Environment Protection

TREE PLANTING
The REVE Kandale tree-planting project started in 2010, and what was a barren landscape has turned into a mature forest. The forest is a source of both pride and life for the local community, which has protected it jealously against abusive logging, bushfires and the slash-and-burn agricultural practices that are the root cause of deforestation and land degradation.  The local team continues to plant more trees each year. These are mainly fruit trees and medicinal trees, native to the Kandale region.

CHALLENGES
The challenge is that the trees are now producing more fruit  than the community could consume. Kandale has no food conservation technology and many fruits mainly mangoes, avocados, guavas and safe (olives like fruits) go to waste each year.

At the same time, the Kandale region seems to be experiencing food insecurity, especially during the four-month dry season when the fruits are gone, the trees barren and rain does not fall.

Last year, with generous funding from a donor, we were able to experiment with dry season gardening, using borehole water to irrigate plants. The yield was great and helped alleviate food scarcity for the community.

FUTURE GOAL
In the long run, REVE Kandale would like to invest more in food production and food conservation to meet the changing needs of the community. Many people travel to Kandale to see the forest and the miracle of returning animals, birds, caterpillars and many other local plant and animal species that were thought to be lost forever.  Some people in Kandale and beyond have taken to growing trees in their backyards to attract caterpillars.

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