcity between harvests, which usually lasts from April to August in the Sahel.

Thanks to your support for TREE AID’s Village Tree Enterprise work in Burkina Faso and Mali, the hunger gap at project sites has been shorted from an average 4.53 months in 2008 to just 1.97 months in 2012. Communities working with us have had extra cash from tree enterprises to buy food throughout this period, as well as having reserves of nutritious tree foods, such as dried Moringa leaves. This is concrete evidence that with trees, we can eliminate hunger in the Sahel. It would not have been achieved without your invaluable support.

Empowering womenYour donations have been providing fantastic support to women throughout Burkina Faso and Mali. Our Village Tree Enterprise work in the 2 countries has supported the establishment of 428 enterprises trading in tree produce, such as mango fruit, shea butter and soap made from balanites seeds.

Of the 5631 entrepreneurs involved, almost 80% are women, a great achievement in a region where women are disproportionately affected by poverty. They are now making a much greater contribution to household income, which empowers them to have greater control over how the household budget is spent. In practice, this means more can be spent on basic needs such as food, medicine, clothes and sending children to school. Here your support has not just boosted gender equality today, but has also ensured a higher quality of life for generations to come.

A REAL IMPACT, THANKS TO YOU

Trees are hardy in times of drought, providing vital food throughout the hunger gap.


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A REAL IMPACT, THANKS TO YOU

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Fruits from trees and shrubs like the saba senegalensis are essential for nutrition in times of

scarcity.

Guaranteed access to forests is vital to be able to reap the benefi ts of tree produce.

Women producing shea butter

Access to the forestsFor communities to benefi t from tree produce, it is essential that access to trees is guaranteed. National policy in Burkina Faso allows the people who live near and rely upon forests to govern the forests themselves. This decentralisation of the control of trees creates an opportunity for communities to secure their access to the forests, but has been poorly implemented due to unclear guidelines.

Your donations have supported TREE AID’s work to establish 70 Village Forest Management Committees across Burkina Faso to champion the rights of forest users at local level. Through these bodies, 95 villages have developed clear rules on

using forests sustainably for food, livestock grazing and other vital tree produce such as shea nuts. Your support has brought direct benefi t to over 13,500 people and had knock-on benefi ts for a further 270,000 people living near forests in Burkina Faso.


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On my trip as we travelled overland we passed people working tirelessly to prepare the soil for planting, no doubt hoping that this year’s rains would come in the right amount to successfully sow their seeds. We saw people riding their bicycles and walking alongside donkey carts in the scorching heat, carrying

whatever fi rewood or fodder they could use or sell. Seeing so many people just one drought away from hunger or malnutrition was alarming. Climate extremes, such as the increasing frequency of droughts in these regions made me fear for the hungry months ahead which would darken the bright eyes of the children who had been bashfully staring up at me as they dared to smile and wave. I knew I was looking at the faces of climate change.

As I met community groups from our projects I heard about their progress and aspirations for growing and selling tree products, not just for the next market days or next season but for generations ahead. They said they want to be ready for climate change - thinking about what to do to keep tree seedlings surviving and trees regenerating. I’m glad TREE AID has been here to help.

Having joined TREE AID as senior programme and policy offi cer in the new year I recently had the honour of travelling to our TREE AID project sites in Ethiopia, Ghana and Burkina Faso, to meet project and partner staff and the communities that we are helping. Having spent twelve years working on and supporting projects around other parts of Africa I have long imagined the consequences of climate change, but what about the rural people who suffer the effects across Africa and particularly the Sahel?

Monica at Menelik’s Window, Ethiopia, in front of the Wof Washa forest


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At TREE AID our vision is simple: Poverty replaced by thriving self reliant communities. To be resilient, people need choices, alternative sources of food and a means of living to support one’s family. Resilience in ecological systems results from retaining enough diversity so that shocks from climate extremes can be borne by the survival responses of species and their regeneration. Trees have been, and

Senior Programme and Policy Officer, UKWith Monica Wrobel

A community meeting in Ethiopia convened by Sunarma, TREE AID’s partner organisation

A woman in Burkina Faso explains about tree produce Women’s community meeting in Dosabligho, Ghana

must continue to be, the engineering marvels existing in these landscapes that will tap into the elusive water table, that will help retain the soil and nourish it; that will provide income and nutritious food, livestock fodder, shade and materials. I’m glad TREE AID is here for the people of the Sahel in the face of a changing climate and that you, our ever-important supporters, are too.


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Ludovic ConditamdeLudovic took over as TREE AID’s Head of West Africa Operations in 2012. He is responsible for managing the delivery of our projects and leads the team in our offi ce in Ouagadougou. He fi rst joined TREE AID

as a Project Offi cer in 2002, before taking over leadership of the natural resource management unit in 2007. He is a qualifi ed forestry engineer and holds a post-graduate certifi cate in Agricultural Hydraulics.

Désiré OuedraogoAs Natural Resources Manager, Désiré is responsible for the day to day running of projects, programmes, systems and procedures. Désiré also assesses and supports TREE

AID partners with focus on the Trees for Change Project. Désiré has been working for TREE AID since 2007 and previously worked for Austrian Co-operation in Burkina Faso.

Françoise TraoreAs Project Assistant, Françoise supports the delivery of TREE AID’s Community Forestry and Livelihoods programme in West Africa. She is involved in project development and delivery,

and monitors and evaluates impacts. She studied Development, Sociology, Finance and Accounting at university, and previously worked for Catholic Relief Services.

Sibiri SiribieAs Finance and Resources Manager, Sibiri is responsible for ensuring that TREE AID’s West Africa team has the fi nancial, human and physical resources that it

needs to achieve its objectives. He has over 20 years experience working in management of fi nancial systems. He joined TREE AID in 2013 from Lutheran World Relief, an American NGO where he spent over 5 years as regional manager for administration and fi nance.

Elvis Paul TangemAs Enterprise Support Manager, Elvis works on TREE AID’s Forest Connect programme in West Africa. Before joining TREE AID he worked as a technical advisor to the United

Nations’ Food and Agriculture Organisation in Cameroon and the Democratic Republic of Congo. He has an MSc in Forest Ecology and Management from the University of Edinburgh. Elvis was the star of our recent BBC Comic Relief fi lm with Lorraine Pascale.

Alexis SoumpougdouAlexis joined the team as Projects Offi cer in 2013. He provides technical support to TREE AID’s partner organisations in project delivery and develops new projects. He has a degree

in Engineering for Rural Development, and has over 5 years of experience working in forest and environmental planning.

Marie Véronique CoulibalyAs Finance and Support Assistant, Véronique works with Sibiri to provide fi nance and administrative support to the team in Burkina Faso.

MEET THE TEAMTREE AID’s main West Africa offi ce is in Ouagadougou, the capital of Burkina Faso. Here’s a quick introduction to the team:

GREETINGS FROM WEST AFRICA


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Adama Sawadogo and Maxime SawadogoAdama and Maxime are TREE AID’s drivers in West Africa, responsible for driving TREE AID staff, donors and visitors around the project sites. Adama joined TREE AID in 1998, making him our longest serving member of staff, and Maxime joined in 2009.

Q&A with Barthélémy Kaboret, Project Offi cer in Burkina FasoHow long have you been working for TREE AID?

I have been working for TREE AID for over three years. I was fi rst recruited as an Enterprise Support Offi cer in May 2010.

What is your professional background?

I have previously worked in the private sector in farming and consultancy as well working for charitable organisations. I started my career in 1990 in a producer group selling onions, tomatoes and potatoes, eventually becoming president of the group. Between 1997 and 2002 I was working as a freelance consultant, before getting my fi rst job for a charity in 2003. I also ran my own business between 2007 and 2010, advising and providing training for other small businesses.

What are your main responsibilities at TREE AID?

I am a project offi cer. This means working very closely with TREE AID’s local partner organisations on the conception, implementation and evaluation of projects. I provide advice and technical support to them at every stage of a project to ensure that we get the results we are aiming for.

Do you enjoy working for TREE AID?

We have a great working atmosphere at TREE AID. We strive to maintain good human relationships in the offi ce, as this brings out the best in people professionally. I am meeting people all the time, and I often travel with my job and discover new things. Every time I go to the project sites I see the impact that we are having for rural communities. TREE AID is making a fantastic difference and I am proud to contribute to this. So yes, I enjoy working for TREE AID!

What has been your highlight of working for TREE AID?

My highlight has been the last 2 years spent working on the Village Tree Enterprise programme, because we have done something really special for the communities we supported. Villagers were given technical training in protecting and restoring their forests, and managerial training to help them set up businesses based on tree produce. We helped the villagers to plan and budget effectively for their businesses. We also provided equipment to get them started, such as beehives and machinery for processing lucrative products such as shea butter, soap and cooking oil.

What is the most rewarding part of your job at TREE AID?

Carrying out a project on the ground is always the most rewarding part of my job. Before we can get to that stage, we need to plan the project which can involve a lot of research, thinking, discussion and negotiation. We then need to fi nd the funding for the project. This may sometimes mean getting through 2 or 3 rounds of proposals in order to qualify and can take many months. This can be very stressful for me.

When we fi nally get to carry out the project, we can create positive change in the communities where we work. For me and all the TREE AID West Africa staff, this is the highlight of the job and the reason why we are here.


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TREE AID staff enjoying the new furniture!

Kevin and Katie celebrate their achievement

FANTASTIC FUNDRAISERSThank you and huge congratulations to father and daughter duo Kevin and Katie May who ran the London Marathon for TREE AID this year, completing it in 4 hours, 45 minutes and 4 hours, 50 minutes respectively.

Hailing from Cumbria, they are both quite new to road running having previously focussed on fell running with their local group, the Howgill Harriers. Kevin works for the Forestry Commission and Katie is a keen mountain biker regularly going to woodland areas, so TREE AID seemed like the natural charity to support.

They raised a brilliant £400 for TREE AID and are very proud to have beaten Mo Farah who (deliberately!) didn’t complete the course.

A NEW LOOK FOR THE TREE AID OFFICEWe would like to thank the ethical bank Triodos who recently donated their second hand offi ce furniture to smarten up the TREE AID offi ce here in Bristol.

Triodos Bank recently moved offi ces and had a large amount of furniture they no longer needed. The donation included desks, chairs and fi ling cabinets.

TREE AID’s UK staff are now working in a much smarter environment. A huge thanks to Triodos from all of us here, and especially to Rob Morley for his help and endless patience in the moving process!

CHRISTMAS ALREADY?!Christmas may feel like a long way off but now could be just the right time to approach your place of work and ask them to consider making a donation to TREE AID during the festive period.

Many companies give a Christmas gift to charity, and a Christmas donation to TREE AID would be particularly special. Your company’s donation could support trees to be planted and protected, train women to set up small enterprises that sell products grown on trees, or teach farmers to grow more crops with the help

FUNDRAISING...

Kevin and Katie celebrate their achievement


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TREE AID VIRTUAL GIFTS FROM AS LITTLE AS £5A TREE AID charity gift could be the perfect feel-good gift for friends and family. Choose from a watering can for £5 to a nursery starter kit for £250, you’ll fi nd plenty of options in the enclosed leafl et. After you have chosen your gift, we’ll send a gift card to you or the recipient – it’s completely up to you. By purchasing a gift from our Gift Catalogue, you are directly helping us to lift communities across the drylands of Africa out of poverty. All of the virtual gifts in our catalogue are regularly provided by TREE AID to the communities we work with.

Order today…

1. Complete the order form enclosed with this issue of Update

2. Visit www.treeaid.org.uk

3. Or call us on 0117 909 6363

of nitrogen fi xing trees like the Acacia. For a gift that really does last a lifetime, please ask your company to think of TREE AID this Christmas.

For more information please contact [email protected]

WILL YOU?We are always very touched when we chat to our supporters and learn about their varied reasons for giving to TREE AID, never more so than when people wish to support us in their Will.

Donating to TREE AID in this way enables you to leave a lasting legacy of hope to some of the world’s poorest communities. This is because supporting TREE AID in your Will does not just have an immediate impact, it is also an investment for the future. It helps communities across Africa’s drylands to provide trees and fertile land for their children and their children’s children.

With this in mind, you can be sure that a gift in your Will to TREE AID will have a profound and lasting impact for many years to come.

If you would like to discuss leaving a gift in your will to TREE AID, please contact Fay on 0117 909 6363.


TREES MEAN LIFE TREES MEAN LIFEDesigned and printed by Wells Printing on paper from a sustainable source using vegetable based inks, alcohol free.

THE POWER OF TREES:THE BALANITESNative to much of Africa and the Middle East, the Balanites aegyptiaca is highly valued for its very diverse produce, being a great source of food, medicine and cosmetic products. Small balanites trees can also be used as ‘live fencing’ to protect crops from animals, as they are so resilient and thorny. TREE AID is supporting communities to reap the benefi ts of the balanites across our project sites, from Mali in the West to Ethiopia in the East.

Sometimes called the desert date, balanites fruit can be eaten fresh or dried. The trees can produce fruit even in very dry conditions.

Sustainably-sourced balanites bark is sought after for its naturally antiviral properties, and is also used as part of an antidote for snake bites in much of West Africa.

The nutritious leaves can be eaten raw or cooked and are used as a ‘famine food’ in many parts of Africa, as they can be relied upon to grow during the dry season.

Oil obtained from balanites seeds can be used to make a high-quality soap. This is an excellent source of income for producers, and provides communities with a far cheaper option than buying imported soap.


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