Tanzania - turning a little into a lot with FMNR Part 1

November 2023: I am on my way to Tanzania, more precisely to the north of the country in the Arusha region. On the one hand, long-time friends who initiate diaconal projects live there and, coincidentally, it was the region in which I support a World Vision FMNR project.

My original plan was to support such a project in Ethiopia, where I took part in training courses led by local youth workers in 2019. However, World Vision advised me against this due to the difficult political situation on the ground.

A few words about Tanzania:

So it was Tanzania, or more precisely the Arusha region in the north of the country. The East African country is crowned by the majestic Kilimanjaro, the highest mountain in Africa. It is home to a rich variety of animal and plant species, many of which are protected in world-famous national parks such as the Serengeti and the Ngorongoro Crater.
The people of Tanzania belong to different ethnic groups and speak over 100 different languages, with Swahili or Kiswahili being the official language. The country also has a rich cultural history, which is reflected in traditional music, arts and crafts. In addition, Tanzania prides itself on its impressive natural treasures, including the turquoise waters of Zanzibar Island and the unspoilt beaches along the east coast. As well as the blue gemstone Tania, which can only be found in Tanzania.

My dream of a green Africa

It was a long-cherished dream of mine to finance my own FMNR project one day when I was old and rich. But I never thought I would exceed my goal of raising 80,000 euros through fundraising by such a huge margin. Read my review of the yearto find out how the unexpected donation came about, even though I'm neither really old nor rich ;).

FMNR (Farmer-Managed Natural Regeneration) is an agricultural practice in which farmers support the restoration of deforested or degraded forests through the targeted pruning of tree saplings. The concept was co-founded by Australian Tony Rinaudo, for which he was awarded the Alternative Nobel Prize in 2018. Here you can read his biography free of charge as an e-book.

At private events and at the Congress of Christian Leaders 2023, I had the honour and pleasure of meeting him in person and even translating for him. The systematic promotion and dissemination of this technique began in the 1980s through organisations such as World Vision and the World Agroforestry Centre (ICRAF). Countries where FMNR is widely used include Niger, Mali, Burkina Faso, Ethiopia, Kenya, Malawi and Tanzania. Millions of hectares of once devastated land have been transformed back into flourishing landscapes with the help of FMNR. Another FMNR project should now be launched in Naitolia and neighbouring villages to preserve and improve the habitat of tens of thousands of people.

Together for Naitolia: A look at local development cooperation in Tanzania

In the office of the mayor of Naitolia, Tanzania, important personalities from the region gathered, including the mayor himself and the mayoress of the neighbouring village. They greeted us warmly in traditional Maasai jewellery, while three bottles of honey from the local cooperative were on the table, a product of a successful beekeeping project run by World Vision. The project initiated by World Vision has provided the people of Naitolia with beekeeping, among other things, Wasser, simple Ssanitary facilities and Hygiene (WASH for short). Together with representatives of World Vision and local authorities, we are now working in the new FMNR project to solve the pressing problems of the Maasai community, who live mainly from livestock farming and agriculture.

Problem no. 1: Burning trees and low yields

In many regions, trees continue to be felled and the remaining stumps and small bushes are burnt to create agricultural land. This leads to a loss of valuable soil nutrients and reduced soil fertility as the micro-organisms are destroyed by the fire. Rahel, a World Vision staff member, emphasised that this practice leads to a serious yield problem, especially in the face of climate change and increasing soil erosion. With a growing population, this problem is getting worse.

Problem no. 2: Overgrazing of pastureland

Many of the local inhabitants, mostly from the Maasai ethnic group, are cattle herders. They keep cows, sheep and goats. Every now and then a rabbit hops across the path or wild animals such as zebras come into the area on their migrations - they eat all the grass, but also small bushes and shrubs. There are far too many animals for the available space - with disastrous results. I have seen huge, barren areas where almost not a blade of grass grows. The shepherds have to travel longer and longer distances with their herds and find less and less food. In years of drought, many animals die and often the people starve too. 

What does not work: Planting trees

Of course, they did the obvious thing to solve regional and global problems - climate change - by planting trees. The locals showed me a place where around 30 large planting holes had been dug and seedlings planted. The seedlings all died again in the drought. What remains are crater holes in the ground, reminders of another failed attempt at well-meant intentions. 

Solution 1: Agroforestry with FMNR

Allowing trees to grow on agricultural land can significantly increase productivity. Although trees take up space in fields, they provide important benefits such as shade, nutrients and improved water retention in the soil. The trees, which come up on their own if left to do so, draw strength from old, deep roots - they survive much more easily than newly planted trees. In addition, the tree varieties are native, hardy and grow quickly - often up to 5 metres in two years. Experiments comparing the harvest in a tree-covered field with that of a neighbouring treeless field of the same size clearly show the difference. The tree fields often achieved up to three times higher yields.
To ensure that such projects succeed, World Vision works together with the local authorities to stop further deforestation. And it imparts knowledge about the benefits of trees and ecological relationships. This starts with children in schools and extends to adults in the village. People are also taught how to build simple, energy-efficient clay stoves - which reduces the need for firewood by up to 75% compared to firewood.

Solution no. 2: Trees on pastures 

The concept of integrating trees into livestock pastures works in a similar way to agricultural land. The challenge is to prevent cattle from entering without using expensive fences. Instead, the village relies on the community to designate certain areas as protected areas.

For our project, we chose areas near the village piste road to make the results visible to everyone. Once marked, people keep the areas free of molluscs. Rabbits cannot be prevented. The trees, which sprout on their own after a while, will be pruned to encourage their growth.
The results are amazing. A villager demonstrated to us successfully implemented FMNR methods on his farm, where he has been pruning trees for the last 5 years. Now they provide shade and even firewood for cooking - right on the doorstep.

The aim of our project: In two or three years, the landscape should improve significantly for 24,000 people and numerous grazing animals in the project area.

At the opening ceremony, I felt deeply connected to the people who will work together to improve their world and ours. The celebrations with traditional Maasai music, dance and gifts such as a traditional Maasai robe and a freshly slaughtered goat give cause for hope and celebration.

Asante Sana - thank you very much!

In the project report part 2 I will report on my visit to a project in the Dodoma region

• Feel free to write to me if you have any questions or would like to donate via PayPal: Kerstin@down-to-earth.de 
• You can find more information about the project and ways to get involved here here