Special Umuganda: Ripple Effect Rwanda supports climate resilience, food security through agroforestry in Bugesera

By Elias Hakizimana.

Agroforestry is a fundamental asset to fast-track food security and eradicate malnutrition, thus embracing natural climate solutions.

Ripple Effect Rwanda’s recent initiative in Bugesera District marks a significant step toward climate resilience and food security through agroforestry.

On November 23, 2023, over 45,000 trees, including fruit-bearing species, were planted in Musenyi sector as part of an effort to embrace natural climate solutions and address climate change impacts.

Laurent Munyankusi, the Country Director of Ripple Effect Rwanda, emphasized the rationale behind choosing Bugesera District, highlighting its susceptibility to climate change effects. The initiative aims to empower farming communities in the district with the practice of agroforestry to mitigate climate risks.

“Bugesera district figures among our working areas and it used to be prone to climate change effects, so, this is a special district where we brought our interventions to help citizens mitigate climate change impacts through strengthening their capacity to apply Agroforestry in their farms,” Munyankusi said.

The project’s focus on planting various species, such as Griveria, Calliandra, Papayas, Mangoes, and Maracuja, aligns with the objective of enhancing agricultural resilience against climate risks. Additionally, the initiative extends beyond the landscape scale to ensure citizens benefit directly, with families receiving three fruit trees each to promote nutrition and mitigate malnutrition.

Munyankusi emphasized the importance of this initiative aligning with the priorities of COP28 and expressed hope for tangible solutions to address existing climate change challenges.

“We expect a lot from this upcoming conference of parties as we still see droughts and floods, we expect that decision-makers will manage to come up with tangible solutions that address existing climate change issues,” he said.

Jacques Niyongabo, Corporate Services Division Manager of Bugesera district, commended the community’s involvement in Umuganda as a vital initiative to combat climate change impacts and reduce emissions. He emphasized the importance of preserving the planted trees and assured follow-ups to ensure they contribute to eradicating hunger, malnutrition, and climate change impacts.

 

Local residents in Musenyi sector expressed their commitment to preserving the newly planted trees and anticipated benefits such as improved nutrition and access to fruits. They highlighted the significance of this initiative in addressing challenges such as expensive fruits in markets due to insufficient local production.

Jean Marie Vianney Rubyogo, 62, is from Kijuri village, Musenyi cell, Musenyi sector in Bugesera district. He points out that he expects to get a good fruit yield and improve nutrition for his children once the trees grow up.

“We did not have trees in this area, we expected fresh air and rain of course to boost our family activities.” He said.

Theoneste Mugenzi, another citizen expressed concern about expensive fruits from Nyamata market, a place which is far a bit from his village. He noted that the high cost of fruits is due to a lack of enough produced fruit commodities at the grassroots.

 “I do remember that recently, I made a journey to shop fruits for children and they charged me Rwf2,800 per kilogram, which is too much, this umuganda community work to plant Agroforestry trees is very important, and I hope we shall save our planet and feed our people once the trees grow up,” Mugenzi said.

Peace Aradukunda from Rwanda Environmental Management Authority (REMA) acknowledged Umuganda and agroforestry as vital initiatives for environmental protection and climate change mitigation. She urged citizens to take responsibility for protecting the environment and nurturing the newly planted trees.

The collaborative effort between Ripple Effect Rwanda, local authorities, and citizens emphasizes the importance of agroforestry in fostering climate resilience, ensuring food security, and addressing climate change impacts in Bugesera District.

The overall project targets to plant over 100,000 trees in Musenyi sector, Bugesera district.

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