Miti Yetu. Our trees. Hope for Tanzania through FMNR

The region around Lake Manyara is a dream. Flamingos and hippos swim in the cool water. Zebras, elephants and giraffes drink at the lake. A dream for animals and people who love nature and wilderness. 

Just a few kilometres further on, things look very different. The ground there is dry and hard. Because of the many herds of animals that pass through, but also because the trees that protect the land have been felled due to a lack of firewood. In dry periods, the fertile soil is blown away. The situation worsens year after year for people, animals and nature. 

Around 65 % of people there work in agriculture on small family farms. Over the last 15 years, agricultural production has declined significantly due to soil degradation, desertification and droughts. This jeopardises the livelihoods of people and animals.

Hope has four letters: FMNR

One could despair if there were no hope. Hope has four letters: F - M - N - R. The unwieldy abbreviation stands for Farmer Managed Natural Regeneration Natural regeneration managed by farms. 

FMNR the Australian agronomist Tony Rinaudo developed in Niger under the harsh climatic conditions of the Sahel region. The underground roots of trees that have already been uprooted are utilised. They sprout again of their own accord. The young shoots are protected, pruned and quickly grow into strong new trees thanks to the power of the roots. Some varieties grow to a height of 5 metres in just 2 years. 

In Niger alone, 10 million hectares of new forest have been created in the last 20 years. Today, FMNR is successfully practised in almost 30 countries around the world. If it were used wherever possible, half !!! of the world's CO2 could be sequestered. 

But FMNR not only helps the environment and the climate, it also helps people. The trees, which are loosely distributed across the fields, improve water and soil retention, provide crops with more nutrients and increase yields. 

Miti Yetu: Our trees

This is exactly what the project organisers from World Vision and I want to achieve in the project Trees for Tanzania promote. The project is to take place in the Makuyuni area in the Arusha region of northern Tanzania, not far from the picturesque Lake Manyara. There, where it is no longer so picturesque, but too dry and too barren. 

Our aim is to renaturalise the region within two years with the help of FMNR, thereby increasing the farmers' food production and helping them to generate more income and improve their livelihoods. We are also setting up environmental clubs for children and young people to promote long-term sustainable change.

I would like to invite you to participate in this project. Every euro counts and can make a big difference. Our fundraising target is €80,000 for the entire project, which will enable us to improve the lives of 12,000 people. 

I am already overwhelmed by the great support we have received so far. We have already raised over €30,000! (as of June 2023).

Join in. And help protect the environment and help the people in Tanzania. 

Click on the link hereto find out more about the "Trees for Tanzania" project. You can also donate directly there if you wish. 

Together, we can sustainably improve the lives of many people and nature for years and probably decades to come.

Oh yes. Of course, I'm also taking part myself. I'm not employed by World Vision, who are responsible for the project, nor do I have any other advantage from it.

I have been in favour of the Protecting trees and forests and projects such as 100 trees for Afghanistan initiated. FMNR inspires me because it is so effective and you can make progress much faster than with traditional reforestation. And because it quickly has a direct impact on the climate and people's lives. 

Thank you very much for your support!

Extra tips on FMNR

Film of the forest makers: Until 5 July 2023, the documentary about the forest maker Tony Rinaudo can be seen in the ARD media centre to see.

The biography of Tony Rinaudo as a free PDF file you will receive here:
https://down-to-earth.de/e-books-zum-download/rinaudo-weltveraenderer/

The biography of Tony Rinaudo printed as a gift, for example, you will find the biography here

Video: Why I am committed to FMNR and Tanzania.