Celebrating a Milestone: 25 Million Trees and Growing

Celebrating a Milestone: 25 Million Trees and Growing

George M Sikoyo , Executive Director

I am delighted to share a remarkable milestone in the Mount Elgon Tree Growing Enterprise’s (METGE) journey since the start of the Mbale Tree Planting Programme in 2009. As of June30th, 2024, METGE had successfully raised, distributed and planted 25 million tree seedlings in the districts of the greater Mbale and Bukedea.

This achievement, initially set by March2025, stands as a testament to our collective commitment to mitigate against and or enhance adaptation and improve livelihoods through tree growing in the Mount Elgon sub-region. METGE is funded generously by the Welsh government through Size of Wales, a charity in the United Kingdom.

Our success is rooted in community involvement. Working with partners including Bungokho Rural Development Centre (BRDC) and Mount Elgon Agroforestry Communities Cooperative Enterprise (MEACCE), METGE has established 24 community nurseries producing 3.2million seedlings annually. These nurseries offer a diverse range of indigenous hardwood, fodder, and fruit-bearing tree seedlings, distributed freely to households, schools, and community groups. This initiative has been crucial in restoring degraded agricultural landscapes and enhancing food security in Mbale, Sironko, Bulambuli, Manawa, Bududa, Namisindiwa and Bukedea.

Besides promoting tree growing, METGE also promotes sustainable livelihood initiatives, including energy-saving Lorena stoves, beekeeping, sustainable land management, kitchen gardening, and financial inclusion through village savings and loans associations(VSLAs). For instance, our efforts in bee keeping have led to a significant increase in honey production from 100 kgs in FY2020-2021 to 7,836 kgs in FY2023-2024, supporting biodiversity and providing additional income for farmers. The installation of over 4,000 Lorena stoves has drastically reduced wood consumption and indoor air pollution, contributing to better health outcomes and reduced deforestation.

Women\’s involvement has been pivotal to our success. Women are involved in tree growing. For instance, of the 24 nurseries 13 are women lead and managed. Their active participation ensures not only the sustainability of our projects, but also improves equitable access and utilization to natural resources, ensuring that all stakeholders, especially women, take part in decision making in management of the resources. METGE also promotes the role of women in climate change adaptation at all levels: family/household, community, county, and national.

Our achievements are a collective effort. From local farmers trained in sustainable land management to our implementing partners, Districts, and funders. Each stakeholder has played a crucial role in reaching this milestone. As METGE looks forward to its next target of planting 50 million trees by 2030, we remain committed to our mission of enabling individuals and communities to see the benefits of growing trees, mitigating the effects of climate change, providing sustainable supplies of fuel, shelter and food, and alleviating poverty for today and for future generations. Thank you for your unwavering support and dedication. Together, we are building resilient Mount Elgon region ecosystems and ecosystem services as well as local