Women in Acholi embark on restoration of depleted indigenous tree species

Gulu, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | Women have launched a campaign to curb forest destruction and restoration of the depleted indigenous tree covers in the Acholi sub region.

Through Wise Women Uganda, a community-based organization in Gulu, the 18-member group has embarked on the plantation of more than 36-acres of natural tree species.

The groups are spread across the eight districts, Gulu city and Kitgum municipality, and each of them have opened up two acres of land for the exercise.

Juliet Adoch, the Director of Wise Women Uganda says that they target to plant over 36 indigenous tree species such as Afzelia Africana, Prunus Africana, Shea, Caya Afzelia, Vertex Donania, Ghanaians Gardenia, Balinse Ejetica, Violet tree, and Imperialis among others in the first phase.

The drive is being supported jointly by Women’s Earth Alliance-WEA, an organization that provides leadership, strategy, and technical training for women leaders to scale their climate and environmental initiatives while connecting them to a global alliance of peers, mentors, and funders.

Adoch says that WEA is providing tree seedlings, pieces of training, nursery bed preparation, transplanting, tree protection, pest control, and management.

The initiative, she says targets to address global warming, conserve the environment, restore the depleted natural forest, and restore the eco-system and rain cycle.

Adoch noted that the indigenous trees in the Acholi sub-region have been extensively destroyed for charcoal, timbers, and firewood yet they do not only preserve the environment but also provide local herbs among other products.

Denis Ocaya, a lecturer at Gulu university, the Faculty of Medicine noted that women are key to environmental preservation because they are greatly affected by adverse weather conditions and are also influential in society.

Beatrice Aber, one of those undertaking the initiative in Omoro district says she is already opening two acres plot of land for planting the trees.

Florence Alanyo age 75, resident of Akonyibedo in Gulu city says she is ready to plant up to 50 different indigenous tree species and willing to sensitize her colleagues to undertake the same.

Jane Francis Omongin Okili, the Resident City Commissioner for Gulu says intervention is timely, she also rallied them to engage their spouses in the same initiative.

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