Reforestation in S. W. Uganda

I grew up in Uganda and still have friends there. I’m funding a reforestation scheme centred on the remote village of Rubuguri in the south-west, next to the Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park – home of most of Uganda’s gorilla population.

While I’m providing money, there is a limit to what I can fund on my own. Can you help out? The more we can raise, the more trees we can buy and the more farmers we can involve. I have already committed NZ$1650 of my own money.

My contact there is Moses Akantorana, who works as a research assistant on gorilla ecology at the Max Planck Institute in the town of Kabale. He’s already made two trips to Rubuguri to meet with local community groups and leaders.

Reforestation will assist carbon capture and erosion control, and help villagers’ livelihoods. We are planting a mix of native and exotic trees, the latter to be harvested for timber.

Each member of the chosen community groups (currently 106 people in all) will provide his/her land to plant trees. I will pay for seedlings, provided by local nursery operators, plus labour for planting and weeding.

I cant pay for all this on my own so any help would be much appreciated!