Kabanyana Francoise, married with six children, living in Kirehe district, Nyamugari Sector, Kabeza Village, is experiencing multiple benefits of agroforestry, namely Calliandra Callothyrsus, Grevillea robusta, and Markhamia lutea planted onher farm of a half hectare under AREECA project.
Kabanyana is very happy to have these trees on her farm. “At the beginning, in 2021, when these trees were planted on my farm, I thought they were owned by someone else, like the district or the project itself. Now, I am aware that I own these trees myself after having started using them without asking permission from anyone,” she mentioned.
Apart from the expected benefits of trees likepurifying air, combatting climate change, especially drought, by providing rain, providing housing to millions of species, and protecting against floods and water pollution, Kabanyana has started using calliandra callothyrsus as protein-rich fodder trees for her cows and goats, as firewood and stakes. “I am aware also that Calliandra callothyrsus is important for soil conservation, air nitrogen fixation, controlling soil erosion, bee forage, milk increase in the livestock, and boundary marking,” she expressed and added that the productivity of her farm did not reduce in any case because of agroforestry. “Contrary, there is an increase of productivity of maize and beans due to the increase of manure from the well-fed livestock and the tree leaves that fall in the farm,” she revealed.
Kabanyana expects more benefits from her Grevillea robusta and Markhamia lutea when they have matured for being harvested and procuring her financial income.
The Alliance for Restoration of Forest Landscapes and Ecosystems in Africa (AREECA) is funded by the International Climate Initiative of the German Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety (BMU).
The AREECA project is implemented by the Rwanda Forest Authority (RFA) in partnership with the International Union of Conservation of Nature (IUCN), Rwanda Rural Rehabilitation Initiative (RWARRI), Nyagatare and Kirehe Districts of the Eastern Province.
The Alliance for Restoration of Forest Ecosystems in Africa (AREECA) aims to increase large-scale forest and landscape restoration's socio-economic, ecological, and climate-related benefits in Cameroon, Kenya, Malawi, and Rwanda.
In Rwanda, the AREECA project operates inthe Rwimiyaga, Karama, and Nyagatare sectors of NyagatareDistrictand Nyamugari, Mpanga, Nasho, Nyarubuye and Kigaramasectors of Kirehe District in Eastern Province.