During February 2024 our global community of world walkers clocked up another 720,000 miles earning the planting on another 72 trees through our #WalkMorePlantMore initiative with our friends at our neighbouring charity in Greenock, Aid for Education. Since we lauched our partnership last month 160 trees have been planted.

In addition, this month the amazing women at the charity's Abagore Farming Cooperative have planted 500 eucalyptus trees and are preparing a special nursery bed for fruit trees to provide food and income for their families. These include mango, papaya and avocado. These will also be distributed to the the charity's Tuberare Nursery and Primary School to plant and teach students the importance of tree planting and the environment.

Here are some of women standing among trees they have planted which is now growing into small wood to reduce deforestation and control soil erosion in the area. 

The teachers and students at Tubarere Nursery and Primary School, founded in Rwamagana in eastern Rwanda in the heart of Africa, by Scottish Charity, Aid for Education, are committed to start planting trees from the charity's women’s tree project as a result of our partnership with this inspiring charity.

The school has land, which had trees but they were cut down before the school was built . 

Many people in Rwanda still use wood or charcoal for cooking which contributes to one of the environmental challenges facing the country. The headteacher told the students that it is important that they plant trees again at the school to provide a long-term solution to fight deforestation. The teachers want to teach students to plant trees and learn more about climate change and the main cause of it. The teachers believe that getting the students to plant trees could be the way for them to become part of the solution. 

Walk More - Plant More

Each time we curate a new walk we’re reminded how beautiful our world is and how vital it is that we each do what we can to help protect our precious planet.

Which is why we're delighted to introduce our new Walk More - Plant More tree-planting initiative in partnership with fellow Scottish charity, Aid for Education. This initiative will support 9 of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals adopted by the United Nations to achieve a better and more sustainable future for all.

Our Goal 

Through this joint initiative, we will begin planting one native tree for every 10,000 miles walked by our global community of World Walkers. 

Our goal is to plant 1,000 trees.

Where will our trees be planted?

Our trees will be planted in and around the village of Rwamanaga in Eastern Rwanda where Aid for Education operates.

Why plant trees?

Trees are one of the most powerful weapons in the fight against climate change. They are nature’s ultimate carbon capture and storage machines, absorbing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, releasing oxygen and locking up the carbon in their fibres.

           

Aid for Education is a volunteer-led charity based in Greenock, Scotland, (near to where World Walking is based) which raises funds in the UK to support its partner, Children Might Foundation, a registered Rwandan charity based in the Eastern Province of Rwanda, in providing relief, shelter, and aid to families in the east of the country and assisting children in accessing education who would otherwise be unable to afford it. 

The charity operates in and around the village of Rwamanaga, located some 30 miles east of Kigali, the capital of Rwanda.

Why link with Aid for Education?

Working closely with the community, in conjunction with Children Might Foundation, Aid for Education  has developed a number of successful projects, including a women’s farming cooperative, the 'Abagore Farming Project' ('Abagore' means 'women'), which was set up to give women the opportunity to earn money to look after their families and build hope in the community. 

The women grow different crops at the farm such as vegetables, maize and passion fruit with the profits being split equally at the end of the year. 

Most of the trees around Rmanagama have been cut for firewood or to make charcoal. Concerned by the dangers of not having enough trees in the future to combat the constant threats from climate change, the women at the farming project came up with the idea of planting trees as a long-term solution to fight deforestation.

The Abagore Farming Project’s Tree Planting Programme

The Abagore tree planting programme is unique because it is driven and managed almost entirely by the women themselves. 

Over 4,000 young trees have been grown in the nursery beds so far, mostly native Grevillea trees which are commonly planted with food crops because they are fast growing and do not compete too much with other plants for water. 

Most of the young trees have been distributed to people in Rwamagana and the surrounding villages who showed an interest in planting trees to replenish the dwindling tree stocks. Seedlings are also sold to local businesses and individuals in the wider community, generating additional revenue to support future tree planting activities. 

The trees planted help improve soil fertility, reduce soil erosion and boost local biodiversity by attracting birds, bees, etc. 

Working With Schools

Additionally, this industrious team of women plan to invite local schools to take part in their tree planting programme to help the young people better understand the importance of planting trees to protect their communities and forests for the future.

Tubarere Nursery and Primary School in Rwamagana, which Aid for Education founded in 2017, has bought some trees and planted them around the school, including some fruit trees which means the students can enjoy nutritious fruit. Other trees planted will help to break the wind during the rainy season, both protecting the school and the environment.

Planting World Walking's Own Forest

The women also plan to grow a small forest of native trees on a plot of land near their farm as an example for the local villages of what can be achieved. They intend to plant native plants such as acacia, which is renowned for its resilience to drought, as well as fruit trees, such as mango, papaya and avocado trees, to provide food and income for their families .

This forest will be planted with trees from our Walk More - Plant More initiative. Imagine - World Walking's own little forest!

Please join us and help us smash our target of planting 1,000 trees and help the amazing team of women at the Abagore Farming Cooperative help their families, their community and our planet.