Project Report
| Oct 27, 2020
Meet some of the project's farmers
By Vienna Leigh | Communications Manager at WeForest
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Happy farmers
The Luanshya team kicked off a vegetable gardening project with the Luanshya Forestry Commodities Association in October. These farmers just received their cabbage seedlings. The project is working towards an offtake contract for the production of cabbages, tomatoes and green beans grown by 42 producer groups. This improves the livelihoods of the farmers, further reducing pressure on the forest.
Percy, our farmer with many hats
A WeForest member since 2015 with an area of Assisted Natural Regeneration of 0.69 hectares, farmer Percy grows maize, soya beans, sweet potatoes and groundnuts. In 2017, he was chosen by the local community to become a bee mentor, and WeForest training meant that Percy excelled in his duty to manage hundreds of beehives. In 2019 he trained with WF to be a Community Forest Ranger, and in 2020, he was elected as Chair of the Luanshya Forestry Commodities Association. Percy is a respected member of his community, championing the needs of his fellow farmers and the forest in which they reside.
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Jun 30, 2020
Stories from the Field
By Vienna Leigh | Communications Manager at WeForest
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Beating the forest fires
Fires have been grabbing international headlines in Brazil and Australia, and unfortunately Zambia wasn’t spared either. Robert S.’s farm might have been affected by forest fires, but thanks to properly maintaining the surroundings of his hive and the supporting trees, the farm wasn’t harmed, allowing a healthy bee colony to thrive!
A pioneering participant
Evan M. is one of the first farmers to take part in the programme here in Luanshya. He grows maize and has started to grow aloe vera, and the project will see him protect and nurture wild tree seedlings on his land. In exchange, he received 10 beehives from which he harvested 68kg of honey in June 2019. Evan M. has now joined the chicken training because he wants to diversify his farm and establish a neighbourhood chicken rearing group dedicated to egg production.
Thank you for making this possible!
![Evan M.]()
Evan M.
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Mar 2, 2020
Training for women-led tree nurseries and proud forest guards
By Louise Tideman | Sponsorship officer
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Proud community forest guards
Your support in Luanshya is:
- Restoring and protecting over 2,400hectares with hundreds of smallholder farms. This area is equivalent to almost 3,000 football pitches!
- Supporting women to run their own nurseries where they can sell fruit trees to other farmers for a steady income
- Training bee-mentors so support farmers develop alternative forest-friendly incomes
- Planting 4,600 fruit trees
Thank you for your support!
Stories from the Field
Women-led tree nurseries are developed through a three-step process. On the first training day, women are trained in how to set up a small plant nursery. A month later, and after a visit to their farms by the extensionists has taken place, a second training on fruit tree grafting and budding takes place and, finally, the successful new farmers receive grafting equipment and tree stock as they complete their training.
Proud community members from the different zones of Luanshya successfully finalized a training by WeForest and the Forestry Department in Forest Law application. Certificates were handed out during this official ceremony, making them Community Forest Guards. With their knowledge and practical experience, they will support the protection of the Assisted Natural Regeneration plots in Luanshya.
Thank you for making this possible!
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Women-led tree nurseries
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