Plans for a Community Tree Nursery in Um Ga’al Village

At its core, Kids for Kids is not an emergency organisation. We have spent almost 25 years providing sustainable grassroots projects that communities tell us will be the most beneficial to them, and lift families out of abject poverty long-term. Darfur is at the forefront of climate change, with the Sahara creeping south at a rate of three miles a year. Therefore at the root of all our sustainable projects is planting trees to reforest the desert and prevent its spread. Kids for Kids has planted trees that are providing shade, fruit and other byproducts to families in our 110 villages where temperatures are rising over 38c to 50c, and food and water are scarce. Trees we have planted are currently providing immense relief to families who are suffering the consequences of the ongoing conflict. This month, the UN reported: “The situation is particularly dire in El Fasher, the capital of North Darfur province, which has witnessed some of the worst episodes of the ongoing conflict between rival militaries. Those remaining in El Fasher are facing “extreme shortages” of food and clean water, with markets repeatedly disrupted.”

You may remember Ibrahim, the little nine-year-old boy who’s walk for water was the reason Patricia started Kids for Kids back in 2001?  Well Ibrahim’s best friend, Abduallah, has been a dedicated Kids for Kids volunteer for many years and has put together an amazing project plan for a small tree nursery in the village of Um Ga’al for 5,000 seedlings in the first phase.  Abduallah says, “We know the importance of trees in our village. With the rains coming, we must plant them as soon as possible.”   Seedlings will be cared for in a nursery for the first few months to keep them safe, watered, and ensure they are healthy before being placed in their forever homes around the nearby villages.  In fact, as an organisation that is built up of dedicated volunteers, paying for a Community Forest Guard is the only job we have ever had to employ someone to do! This is how important trees are.

Right now trees that we have planted over the years are providing shade for children outside Kindergartens, and fruit to eat during the school day. When planted outside individual homes, trees cool down the temperature inside the straw huts. All around the villages, trees bring essential shade and cooler temperatures for both animals and people. Families can plant crops under the shade of trees – food to eat that is essential in subsistence farming communities, especially now as inflation soars. And not to mention trees increase rainfall, which is so needed in the desert. Releasing water vapour into the sky, trees encourage clouds to form, and the result is more rain!

Every day the trees that you have helped us plant continue to benefit families and fight back against climate change. Will you Contribute Five Seedlings for the Um Ga’al Village Community Nursery now to provide fruit and shade and reforest the desert?  Thank you!