TREE AID A LEAP FORWARD. Impact Report

Transcription

1 TREE AID A LEAP FORWARD Impact Report

2 Our mission TREE AID helps villagers living in the drylands of Africa unlock the potential of trees to reduce poverty and protect the environment. What we do TREE AID works in one of the harshest places on earth, helping some of the poorest communities in the world to survive and thrive. We help villagers improve their lives and environment through: nutrition and food security trees and tree produce provide nutrient-rich food all year round, vital during droughts and famine tree enterprise & trade supporting communities to earn income from tree products to provide basic needs such as food, education and healthcare looking after the environment using natural resources such as trees, land and water to protect the environment access and rights ensuring communities have access to the trees and land on which they rely for survival. TREE AID helps create self-reliance for communities living in poverty, building their chances of survival and also their dignity and respect. We also help people protect their environment, building its richness and well-being not just for today but for future generations. Thank you for helping transform the lives of almost 100,000 people We are pleased to say last year thanks to your support, TREE AID helped almost 100,000 people improve their lives 50% more people than the previous year, and a huge leap forward for TREE AID. Thank you so much for making this possible. Times remain hard for the rural poor in sub- Saharan Africa. The challenges of climate change, combined with disadvantages such as remoteness, harsh terrain, extreme heat and lack of access to water and other resources, make life a struggle for much of the rural population. With this huge need, supporting people to move out of poverty for the long-term can seem daunting. What we do in response is simple and effective. Trees are a vital resource for rural people living in dryland Africa. We ensure villagers get more from this green resource by supporting them to plant and regenerate more trees and training them to earn an income through sustainable small enterprises selling tree produce. And we make sure vulnerable people don t lose access to the trees they plant, so any investment they make benefits them into the future. Our approach is a sustainable, cost-effective way of reducing hunger and increasing family income. Every single person that you help us support means a family with a brighter future. Your support provides increased income to pay for children s education and basic healthcare. It means food for families to eat. Our job at TREE AID is to bring this support to as many people as possible. Thank you for helping us increase our impact by 50% in Please help us do it again in Dr Philip Goodwin Chief Executive Dr Sophie Churchill, OBE Chair of Trustees

3 The year at a glance: What you ve helped us achieve l Our work directly helped 98,000 people in 889 communities in some of the poorest countries in Africa. We provided the right tools and training to ensure these communities can earn a sustainable income from trees in order to feed their families and lift themselves out of poverty. In total, we have planted 2.9 million trees, a 20-fold increase on the previous year. We were successful in launching new projects in Ethiopia and Mali on reforestation, natural resource management and tree enterprises. We received government approval for the Wof Washa Forest project in Ethiopia which enabled us to rapidly expand our work in the country. We planted a massive 2.5 million trees in Ethiopia alone! We appointed a country manager for the first time and prepared to open an Ethiopia country office. Our Village Tree Enterprise programme, a key part of our work enabling villagers in Africa to earn a sustainable income from trees, was expanded to Niger for the first time, and we developed our current enterprise projects in Burkina Faso, Mali and Northern Ghana. During the year, TREE AID increased our policy influence including a partnership with RSPB. We teamed up with them to carry out policy research on how TREE AID and RSPB can work together on forest governance and protecting forests which are important for birds migrating from the UK. As well as our work with communities in Africa, we were busy spreading our message in the UK and around the world. We featured on BBC World Service s Health Check programme to discuss tree foods and their role in food security, which raised awareness of the issue with a large audience. We also ran a BBC Radio 4 appeal by Zoë Wanamaker which reached over 1 million listeners and brought in 160 new supporters to TREE AID. These achievements are all thanks to supporters like you together we re transforming lives. 22,198 14, ,584 50,145 28,829 54, ,196 2,494,509

4 Successes in Ethiopia TREE AID has supported projects in Ethiopia since the 1980s famine that killed nearly 1 million people. Today, the people of Ethiopia still experience extreme poverty: 31% of the population live on less than $2 a day, and nearly half of Ethiopian children suffer stunting from malnutrition¹. We continued our work in Ethiopia s drylands, and expanded our programme starting new projects in the highlands. One new project, in the ancient Wof Washa Forest, supports some of the poorest communities on earth to use the forest to generate income to support their families. This helps lift them out of poverty and protects the forest around them. Highlights We helped families set up small enterprises to increase their income. They received training in tree nursery management, wood stove production and production of fruit, nuts and honey to sell at the local market. Honey enterprise groups have been trained in beekeeping, site selection, and how to harvest and process honey and beeswax; helping groups to effectively produce and sell more honey. Community forest projects shared knowledge and learnt new skills in agroforestry, water conservation and compost preparation. Study visits helped share techniques for sowing and grafting fruit trees, helping increase fruit production and enabling them to earn more money. Forest community groups have been established, where local people work with local government to secure access to the land and trees they rely on for survival. 2,494,509 32,196 Belatu collecting water for the plants and seedlings in her family s field, Gurage, Ethiopia

5 Successes in Burkina Faso Burkina Faso is one of the poorest countries in the world. Villagers live in extreme poverty, with limited access to education (only 29% of adults can read or write¹). Access to water is also limited, with very few means to collect and store rainwater. In Burkina Faso, we continued our projects helping communities with forest governance, tree enterprises and training villagers to better manage their trees and land. Highlights The Women s Forest Livelihoods project supports poor, rural women in Burkina Faso; this year we helped improve the lives of 810 women in nine communities. The project helps women to protect and manage 1,000 hectares of land, establish small businesses selling honey and shea products, and provides training to help manage their fields using agroforestry techniques. This gives women and their families a reliable source of food and income, and has built confidence among the group. Our Village Tree Enterprise project gives families food and helps them earn a small income from processing and selling tree produce. It made a real difference to people s lives the number of months families went hungry was halved from 4.5 to 2 months. TREE AID commissioned research into tree foods that will inform our tree foods programme. It found a vast number of tree foods 144 varieties are consumed throughout Burkina Faso. They are a staple rather than a complementary food as is sometimes perceived, crucial particularly for women and children who are vulnerable to malnutrition. Tree foods available locally, are packed full of nutrients and vitamins and can provide much needed food for women and their families, and help improve their health. 54,762 28,829 Roseline dries moringa leaves at a TREE AID project in Reo, Burkina Faso

6 Successes in Mali In the past decade, Mali has suffered three droughts which all led to food shortages. An estimated 300, ,000 hectares of forest is cleared every year, far in excess over the annual rate of forest regeneration². The ongoing conflict in the country has meant the people of Mali are more in need of support than ever before. TREE AID continues to help communities restore tree cover and improve their livelihoods. We supported communities to plant and regenerate trees, addressing the serious degradation this region has experienced in recent decades. 300,584 22,198 TREE AID set up and trained community groups in natural resource management techniques, and set up exchange visits between villagers to share knowledge and skills they had learnt. This helped the community understand how protecting trees and the environment benefits the community now and in the future. Natural resource management techniques Compost production deep pits are filled with plant debris and manure. When watered and covered it composts quickly in the heat. The compost feeds crops and trees, and improves the survival rates of seedlings planted. Compost can also be sold to local farmers to provide money. Rock lines built to trap straw, seeds and manure blown across the land. Soil begins to form, and once it rains the seeds take hold. Gradually vegetation spreads out from the rock lines, restoring eroded land. Zai pits holes are dug during the dry season and filled with compost. When the rains come, the compost is activated and seedlings are planted into the Zai pit, giving them the best start in life. A homemade watering can at a TREE AID nursery, Mali

7 Successes in Ghana Almost 30% of the population live on less than $2 a day¹. We work predominantly in the north of Ghana where extreme poverty is widespread. We ve continued our projects in Ghana supporting communities to benefit from tree enterprises. We also run the innovative Bongo River Trees project which uses trees to improve water supply. Highlights The Bongo River Trees project planted another 2,631 trees along the river bank, which helps reduce soil erosion and flooding, and improves water quality and biodiversity along the rivers. We looked at plans for using dams and weirs in the future to provide a safe source of water for local communities. The benefits will increase every year as the trees grow, and our children will thank us. Genet, Bongo River Trees project, Ghana The Kandema Rural Regeneration project reduces poverty through tree planting, regeneration and providing skills to help communities manage natural resources effectively. We ve trained forest groups in fire prevention and women s groups in how to generate income from processing and selling tree products. Our Village Tree Enterprise project works with 10 communities to develop business plans for 45 enterprises in shea nuts and butter, organic mango, forest honey and handicrafts from forest products. TREE AID has trained enterprises in business skills and how best to trade their products. 50,145 14,144 Building mud walls to protect tree seedlings, Bongo, Ghana

8 Successes in Niger 633 Niger is one of the poorest countries in the world, and a large landlocked country, where the encroaching Sahara desert threatens agricultural land. We have helped communities share skills and experience by taking participants on a practical visit to a market where they were shown how to sell and get the best price for their tree products. We launched our Village Tree Enterprise project in Niger that helps villagers set up successful tree enterprises, turn tree produce into items they can sell at market and earn money to feed their families. Highlights 106 tree enterprise groups have already formed in 25 villages. These groups have learnt how to earn an income from trees and can now begin to support their families better. We have established seven facilitators who will be able to train communities to set up new tree enterprises. Ousmane, a moringa producer in Niger Women s enterprise group making soap and wax, Tamou, Niger

9 Thank you A big thank you to all of our supporters, corporates, trusts and foundations who have supported us in You have enabled us to give the people of West Africa and Ethiopia a better future. Without your loyal support, our work would not be possible. Your continued support means we can provide some of the poorest communities in the world with a real opportunity to lift themselves out of poverty for good. We would like to offer particular thanks to the following individuals and organisations for their support throughout the year: The Christmas Forest European Outdoor Conservation Association The Generations Foundation Guernsey Overseas Aid Commission The Headley Trust Oak Philanthropy UK John Rhodes The Roddick Foundation RPS Group Vitol Foundation Thank you for helping us reach almost 100,000 people and plant 2.9 million trees. Please help us to do it again in Dr Philip Goodwin, CEO I m a passionate supporter of TREE AID because they help lift people out of poverty and protect our planet. Joanna Lumley OBE, FRGS We are delighted to support TREE AID s vital work training families to grow trees for food, health and income across Africa s drylands. Kelty Caston, Director, The Christmas Forest

10 Financials Where did the money come from? TREE AID s income for was 4.05m, up 88% on the previous year. This was due to the generous support from supporters, trusts, corporates and institutions, combined with a generous legacy donation. How was my money spent? Total expenditure for was 1.98m, up 465k or 31% on the previous year. This increase was mainly due to increasing spend on programmes, including starting new projects in highland Ethiopia and Niger. For every 1 raised, we spent: 77p on charitable activities* 20p on raising the next 1 I m a forester and have worked in Africa so I know that TREE AID s work is incredible and makes a real difference to the lives of the people living there. James Ogilvie, TREE AID supporter of 20+ years Looking to the future Last year your support helped lift thousands of people out of extreme poverty their future is looking brighter now. We are one huge step closer to our vision of creating thriving, sustainable communities across the drylands of Africa. Over the next 3 years we hope to help five times as many people out of poverty and help them become less vulnerable to economic and environmental shocks increase the size and range of our lifechanging programmes in the countries we work in, as well as looking at the potential to work in new areas Institutional 18% Charitable Trusts 8% Corporate 5% Individuals 17% Legacies 51% Other 1% 3p on governance *Charitable activities includes 75p on programme delivery and 2p on advocacy and awareness. For every 1 we spent on fundraising, we raised 9.87 continue to influence policy and build networks that have the potential to improve the lives and environment for thousands more vulnerable communities.

11 Leave a legacy, grow a future Make a lasting difference by leaving a gift to TREE AID in your Will. However big or small, you can be sure it will provide vital support to the families we work with, and make a lasting difference for future generations - helping expand our projects and supporting more communities long into the future. To the families of those who have given a legacy, I would like them to know their gift is making a real difference to us. We wish we could personally thank these families who support us. May God bless them and keep them in good health. Francois Issaka, TREE AID project, Burkina Faso To find out more about leaving a gift in your Will to TREE AID, contact us on or info@treeaid.org.uk TREE AID Please help lift more people out of poverty by fundraising or making a regular gift today. Find out more on , info@treeaid.org.uk, visit like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter #TREEAID TREE AID is a registered charity, no , and a company limited by guarantee, no , incorporated in England. Printed on 100% recycled paper. Registered office: Brunswick Court, Brunswick Square, Bristol, BS2 8PE ¹ UN Human Development Index 2014 ² UN Food and Agriculture Organization